An affordable and interesting option for decorating a personal territory is the construction of a children's sandbox with your own hands. To make this game element can do any master. And when the young generation grows up, in the place of the sand zone you can build a flowerbed or a small decorative pond.
Content
The principles of building a sandbox
When creating a children's sandbox in a summer cottage, it is necessary to take into account the following principles of its placement:
- Hygienicity - you should not have a sandbox under the trees, since falling foliage and bird droppings can create excess discomfort for the child.
- Ease of operation - when calculating the dimensions of the sandbox, it is important to consider the number of people who will play in it.
- Prudence - the game zone should be in the field of view of the parents, so the sandbox must be placed so that it is easily accessible.
- Safety - you need to avoid direct sunlight, so it is best to build children's sandboxes with a lid .
Materials for building
The manufacture of a children's sandbox for a summer residence usually occurs using natural material - wood. But the use of other building components, such as: brick or plastic. A factor that affects the choice is the number of children for whom the structure is being built. However, with all the reliability of such a decision, its deficiency is an increased risk of children's injuries. Therefore, a wooden sandbox is the most practical, safe and aesthetically attractive option.
The dimensions of the children's sandbox
It is difficult to recognize the overall dimensions of children's sandboxes in the photo, so you should focus on the following indicators: the height of the structure is 25-30 cm, the width and length-120x120 cm or 150x150 cm. However, if the territory of the summer cottage allows, then you can build a sandbox with dimensions up to 3x3 m , making a green area inside and built various partitions with bridges.
It is most important to observe the parameters in height of the sides, since they serve to prevent the rash of sand and mixing it with the soil. Often the filling of the sandbox crumbles along the extensive trajectory around the structure. Firm sides will help to quickly eliminate this problem, and you can also make benches around the perimeter of the sandbox.
Conditions for the preparation of the sandbox
A practical solution for the arrangement of the playground and sandbox is to plant the space around low -growing plants that are resistant to and to endup. However, the main requirement in the design of the gaming sand zone is its safety. Therefore, it is necessary to cut off all the protruding corners, firmly fix all the details and maintain fasteners in good condition.
Particular attention when constructing a game element should be paid to the quality of the filling material. The ideal option will be the river sand of white color, since it has a small fraction and is quite plastic. It can be purchased in household stores and building materials. When buying, you need to make sure that the sand is not intended to knead concrete, since it can spoil the child’s clothes.
If there is already sand, and it is not purchased in a special store, then it should be thoroughly sift through a small sieve or an anti -mosquito net. This will help eliminate foreign materials, stones, glass fragments and other dangerous components.
DIY sandbox building
Children's sandbox is an interesting and useful attribute of the playing area of \u200b\u200bthe child. She can not only decorate the personal territory, but also become a safe place for children's games. Let us consider in more detail each stage of building a wooden structure.
Choose a location
The children's sandbox, like any other element of the playing area of \u200b\u200bthe child, should be located in the field of view of parents. It is not recommended to hide it behind the fence, shrubs or tall plantations. Adults should always see children inside, in order to avoid undesirable situations.
It is important to prevent the placement of the sand zone in the area, where direct solar radiation constantly gets. In the summer, children there will be impossible. If you still decide to place the sandbox in the open area, then build a canopy or roof that can create a shadow above the gaming area.
It is not recommended to place the game element in the full shadow. In the autumn and spring periods there will be uncomfortable and cold. The optimal solution will be such a location of the structure when one part of its zone falls into the shadow, and the other in the sun.
We make a hole for the structure
The initial stage in the construction of the sandbox is the determination of its size and the implementation of the necessary cavity for the structure. So, the area of \u200b\u200bthe game element should take into account the planned number of children. For three babies, the dimensions of 170x170 cm will be sufficient dimensions of the sandbox.
Before starting the pit, on the area designated under the sandbox, you need to mark the perimeter of the structure. This is done using a rope and pegs. After that, it is necessary to dig the soil inside the marked zone for 25 cm deep. The result is a pit with dimensions of 170x170x25 cm.
We prepare the base
For a children's sandbox, it is necessary to prepare a high -quality base. The option of leaving the earthen soil at the bottom of the structure is also permissible, but this is fraught with rapid pollution of the filling and its frequent replacement. Therefore, in order to simplify the care of the sandbox area, it is necessary to equip a uniform dense base that will save you from problems.
As a layer for the gaming zone, geotextile material or agricultural fiber is used. These materials pass the liquid quite well, so that after the rain, the sandbox will not turn into a swamp. At the same time, a protective barrier is provided, which eliminates all sorts of insects and garbage in the sand. At the bottom of the structure, you can also hold a plywood or film, having previously made drainage holes in them.
The base material should be laid on a layer of even sand, so it is initially covered in a hole 5 cm thick, the base of the sandbox is reduced and after that.
We construct the walls of the sandbox
If you do not want to install a plastic baby sandbox , and you prefer a structure made of natural wood, then the first to build the walls of the future gaming zone. For this purpose, the following manipulations must be done:
- Prepare 4 bar, the dimensions of each of which will be 45x5x5 cm.
- In the corners of the future structure, to score bars into the ground, 15 cm deep.
- Those parts of the bars that will be in the ground must be treated with bitumen.
- NEWS 4 boards to form with nails to form walls for the sandbox. The size of each board is 150x30x3 cm.
- Along the perimeter of the game element, you need to fix 4 boards to form sides. They will serve the children with benches and shelves at the same time.
Important! Carefully make sure that all components for building walls and sides are neatly polished. Zazubrin, sharp corners, knots and chips should be avoided in order to prevent the occurrence of traumatic situations in the sandbox.
We make a roof for construction
It is important to equip a children's sandbox with a lid that can reliably protect it from the entrance of branches, various garbage, getting wet due to the rain. And most importantly - the roof protects the filling of the sandbox from the curtains that animals can cause.
As a lid, you can use a dense tents fabric or film, which will have to be pulled on the structure every evening. However, the most practical solution is the roof made of wooden boards.
Often, a shield is used, which is collected from equal in size of the boards attached to a pair of bars. A more convenient option is the option-a covering cover, which consists of two shields and can open like shutters. They are attached to the hinges and equipped with door handles, which allows the use of the doors to even small children.
We carry out the decoration of the sandbox
It is possible to avoid rotting of a wooden sandbox by processing all fragments with an antiseptic and varnish. This will extend its life. And in order to supplement the functionality of the sandbox with external aesthetics, you can paint its walls and sides with oil paint of bright colors. In addition, it can be decorated with all kinds of ornaments, paintings, images of animals and birds or apply alphabetical designations.
We fill the sandbox
The best option for filling the sandbox is river sand, which is devoid of impurities and is in the free sale of construction markets. But this is not the only material suitable for this purpose. You can also purchase quartz sand, which is sold immediately with bags. In addition, today you can purchase a special type of sand with various aromatic additives that are designed to scare animals. Career and sea sand are also suitable, which must be carefully sift before filling.
The sandbox is ready! The most affordable version of the game element is proposed here, but if you attach imagination, you can make a simple sand zone quite original.
The option of building an extraordinary sandbox is presented in the video:
