12 Sandboxes Worth Sticking Your Toes Into

Playing in sand is fun for kids and adults. If you don't live near a beach, here's how to bring the sand to you.

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Children play in a wooden sandbox designed like a ship, using toys while a blue canopy provides shade in a garden setting.
Pirate Ship Sandbox
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Three children play with toy trucks and shovels in a sandpit on a grassy lawn, enjoying a sunny day outdoors.
Construction Site Sandbox
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A wooden sand and water table under a green and white umbrella; two children are playing with toys beside a swimming pool on a sunny day.
Picnic Table Sandbox
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A sandbox features two decorative umbrellas, a potted palm, and scattered flowers, enclosed by wooden fencing and a concrete wall, under a cloudy sky.
Rooftop Sandbox
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A large, sandy-colored, sun-patterned stone sits atop dark mulch, surrounded by a rocky border and flowering plants in a garden setting.
Natural-Looking Sandbox
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A wooden sandbox with a striped canopy sits on the ground, featuring a sandy interior and a small orange storage tray inside.
Cabana Sandbox
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A red crab-shaped sandpit sits open, revealing light-colored sand inside, accompanied by a matching lid nearby, creating a playful outdoor activity space.
Crabby Sandbox
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Two children are playing with kinetic sand, creating structures and shapes in a divided tray, smiling as they interact in a bright, playful setting.
Indoor Sandbox
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Pirate Ship Sandbox

The Ahoy Wooden Play Boat is the perfect sandbox for imaginative and adventurous kids. They can pretend to captain their own pirate ship with the playhouse’s wheel, and they can dig for buried treasure in the sandpit. The boat extends and collapses to hide and cover the sandpit. And the ship’s sail unfolds to block kiddos from the sun.
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Three children play with toy trucks and shovels in a sandpit on a grassy lawn, enjoying a sunny day outdoors.
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Construction Site Sandbox

The Little Tikes Big Digger Sandbox will thrill kids who love construction. They can drive toy trucks up the ramp and pretend to be on a real jobsite. A working excavator lets them dig holes and scoop up sand.

Picnic Table Sandbox

If you kids don’t want to come inside for lunch time, this picnic table sandbox is the solution. It folds shut to function as a regular picnic table when it’s time to eat. Then, it folds open to let kids pick up right where they left off. The built-in patio umbrella provides ample sun protection.

This sandbox is atop an Asian-inspired home in Venice Beach, California. An uninspired area of the home “became magical with a fenced-in virtual Venice Beach playground for the kids, featuring a large, deep sandbox and potted palms,” says Laura Morton.

For less than $100 you get the precut wood, hardware, liner and top cover for this classic sandbox. It takes practically no time to set up and kids will enjoy playing in the backyard for hours and hours.

Natural-Looking Sandbox

This unobtrusive sandbox comes assembled and blends right in with its surroundings. The sandbox lid keeps out rain, debris and cats so the sand is fresh and clean for every play date!

If you don’t want your kids sitting out in the sun all day while they play, this sandbox is for you. A shade canopy ensures kids are protected on three sides and overhead. Two rollup windows provide ventilation and three storage bins are included.

How cute is this? You never have to worry about splinters and it has lots of great reviews. This sandbox makes a great gift for kids who like DIY.

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Two children are playing with kinetic sand, creating structures and shapes in a divided tray, smiling as they interact in a bright, playful setting.
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Lowest Price in 30 days

Indoor Sandbox

No place for an outdoor sandbox? Your kids can still have fun playing with sand with this kinetic sand set. This sand is moldable, sticks to itself and never dries out, making it actually fun for all ages!

A man uses a rake to create patterns in white sand, surrounded by stones and a traditional wooden building in a garden setting.
T photography/Shutterstock

Zen Garden Sand

In the sixth century A.D., Zen Buddhist monks created the first zen gardens to aid meditation. Today, those who like carefully controlled settings with raked sand or rocks and precisely clipped shrubs find zen gardens appealing. You can even purchase special sand for zen gardens. Add a relaxing water feature for ambiance.

This is the epitome of simple DIY: A wood-frame sandbox with two stakes and fabric to create a tent! Kids can pretend they’re camping, or hang out inside like it’s a clubhouse. Complete how-to-build instructions can be found on tarynwhiteaker.com. Alternatively, add shade to your deck or patio and place a sandbox in the shaded area.

If you’ve always wanted to operate full-size diggers and dumpers like the toy ones you had as a kid, Extreme Sandbox is for you! Extreme Sandbox is a family owned and operated business that gives people the opportunity to “play” with construction equipment in a controlled environment. Corporate and social groups go for bonding and fun. In 2016, Extreme Sandbox was on Shark Tank and their business continues to grow.