The Secret to Building the Best Sandpit

There are lots of things you can do in your backyard. Landscaping offers many opportunities to give your home the upgrades it needs. 

Apart from building a garden or setting up a patio, another way to improve your backyard’s landscaping is by creating a sandpit. A sandpit isn’t just a space for children to play in. It can also be a spot where adults can hang out and feel like they’re dipping their toes into the sand from the beach.

Creating a sandpit is a big undertaking already. Creating the ultimate sandpit? That’s a lot harder but we’ve made it easier with these simple tricks and tips.

1. Picking The Perfect Spot

One of the most important parts of building a sandpit is picking the perfect spot for it. You need to pick a place that gets enough shade but also gets enough exposure to the sun. 

Keep in mind that your kids are going to be hanging around the sandpit mostly. They have sensitive skin and too much sun exposure is bad for them. It would also be a bad idea to place your sandpit near a tree as the falling leaves could eventually fill up your sandpit.

A good area should be level. As for the shade, the best shade you can give it would be your house if it’s tall enough. Alternatively, you can leave a spot where you can set up a beach umbrella so that there’s enough shade for everyone if the heat gets too intense.

2. Dig The Right Depth

Landscapers suggest digging a depth of 500mm for the sandpit. It’s deep enough for the kids to enjoy, but at the same time, it’s not deep enough to be dangerous for them.

You need to be very careful when digging for the sandpit. The last thing you’d want is mistakenly hitting any water or gas pipes underground. It would be a good idea to refer to the plans of the house so that you know exactly where it’s okay to dig in your backyard.

It’s not just depth you should be concerned about. Think about how large the sandpit should be. Remember, it’s not just a kid’s playpen. It can also be a hangout spot for adults too so consider this when thinking about the size.

3. Preparing The Spot

It can be very exciting to fill up the spot with sand but that’s a bad idea. Before anything else, you should line the bottom of the sandpit with quality gravel. This will act as drainage of some sort when it rains. On top of that, you should place a landscaping mat or a shade cloth to keep things like grass, weeds, and worms out of the sandpit.

We’ve got a wide variety of gravel here at MLSWA. Some are made for landscaping and design, but some are best for acting as drainage as well.

Now, let’s talk about the borders of the sandpit. Traditionally, sandpits are bordered by wood. However, you can go the extra mile by pickling decorative stones as well. Aside from being easier to set up, a sandpit with decorative stones as borders look a lot better too.

4. Placing The Sand

Now comes the most important part of creating the ultimate sandpit – putting in the fine sand on the area you’ve worked so hard for!

For many people, placing the sand isn’t something that they want to do. You can order sand online and have it delivered to your home. This is often the best option as adding the sand can be quite messy. You also need to consider the fact that this is heavy work as well.

5. Adding The Extras

The last part of the process is the most fun. 

Feel free to add anything you want to the sandpit. Some people try to add a bench or a few chairs in the area so that it can easily double as a hangout spot. This isn’t a bad idea. However, it would be better to place the bench in front of the sandpit and not in it so it doesn’t take up too much space.

You might also want to add some rubber mats near the sandpit. What this would do is prevent sand from getting inside your home which can be very frustrating at times.

Of course, don’t forget to throw some toys into the mix. Sandpits are intended as a kid’s playpen after all. Giving them all the toys they want in one area is a good idea.

Building a sandpit is a lot of work but what you get in the end is worth having. Aside from giving your kids a different place to play, a sandpit can also add a lot of value to your home. With this guide, you should be able to get the sandpit of your dreams very easily.

Contact Mazzega’s Landscaping Supplies for premium-grade sand for all your garden needs!