Sandpits (also known as sandboxes) are an important part of many playgrounds, and can provide hours of imaginative and constructive play activity. A well designed and constructed sandpit will provide years of enjoyment and repay your venture many times over. Yet all too often, sandpits in market playgrounds are poorly designed with adverse effects on their users.
This report offers a guide to helping you maximise the possible of your sandpit. Although this guide is aimed at assisting market playground operators, there are lots of hints that will prove useful when constructing a sandpit in the backyard at home.
Step 1. Location
Take some time to study the layout of your playground carefully. Ideally your new sand pit should be settled in a quite play space, ideally in a shaded area which will not interfere with open play space or other activities. If shade is not available, you may need to consider erecting a shade structure above the sandpit. If you are installing shade think determined about the positioning of the keep poles so they will not interfere with play space or softfall areas. If you are using a tree for your shade be sure to pick a location where tree roots will not damage your sandpit.
Often playgrounds have large areas of woodchips for safe play areas. Yet placing a sandpit in the vicinity of a woodchip play area will mean your sandpit will soon be full of woodchips. If this is your only choice, then try to think strategically of ways to combat the spread of woodchips such as by creating a barricade made from natural grass or synthetic surfacing, or creative use of timber decking.
Remember that despite your best efforts, sand will leave from the confines of the sandpit, so you should aim to sacrifice the supervene of sand spillage as much as possible. For example spillage of dry sand onto a concrete pathway, can cause the outside to come to be very glossy and a potentially perilous Ohs issue. Applying a wetpour rubbersurface may be significant to forestall this effect. You should also ensure there is enough space between your sandpit and the entry of any nearby structure to forestall sand from entering inside.
In assessing location, look for ways to join your sandpit into an existing playground highlight or into the natural landscaping of your playground. It may fit snugly against an existing retaining wall, or be incorporated nearby a rock feature, so think creatively. Remember that although a sandpit may be out of the way, it should still be clearly illustrated to allow easy management of play.
One often overlooked aspect in considering location is access. Remember that your sandpit will need to be filled up periodically, and wheel barrowing 8 tonne of sand is hard work. If direct vehicular passage is not possible, look for alternate ways to create passage such as removing fence panels, or seek permission to gain passage from neighbouring properties. In order to keep your sand hygienic, it will need to be topped up periodically, or substituted with fresh clean immediately in the advent of contamination by animals. Thoughtfulness at the invent stage can save lots of hard work later.
Warning. If you have an existing synthetic play outside such as rubber or synthetic grass nearby your sandpit site, do not use an excavator or small bobcat to carry sand across it. Despite what the excavator driver may say, the engine is very likely to damage the surfaceing, and repair work is difficult and costly. If this is the case in your playground, then you will have to resort to the tried and tested method of the wheelbarrow and shovel.
Step 2. Design
Size
The outside area size of your sandpit will be dependent upon the estimate of users, ready space and budget, as well as the range of alternative play activities. Ideally it should be a minimum of at least 500 mm deep.
Shape
Once you have chosen your location and size think about what shape invent will work best in your location. Sandpits can be approximately any shape together with circular, kidney, oval or square.
Your invent should consider ease of passage for users. Preferablly the sandpit walls will be sunk entirely into the ground, or be built with low entry spots to provide easy access. Ideally, sandpits should have a flat lip nearby their perimeter. This may be used for seats as well as providing a flat outside for playing with toys and a shelf for building on. The lip should be clearly defined and honestly seen so that it will not come to be a possible trip hazard. It also serves to provides an easy sweep area, for sweeping overflowing sand back.
Materials
Sandpits are regularly constructed from timber, concrete, pavers or brick blocks depending on what material is best grand the site. If you use timber, be specific not to use timber which has been treated with Cca (Copper Chromium Arsenic). Ask your victualer for alternative treated timber such as Acq or use hardwoods.
Covering the structural component of the sandpit with wet pour rubber is the ideal solution to providing safe edging, although synthetic grass may also be used. When designing your sandpit ensure that edges are rounded or at least bevelled, to sacrifice the possible for impact injuries.
Drainage
Drainage is someone else important factor to forestall your sandpit from becoming a swimming pool in times of heavy rain. Furthermore a well drained sandpit will mean that the sand is washed and freshened by the rain, resulting in more germ-free sandpit. 150mm of loose rocks or mixture should be used at the lowest of the sandpit to forestall water build up and can be used to drain away the water. You will also need a barricade between the sand and the drainage rock material to forestall children digging down to the rocks. The barricade should be made of a porous material such as geotech fabric, rubber or perforated synthetic grass.
Step 3.The building Process
Once you have your design, you can whether build the sandpit yourself, or outsource the work to a pro tradesperson. Landscapers, builders, concreters, carpenters or playground specialists are the best place to start your enquiries depending on the scope of works. Ask nearby at other market playgrounds and get recommendations from operator who can recommend a tradesperson from a similar project. Ideally your chosen firm should have a track report in similar projects.
When you are obtaining quotes, provide a plan or sketch of your invent as well as a written list of your criteria. This will ensure that everyone is quoting on the same specifications. Arrange to meet the tradesman onsite and remember to ask for their feedback and ideas as well. Often a pro tradesman may be able to offer exquisite ideas or practical perspectives which you may not have have concept of.
Step 4. The Sandpit Cover
Once your sandpit is completed, it is important that your sandpit is securely covered when not in use, to forestall leaves, dirt and animal contamination which can spread disease. A shade and sail maker can provide you with a sturdy, market grade cover, which will allow water through, yet still keep animals out.
You can have your cover professionally fitted and installed, or you can save money by installing it yourself, and having the sail maker customise it from your measurements. If your sandpit is an irregular shape, a very useful tip is to take a large piece of black plastic (available at your local hardware shop) and stretch it over the sandpit using weights to hold it in place. You can now use scissors or a marking pen to trace the required shape, thereby production an exact template of your cover. Fold this up and take it to your local shade and sail maker. This is often more precise and simpler, than trying to portion an irregular shaped sandpit with unusual angles.
An exquisite idea is to have the sail maker sew a distance of chain in the hem of the cover. This will weigh the cover down and hold it securely in place when the sandpit is not in use. An alternative method is to have the sail maker sew eyelets at strategic points and to use clips and elastic rope to acquire it to the sandpit sides.
Step 5. Seeing After your Sandpit
A well designed sandpit will need far less maintenance than one which has been poorly designed; however some basic upkeep is still required. Raking your sandpit regularly will help to airate the sand as well as remove leaves and other debris. Airing the sand is important as fresh air serves as a disinfectant. Disinfecting your sandpit by hand will be required when they are obviously dirty. An easy method is to use a mild detergent diluted in water in a watering can, although the best wat to warrant your sand is clean and germ-free is to remove the top layer of sand (or all of it if it is honestly dirty) and top it up with fresh clean sand.
Following these steps will ensure that your new sandpit will be an asset to your playground and an venture in the lives of the children you care for.
Pictures of some sandpits built by the author may be found at softfall playgrounds & soft fall synthetic grass sports surfaces
How To Build A Sandbox
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