Tabletop Sandbox

A few months ago I saw this cute mini sandbox. It was probably only 9 x 9 inches. I tucked that idea away in my mind and then brought it to life this weekend! You see, my kids have been dying to get some Kinetic sand and I've been dragging my feet. Um, sand in the house?! They kept telling me how this sand is special and easy to clean up trying to convince me, but I definitely had some reservations. Well, I finally but it all together and thought, "I could make a tabletop sandbox like that cute little one I saw a few months ago and keep the Kinetic sand in it!" It was a huge breakthrough for our family :) So, I recruited my husband and we got the job done!

First, you'll need your wood for the sandbox. Here's a hint: If you go to a hardware store and ask for their scrap wood, they'll usually give it to you for free! We used free scrap wood for the base of our sandbox. I wanted our box to be a little bigger so more than one child could play with it at a time. Our base measured 16 1/2 x 12 inches. You can choose any size you'd like. You then need to get wood for the box's sides. We used two pieces at 2 1/2 x 16 1/2 inches and two pieces at 2 1/2 x 12 1/4 inches. You'll want your end pieces of wood a bit longer than the base so the corners overlap. Our sides are 1/2 inch thick.

Next, with wood glue, glue the two longer sides onto your base.

Use clamps to hold your glued sides in place. Keep the clamps on for at least one hour.

Then, glue your end sides on. Again, remember those clamps.

Let your glued sides dry for 24 hours. After 24 hours, nail a few nails along the bottom borders of your sandbox sides to secure them to the base. Then, spray paint.

Finally, the fun part! Fill your sandbox with regular playground sand or Kinetic sand. Find toys around your home for the box. We found some trucks, plastic animals, Playdoh molds, even a little plastic back scratcher that we now use as a sandbox rake.

My kids love the sandbox! Now, kids will be kids so don't expect a sand free table or floor. But, for the most part, everything stays pretty well inside that sandbox. The sandbox has been a huge hit the past few days as the weather here has turned cold and rainy. It's great to bring a little something of the outside in. Plus, I'm already seeing the possibilities: something fun to play with for a sick child who has to stay indoors, something to play with during those cold winter months or something to do when it is too dark to play outside. Enjoy!