Sandpits are a consistently popular toy - both indoor and outside models are available. Not only are they fun, but they're also beneficial to a child's development, encouraging imaginative play and helping to build fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Sandpits now come in all shapes and sizes too, from cute green turtles to large wooden designs, with canopy covers and built-in seats.
The wide selection now on offer actually means that picking the right sandpit for your toddler or child can be quite tricky. In this guide, we'll consider the best materials, dimensions, covers, storage capabilities and more. Our sandpit recommendations are available to order online in the UK from Amazon, Argos and others. Moreover, we have partnered with paediatrician Dr Jonathan Henderson for reviewing and fact-checking the article so that we can deliver you the best information.
Quick List - Top Sandpits
Liberty House Toys
An Ingeniously Designed Sandpit That's Perfect for Two
Plum
A Convertible Table to Please Little Ones and Grown-Ups Alike
Dr Jonathan Henderson is a consultant paediatrician who practices for the NHS and his award-winning private practice. His medical qualifications (MB, BAO and BCh) were all completed at Queen's University Belfast in 2007. He then obtained his membership with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health in 2012 and later became a college fellow in 2019. In addtion to his clinical work, he contributes to e-learning programmes and teaches paediatrics internationally to other healthcare professionals. Dr Henderson, who is on the speciality register of the General Medical Council, has a keen interest in promoting quality improvement in paediatrics and has presented work both regionally and nationally.
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Dr Jonathan Henderson is a consultant paediatrician practising for the NHS, as well as privately. His medical qualifications (MB, BAO and BCh) were all completed at Queen's University Belfast in 2007.
He then obtained his membership with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health in 2012. In addition to his clinical work, he contributes to e-learning programmes and teaches paediatrics internationally to other healthcare professionals. Check out more about him on his website.
Some sandpits are designed primarily for either indoor or outdoor use, while others can quite comfortably fulfil both roles. The first thing you should establish is which type you'd prefer, as this will focus your search.
A sandpit's suitability for outdoor play will almost always be dictated by the materials it's made from and whether it includes a coversheet that'll protect it from the elements (we think that this is a must-have). Treated wooden sandpits are good to leave out all year, while you may wish to bring plastic ones inside during the colder months.
When it comes to a sandpit that you can also use inside, it's more a question of portability. Many outdoor sandpits are simply too large and heavy to be suitable for indoor use. A lighter, plastic model, however, will be easy to transfer back and forth. You'll just need to make sure you don't leave it out during the winter, as it's likely to become weatherworn.
If you have space for more garden play equipment, then check out our recommendations for the best garden swings, playhouses and outdoor toys.
First things first, you should measure your available space. Naturally, if you've only got a small patio or indoor space, you'll want to ensure that you don't buy a sandpit that's going to completely take over.
On the other hand, if you've got more room, you may want to splash out on something larger. Plus, depending on your child's age, getting something more spacious will also mean that a sibling or friends can climb in and join in the fun.
If having plenty of sand for deep digging is top of the priority list for your child, you'll need to ensure you check out the capacity of sand that the pit will hold, before buying. Unfortunately, this specification is not always readily available, and many manufacturers don't include it in their product description. Figuring out the volume of a sandpit (length multiplied by width multiplied by height) may help – though it won't be as exact a measurement, it'll give you a rough idea of capacity.
Despite their name, sandpits can hold more than just sand - some can also hold water, meaning they double up nicely as paddling pools. For a 2-in-1 combo, look for a plastic sandpit that sits on the ground.
An elevated paddling pool wouldn't be safe, and in any case, probably wouldn't hold your child's weight, and the base of a wooden pit isn't watertight nor smooth enough for swimsuited play. However, never leave your child unattended when using a paddling pool, regardless of the size. The risk of drowning can occur even in the smallest depth of water.
They're all designed to hold sand, but some sandpits have some truly game-changing extra features. Of course, there are practical ones - all of our recommended sandpits come with a lid or coversheet included. Sandpits left uncovered get sloppy and unusable from the rain, become a home for insects and worst of all, are often used as a toilet by the neighbourhood cats. We would not buy a sandpit without a cover or lid.
Then there are those extra features that parents will also love, such as concealable storage compartments made for stashing toys neatly away at the end of the play session and canopies to shield from the sun, and those that kids will love, such as built-in seats.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Liberty House Toys Children's Sand Pit With Seating and Cover | ![]() | An Ingeniously Designed Sandpit That's Perfect for Two | |
2 | Plum Surfside Wooden Sand and Water Picnic Table | ![]() | A Convertible Table to Please Little Ones and Grown-Ups Alike | |
3 | Little Tikes Turtle Sandpit | ![]() | A Familiar Turtle That's Stood the Test of Time | |
4 | Easy Shopping® Sand Pit Tray | ![]() | A Versatile Tray Ideal for All Kinds of Messy Fun | |
5 | Big Game Hunters Car Wooden Sandpit With Steering Wheel | ![]() | Perfect for Little Car Lovers With a Cover and Storage Too | |
6 | Plum Store It Wooden Sand Pit | ![]() | With Dual Compartments For Toys to Keep the Garden Tidy | |
7 | TP Toys Wooden Sandpit with Sun Canopy|TP275 TP | ![]() | Protect Your Children With an Adjustable UV Canopy | |
8 | Plum Sandy Bay Wooden Sandpit and Water Tables | ![]() | Nesting Wooden Sand and Water Tables to Save Garden Space | |
9 | TecTake Wooden Veranda and Outdoor Sandbox | ![]() | A Stylish Piece of Garden Furniture in Itself | |
10 | Chad Valley Shell Sand Pit | ![]() | A Versatile Sandpit-Pool at a Price That's Hard to Refuse, But Buy Two if You Want a Lid |
If there's one thing that's more fun for a child than playing in their sandpit, it's playing in a sandpit with a sibling or friend. This roomy sandpit allows just that and, even better, it includes two perfectly child-sized benches that they can sit on as they play!
It is made from a beautiful, rustic wooden construction, and most ingeniously of all, the two benches can be folded away to form a lid that'll keep the sand and protected in all weathers. This is clearly a sandpit made with thought and care - we love it.
They're great fun, but sandpits can be quite hefty bits of furniture. Wouldn't it be nice if they could also serve some other kind of purpose when not in use? These were clearly thoughts running through the heads of the designers at Plum when they made this table which also functions as a picnic bench when not being played with.
Kids will love the two compartments for holding both sand and water, while grown-ups will love the fact that it converts into a useful piece of garden furniture – and a pretty decent one at that, made entirely from FSC-certified timber. An excellent piece of craftsmanship that you won't regret purchasing.
A list of the best sandpits just wouldn't be complete without the Little Tikes turtle. Its cute design, friendly face and easily removable turtle shell lid have remained popular since its first release over 40 years ago.
There's more than just a famous name to this sandpit, however, as it can hold an impressive 68 kg of sand, features moulded details on the bottom to encourage digging, and even includes two in-built seats. Add in the fact that Mr Turtle can just as easily be used as a paddling pool, and you've got yourself a pretty brilliant kids' toy!
It might look overly simple at first glance, but the versatility of this play tray makes it one of the 'must-have' kiddy play accessories. With a large surface area and elevated sides, it's perfect for pretty much every kind of messy play, whether that's building sandcastles or exploring textures.
Parents will love that its flat surface means that mess is contained and easy to clean away, while kids will love having plenty of space for exploration. You can even buy stands to elevate the tray, making it suitable for older kids, too. It's affordable, versatile and it comes in 10 different colourways.
You may have driven in a car, but have you ever built sandcastles in one? Kids with a passion for vehicles will love this cool sandpit, which features a painted car design, a comfy seat and a cute little steering wheel.
Not just about looking flash, this sandpit is also highly convenient when it comes to design, with a weatherproof cover to prevent the sand and wood from getting wet, a fully secured underlay and even a storage box beneath the bonnet. The perfect sandpit for playing in style and for cute photo opportunities as well.
Sand is fun for children to play in, but there's no doubt that it can get incredibly messy. It often spills out onto the lawn, and toys get strewn all over. Not so with this ingenious sandpit, which features a dedicated compartment for storing toys and a groundsheet and protective cover for spillages.
It looks smart too, with an FSC-certified timber construction that has been hand-painted and rounded corners for keeping little ones safe. To top it all off, it comes flat-packed and pre-drilled, making it incredibly easy to assemble.
For kids, there's nothing better than a sunny day spent playing in the sand. As the time flies by, however, your child could be at risk of sun burn. That's why we think this sandpit's adjustable, built-in, UV-protected shade is such a good idea.
Of course, you'll still need to keep the suncream close at hand, but being shielded from direct sunlight will grant your child an extra level of protection. Its rounded corners and FSC-approved treated-wood construction are appealing too. The canopy can be lowered onto the sand to act as a cover, but it isn't robust enough to stay outside all year round.
These smart-looking FSC-approved wooden tables are designed for hours of outdoor sand and water fun play. Then they cleverly nest together to save space when put away.
The sand table comes with a cover too, but this part isn't going to last outside all year round, plus the cover has two pre-cut out holes in the top - allowing heavy rain in. Apart from that (and the many pieces to construct when it arrives as flat pack) this sand and water table combo will provide hours of fun.
Why go for a simple sandpit when you go for a fully fledged piece of garden furniture? The sandbox part of this item is fairly standard, but it becomes all the more impressive when you consider that's it attached to a shaded, miniature wooden veranda.
With wooden decking and railings too, this is essentially a smart piece of garden furniture shrunk down to child-size. The pit itself is fairly small however, so it is most suitable for just one child to use at a time.
This no-frills sandpit serves equally well as a paddling pool! We'd actually suggest buying two of these - so you can have one as a dedicated (and clean and dry) sandpit, whilst using the top shell as a lid and as a paddling pool.
It's at the bottom of our rankings, as if you buy just one shell it is a faff to empty after each use - you can't leave an open sandpit outside as you risk cats using it as a toilet and insects and rain will get in too. However, if you do buy two of these, then together they make an excellent buy.
From 9 months+, once sitting up unsupported, babies will begin to enjoy the sensory aspects of a sandpit - as long as they are closely supervised, to stop them eating the sand or falling in face first (as sand is a suffocation hazard). At 18-24 months they will play with the sand, not eat it.
Always buy 'play sand' - the white sand which is washed, non-toxic and softer than other types. The sand used on building sites is much cheaper, but it is 'sharp sand' or ‘builder’s sand’ and it is indeed more scratchy and it stains clothing (and skin) yellow.
No. 1: Liberty House Toys|Children's Sand Pit With Seating and Cover
No. 2: Plum|Surfside Wooden Sand and Water Picnic Table
No. 3: Little Tikes|Turtle Sandpit
No. 4: Easy Shopping®|Sand Pit Tray
No. 5: Big Game Hunters|Car Wooden Sandpit With Steering Wheel
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