A sandbox. Without sacrificing the whole backyard.
Built-in sand areas with real covers, dig pits, fossil digs and mud kitchens. Sized right, drained right, and placed where the sand stays in the sandbox and out of the kitchen.
Kids think about
Digging to the bottom. Burying a sibling. Where the water goes when you pour it in.
Parents think about
The neighbor's cat. Sand in the dryer. Whether it becomes a puddle every time it rains.
Getting sand right
A good sand area is mostly about what you can't see.
The base
Sand on clay becomes a pond. We excavate, lay a drainage layer of clean gravel, a geotextile so the sand and gravel don't mix, and then 12 to 18 inches of sand. Deep enough to dig a real hole. A perforated drain line at the low corner if the yard needs it.
The sand
Washed, screened play sand, not masonry or construction sand, which is dusty and sharp. We prefer a natural tan color and a grain that holds a shape when wet, because building is the point. We'll steer you away from bagged "colored" sand and anything that clouds when you pour water in.
The edge
A wide timber or stone edge at sitting height does three jobs: it keeps sand in, gives kids and parents a seat, and makes the sand area read as a designed element instead of a box. A built-in bench with a lid doubles as toy storage.
The cover
This is the question every parent asks first and it deserves a real answer. Options, roughly in order of how well they work: a rigid roll-out or hinged lid (best, needs space to store), a fitted breathable fabric cover on a frame (good, quick), or a shade structure plus a fence-height planting screen that discourages the neighborhood cats (helps, not a seal). We'll match the cover to how much effort you'll actually put in daily.
Shade and location
Sand in full sun gets hot and bleaches everything. We put sand areas under a sail, a pergola or a tree, close to the house for the toddler years, and near the rinse station so sand comes off feet before it comes inside.
Dig possibilities
Also see stream tables, the natural partner of a sand area.
More than a box
Digging, in every form.
Construction zones
A gravel-and-dirt pit with a mounted ride-on excavator, dump trucks and a "road" made of pavers. For the kid who's obsessed with the machines on the highway. Fines and pea gravel instead of sand, so it's a different texture than the sandbox.
Fossil and gem digs
A sifting table, a shallow sand bed and a supply of cast "bones" or tumbled stones we bury for you. Refill anytime. Absurdly popular with the 5-to-9 crowd, and a birthday party in a box.
Mud kitchens
A real counter, a sink with a working drain, hooks for pots, a "stove." Next to the sand and a water source. This is where a lot of imaginative play actually happens, and it costs less than most people expect.
Sand and water tables
Waist-high for toddlers, half sand and half water, with a drain. Perfect for a patio corner where a full sand area doesn't fit.
Beach‑style sand
A broad, shallow sand zone that meets a splash pad or a shallow pool edge, so the sand and water play blend the way they do at a lake. Big footprint, big payoff.
Nature investigation
A rock-sorting table, a bug hotel, a magnifying station by the garden. Digging in the dirt, on purpose, with a purpose.
Questions parents ask
Sand FAQ
How big should it be?
Bigger than you think and smaller than you fear. Two toddlers are happy in 6 by 6 feet. Four kids building a city want 10 by 12. A "beach" that meets a splash pad might be 15 by 20. We size to the number of kids and the age spread, then design the edge so it doesn't look oversized.
Will it stay clean?
With a cover, drainage and sun, yes. Sand that drains and dries stays fresh. We recommend raking it occasionally and replacing the top few inches every few years. Cats are the main enemy; the cover is the main defense.
What about when they outgrow it?
A sand area with a good edge and base becomes a raised garden bed, a fire pit surround, a gravel seating area or a boulder garden with the sand removed. We design the footprint with the next use in mind.