A 4 ft square cedar sandbox with a lift-off lid that keeps the cats and the rain out.
How many sandboxes?
sandboxes
This one needs a trailer
About 908 lb of materials. That is more than one pickup load — your shopper will need a trailer, and may make 2 trips. The rental is $35.00, it goes to them in full, and we take nothing from it. Only shoppers who can tow will see the run. ⚠️ 2 items on the list have no weight on file, so the real load is a little heavier than this.
Before you start
Sand every edge and sink every screw below the surface. Use cedar, not pressure-treated wood, because kids put sandy hands in their mouths. The lid lifts off rather than hinging, so it cannot slam on fingers. Sixteen bags of sand is 800 lb, so lift with your legs and split the load.
It lands in the shopping form, where you can edit anything and say what you think each thing costs. Nothing is ordered until you send it.
How it goes · about a weekend · beginner
Pick a level spot with some afternoon shade, and scrape the grass off a 4 ft square.
Cut the 2×6 boards into eight 4 ft pieces and the 2×4 into four corner blocks, and screw the sides to the blocks two boards high.
Lay the landscape fabric in the bottom so water drains out and weeds stay out, and set the box on it.
Build two lid halves from the 1×6 slats screwed to cleats underneath, and fit two handles on each.
Sand every edge, corner and screw head on the box and the lid until nothing snags a sock.
Pour in the play sand and rake it level. Put the lid on whenever nobody is playing.