Just when we thought the sandbox saga was finished, there was still one more chapter. We covered building the base of the box here and the lid with a locking system that secures to the fence here, but the project wasn’t completely over. That’s the funny thing about DIY: some jobs stretch into many posts, while others turn out to be quicker than expected. When we last left off, our heroine was enjoying her freshly completed box with its cover in place.
But the next day, while disposing of empty play sand bags and putting two extras in the car to return, Sherry noticed a warning on the back of the bags.
The label reads: This product contains small amounts of crystalline silica, a common mineral found in natural sands and stones. Excessive inhalation of respirable silica dust may cause cancer and lung disease. Avoid breathing dust. Wear approved respirator in dusty area.
Cancer and lung disease? Wear an approved respirator? This was troubling because the bags were labeled “play sand,” intended for children who will sit in it and scatter it around. With that red flag raised, we turned to the internet and found several articles pointing out concerns about certain manufactured sands that contain crystalline silica or other minerals. Clara had also left her first play session covered in a white, chalky dust, which made us even more uneasy.
While many of us played in river or beach sand without obvious problems, manufactured sands can be different depending on how and where they’re produced. Natural beach or river sand can differ in mineral content from processed silica sand, so modern play sands sometimes contain materials that prompt health warnings. To avoid doubt, we decided to make a change for long-term peace of mind.
Instead of sand, we switched to pea gravel and small stones — a rock box. I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of it earlier. My sister had a rock box for her kids years ago and they loved it. Obviously this isn’t suitable for very young children who still put things in their mouths, but Clara had stopped doing that by around a year old and already loved playing with pea gravel at places like the Home Depot planting beds. She was also less likely to come home covered in dust or track gritty sand through the house.
Removing the sand was not the most fun task — we dug it out and hauled wheelbarrow loads to the woods behind our house — but it didn’t take forever. When the box was empty it looked barren for a moment, but we quickly turned it around by pouring in the first bags of pebbles.
The pebbles arrived dusty, covered in a gritty film. It seemed worth the small extra effort to rinse them, so I washed batches in the wheelbarrow. It felt a bit silly at first, but the dirty water proved the rocks needed cleaning and the results were worth it.
After cleaning and dumping them in, the finished rock box looked great. The sandbox lid still locks to the fence for safety, just like we explained earlier here.
We used about 20 bags to fill the 25-square-foot box so the pebble surface was level with the surrounding ground. That gave Clara a few inches of depth to dig into without a big step to climb. The bags of rocks were actually cheaper than the sand we bought — about $2.50 per bag — so it cost just under $50 to fill the box. Not free, but worth it for peace of mind.
We also added mulch around the perimeter to clean up the look before presenting it to Clara (she was with her grandparents the afternoon we converted it).
When she saw the rocks, Clara dove right in. We expected a reaction about the missing sand, but she didn’t even seem to notice — she was just excited to play. Watching her scoop, dump, and fill her toy truck one rock at a time was reassuring. The chunkier texture didn’t slow her down: she can scoop with a small shovel and pick up individual rocks with her hands, which she couldn’t do with fine sand.
Another big plus: the rocks are much less messy. Clara still needs a quick rinse sometimes, but we haven’t had the rigorous dust-off routine that came with sand. The box has stayed tidy and Clara understands that the rocks belong in their home, which helps keep them contained.
So that’s the final chapter in our sandbox trilogy: after building the box and the locking lid, we made a last-minute switch from play sand to pebbles for safety and cleanliness. Have you ever finished a project and then decided to redo or tweak it? Some DIYs take longer than expected and others are easier than anticipated — that’s part of the fun and the frustration. Either way, our rock box has been a win so far.
Psst — speaking of things that don’t always go right the first time, we’ve been talking about picking paint colors lately.
To read The Sandbox Chronicles from the beginning, see Part 1 (building the base) here and Part 2 (building the lid that secures to the fence) here.