An outdoor sandbox is a fantastic outdoor play area for children perfect for the backyard. Below you will find a cool collection of backyard sandbox ideas for kids. Follow any one of the step by step tutorials to make your own DIY sandbox or purchase one of the ready-made outdoor sandbox options in each category.
Backyard sandboxes are amazing outdoor sensory play spaces for kids. An outdoor sandbox is a fantastic place for children to engage in sensory or imaginative play. Outdoor sandboxes are also a great place to try some STEM and STEAM activities.
A few more cool backyard play space ideas for kids are outdoor chalkboards, mud kitchens, and fairy gardens. Click on the links to learn how to make your own!
There is sure to be something that works for your needs in this awesome collection. Choose the one that you like best, or use these backyard sandbox ideas to come up with your own idea!
Some of these portable sandboxes would be great for people that live in apartments with small outdoor spaces. The sand tables and sand and water tables listed below would also be perfect for smaller yards and spaces.
There are hacks for everything and backyard sandboxes are no exception. Check out the fun outdoor sandbox hacks below!
Outdoor sand tables are a simple option for any backyard no matter the size. Most of these could be sand or water tables. You can always make or purchase more than one to use for sand, water, gravel, slime, or any type of sensory play material.
Sand and water tables are a fun option to have instead of, or in addition to, a backyard sandbox. Of course, many of these could be used with just sand or water… or any other type of sensory material.
Click on the link to see my top 10 Sand and Water Tables. Most are DIY but there are also a few options that you could buy included in the collection.
An easy way to make a simple backyard sandbox is to make a raised garden bed of any size, place a tarp underneath, and fill it with sand. Below are a few other options you can DIY, upcycle, or buy. Each can have covers made or purchased for them.
These type of sandboxes have a seat that goes around the entire sandbox. Sandboxes like this serve the dual purpose of sitting on while playing in the sand or using as a place to sit while hanging out in the backyard.
Related: Easy Rainbow Art Projects Kids LOVE!
There are so many fun ways people have come up with to cover a sandbox. You can build doors, flaps, roofs, and canopy’s of all kinds to cover a sandbox. You can even use a TeePee!
Check out all of the fun ideas to DIY or buy below!
This type of backyard sandbox has a lid that converts to seats when they are folded open! I found a few different cool backyard sandbox options of this type to DIY or buy.
These are amazing! The outward explorer pirate ship play structure sandbox is my favorite!
Pirate Ship Sandbox | Family Designs Inc.
Uh-oh… you caught me! I’m still adding sandbox ideas to this glorious collection. It has been hard for me to find proper pictures with links for this type of sandbox so I need some more time.
I LOVE natural sandboxes that blend into the space that they are created in. There are a lot of photos of natural backyard sandbox ideas that don’t include tutorials. I hope these ideas spark your own creativity to design your own nature-scaped sandbox!
DIY and ready-made Backyard sandboxes are amazing outdoor sensory backyard play spaces for kids. Tips, tutorials, and hacks for several backyard sandbox ideas for kids are included.
Don’t forget to check out our summer bucket list seasonal family guide for lots of fun ideas to try with the kids.
What an awesome selection of sand play! Thank you so much for including my sand table.
Thanks Larissa! So glad you it. I LOVE your sand table because it’s a nice big size without being too big.