Here’s How to Build a Sandbox with a Folding Bench Lid

Who doesn’t love a sandbox? It offers tons of creative play opportunities and it’s a great place for your kids to hang out with their friends. A backyard sandbox also keeps your kids where you can see and hear them. DIY expert Noelle McCarney decided to build one for her girls—a deluxe version complete with folding lid and upright benches. Follow Noelle’s easy steps to build your own!

Here’s What You Need*:

• (1) 2"x10" Sienna Pressure Treated Lumber (8-foot length)

• (1) 2"x10" Sienna Pressure Treated Lumber (12-foot length) 

• (1) 2"x4" Sienna Pressure Treated Lumber (12-foot length) 

• (6) 5/4" Pressure Treated Decking (8-foot lengths) 

• (100) 2.5" Deck Screws 

• (1) Landscape Fabric 

• (8) Play Sand 

• (8) 4" T-Hinges 

• (2) 5½" Pull Handles 

• (1) Sand Toys Set 

*Lumber may vary depending on your location. To see all options, use our Store Locator to find the Home Hardware Building Centre or Home Building Centre closest to you.

Here’s How to Make It:

We decided to add a little outdoor fun to our backyard this Spring with a DIY Sandbox project. This is no ordinary sandbox. It’s got a fold-down lid to keep pets and yard pests out, and when it folds back up you get two comfy benches to sit on! I just know this will create hours of fun and memories for us and our little ones! Our local Home Hardware was an essential partner, providing all the tools, tips, and materials we needed.

Step 1: Cutting the Wood

We decided on a rectangular-shaped sandbox, so we cut our 8-foot 2"x10" board into two 4-foot lengths, and our 12-foot 2"x10" board into two 6-foot lengths. This would be our frame. Then we cut our six 8-foot decking boards into 4-foot lengths. This gave us 12 pieces in total to make our sandbox lid/benches. Lastly, we cut our 2"x4" into four 1-foot lengths (the armrests) and two 21" lengths (the backrests).

Step 2: Building the Base

A flat, concrete surface was required for this step. We laid the boards out in the shape of the sandbox frame then secured each corner with three deck screws, drilling in on an angle.

Step 3: Attaching the Stationary Lid Pieces

We attached two deck boards onto each end of the frame. These are the end lid-pieces that remain stationary and serve as extra support under the two folding benches.

Step 4: Building the Benches

Ok, this sounds tricky but it’s easier when you’ve got all the pieces laid out in front of you. For our first set of hinges, we attached one end to the top of the second (innermost) stationary deck board, and the other end to the third deck board (moveable i.e. not attached to the frame). Then we secured the 2"x4" arm rests to the underside of the lid on the next set of boards (the third and fourth boards) i.e. connecting those two boards together. Then we added our second set of hinges to the underside of the lid between the fourth and fifth boards. This gave us the folding effect and the first half of our “accordion” folding lid.

Step 5: Attaching the Benches

We used our 21" 2x4 pieces as back braces to secure the upper half of the bench on each end. These will lay flat with the lid of the sandbox when folded down closed, and act as support for the upper part of the benches when folded open. These pieces also secure the last two lid pieces together.

Step 6: Pull Handles

We added pull handles to the top of each side of the lid for easier opening and closing.

Step 7: Making it Play-Ready

Landscape fabric helps keep the weeds out while also allowing water to drain out. We laid this in the bottom of the sandbox and then poured our sand on top. We found the most amazing white beach-style sand at Home Hardware!

We had so much fun creating this sandbox, and it took us less than three hours to build! The love that went into it makes it an extra special addition to the backyard space. My girls are obsessed with the way the lid folds into two seating benches for them to enjoy their snacks and boombox! They've been playing "Boat", "Barbie Resort", and "Beach House" along with a million other pretend play games. Thanks again to the staff at our local Home Hardware who were super friendly and helpful.