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“Sandbox” redirects here. For other uses, see Sandbox (disambiguation).
This article is about the children’s play area. For an open-pit sand mine, see Sand mining. For other uses, see Sandpit (disambiguation).

Children play in a communal sandbox
Sandpit with toy tools used by children to play in sand

A sandpit (most Commonwealth countries) or sandbox (US and Canada) is a low, wide container or shallow depression filled with soft (beach) sand in which children can play. Sharp sand (as used in the building industry) is not suitable for such use. Many homeowners with children build sandpits in their backyards because, unlike most playground equipment, they can be easily and cheaply constructed.

History

German sand gardens were the first organization of children’s play in public spaces.[1][2] The German “sand gardens” were an 1850 offshoot of Friedrich Fröbel‘s work on kindergartens.[3] Sand gardens were introduced to America by Marie Elizabeth Zakrzewska, starting in her home city of Boston,[4][5] inspired by the German sand gardens she observed while visiting Berlin in the summer of 1885.[6][7] Joseph Lee from Boston is considered the “founder of the playground movement“.[4][8][clarification needed]

Physical description

The “pit” or “box” itself is simply a container for storing the sand (or other material) so that it does not spread across surrounding surfaces. They sometimes have lids to cover the sand when not in use. The use of actual sand can be a health risk, such as ringworm, which can be introduced by animals.[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ “How We Came to Play: The History of Playgrounds – National Trust for Historic Preservation”.
  2. ^ “The Garden and the Playground – Playscapes”. 29 August 2012. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  3. ^ Lange, Alexandra (18 June 2018). “An Intellectual History of the Sandbox”. Slate. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  4. ^ a b “How the American playground was born in Boston – The Boston Globe”. The Boston Globe.
  5. ^ “blank”. www.prm.nau.edu. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  6. ^ Rainwater, Clarence Elmer (22 August 2018). “The Play Movement in the United States: A Study of Community Recreation”. University of Chicago Press.
  7. ^ “Sand Gardens”. www.pgpedia.com. Archived from the original on 27 July 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  8. ^ “Boston sand garden” (PDF). hnr.k-state.edu. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  9. ^ “Health hazards lurking in the sandbox”. www.cbsnews.com. 27 April 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2021.