Sandboxes By Patricia Holland At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

A child’s wonderland. What is it? A sandbox or sandpit is usually a shallow depression or a large, wide container that is filled with sand. It is a simple concept but a fascinating world for children. They are usually easily assembled or constructed in a homeowner’s backyard at a very modest price.

Today’s sandboxes have evolved from the days of my father’s homemade sandpit build with wood. We were a brood of three with plenty of friends and it always seemed large enough for four or five or six of us. We played in this simple box for many hours at a time and for many years. We had adventures, created building and cities and traveled the world in our sandpit. And GI Joe had his share of epic battles against the bad guys. Dad’s homemade sandpit was a marvelous toy for many years and has left us with many fond memories.

Our park and playground sandboxes are even more exciting than the old wooden boxes of yesteryear. We offer both hexagon and square shapes. Your children will get great play value with our weather resistant and colorful PVC coated steel panel sandboxes. Our sandboxes offer the best in quality, durability and practicality and will be a joy for your children for many years.

Sandboxes are unique in that they encourage and develop the imaginations and creativity of children. Children have a personal play area and materials to build sandcastles and other structures. They can use toys, shovels, bowls, buckets and toy trucks to transport the sand from one location to another. Digging holes and burying things are also popular activities. The sand is an almost perfect material to do all of these things and children can develop, build, explore, destroy and recreate fantasy worlds.

The actual "pit" or "box" of a sandpit refers to the method or material used to store the sand and prevent its “leakage” to the surrounding area. The first sandpits were made of wooden planks or logs and their design was simple enough to allow easy access to the sand. Later versions were built in various shapes and included benches that provided a convenient place for the children to sit.

Sandpits evolved to utilize different materials such as steel and plastic and were shaped into familiar objects such as animals or boats. Some have lids or covers to provide shade. Some are prefabricated and may be used indoors in homes or daycare centers. These prefabricated units often use a material other than sand such as oatmeal because it is non-toxic and easier to vacuum and remove from children.

Sandpits come in two basic versions. Some have a solid bottom that prevents the contamination of the sand with the soil below. Others are built directly on top of the soil which allows easy drainage of rain water but can lead to contamination of the sand with the soil.

Two types of sand are used for sandboxes as well as a new wood chip mixture. Building sand is cheaper but it is not washed and can contain foreign materials such as clay. These foreign materials can stain children’s clothing. Building sand is not uniform and there will be a mixture of grain sizes and colors. The other type of sand used is known as “sandbox sand.” It is uniform in size and color and has been washed to remove foreign materials. Some schools and playgrounds are now using a new wood chip mixture in their sandboxes because it is cheaper and does not stain clothing.

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