# Sandpit > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Sandpit > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Sandpit.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandpit > Source revision: 1356351397 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Playing area for children "Sandbox" redirects here. For other uses, see [Sandbox (disambiguation)](/source/Sandbox_(disambiguation)). This article is about the children's play area. For an open-pit sand mine, see [Sand mining](/source/Sand_mining). For other uses, see [Sandpit (disambiguation)](/source/Sandpit_(disambiguation)). This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Sandpit" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (October 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Children [play](/source/Play_(activity)) in a communal sandbox Sandpit with toy tools used by [children](/source/Child) to play in [sand](/source/Sand) A **sandpit** (most Commonwealth countries) or **sandbox** (US and Canada) is a low, wide container or shallow depression filled with soft (beach) [sand](/source/Sand) in which [children](/source/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](/source/Backyard) because, unlike most [playground equipment](/source/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](/source/Friedrich_Fr%C3%B6bel)'s work on [kindergartens](/source/Kindergarten).[3] Sand gardens were introduced to America by [Marie Elizabeth Zakrzewska](/source/Marie_Elizabeth_Zakrzewska), starting in her home city of [Boston](/source/Boston),[4][5] inspired by the German sand gardens she observed while visiting [Berlin](/source/Berlin) in the summer of 1885.[6][7] [Joseph Lee](/source/Joseph_Lee_(recreation_advocate)) from Boston is considered the "founder of the [playground movement](/source/Playground_movement)".[4][8][*[clarification needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Please_clarify)*] ## Physical description This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message) 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](/source/Dermatophytosis), which can be introduced by animals.[9] ## See also - [Hans Dragehjelm](/source/Hans_Dragehjelm) - [Borrow pit](/source/Borrow_pit) - [Japanese rock garden](/source/Japanese_rock_garden) - [Outdoor playset](/source/Outdoor_playset) - [Sand art and play](/source/Sand_art_and_play) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["How We Came to Play: The History of Playgrounds – National Trust for Historic Preservation"](https://savingplaces.org/stories/how-we-came-to-play-the-history-of-playgrounds/). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-play-scapes.com_2-0)** ["The Garden and the Playground – Playscapes"](https://web.archive.org/web/20201024130059/http://www.play-scapes.com/play-design/natural-playgrounds/the-garden-and-the-playground/). 29 August 2012. Archived from [the original](http://www.play-scapes.com/play-design/natural-playgrounds/the-garden-and-the-playground/) on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 5 June 2018. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-lange_3-0)** Lange, Alexandra (18 June 2018). ["An Intellectual History of the Sandbox"](https://slate.com/human-interest/2018/06/history-of-the-sandbox-the-origins-of-a-playground-for-kids-and-ideas.html). *[Slate](/source/Slate_(magazine))*. Retrieved 18 June 2018. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-bostonglobe.com_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-bostonglobe.com_4-1) ["How the American playground was born in Boston – The Boston Globe"](https://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2014/03/28/how-american-playground-was-born-boston/5i2XrMCjCkuu5521uxleEL/story.html). *[The Boston Globe](/source/The_Boston_Globe)*. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["blank"](https://web.archive.org/web/20210123073305/http://www.prm.nau.edu/prm346-old/sand_garden.htm). *www.prm.nau.edu*. Archived from [the original](http://www.prm.nau.edu/prm346-old/sand_garden.htm) on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2018. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Rainwater, Clarence Elmer (22 August 2018). ["The Play Movement in the United States: A Study of Community Recreation"](https://books.google.com/books?id=P4YYAAAAYAAJ&q=sand+1885&pg=PA22). University of Chicago Press. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Sand Gardens"](https://web.archive.org/web/20210727013159/https://www.pgpedia.com/s/sand-gardens). *www.pgpedia.com*. Archived from [the original](https://www.pgpedia.com/s/sand-gardens) on 27 July 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2018. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Boston sand garden"](https://web.archive.org/web/20201029163151/https://hnr.k-state.edu/doc/rres-210/boston-sand-gardens.pdf) (PDF). *hnr.k-state.edu*. Archived from [the original](http://hnr.k-state.edu/doc/rres-210/boston-sand-gardens.pdf) (PDF) on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 5 June 2018. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Health hazards lurking in the sandbox"](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/health-hazards-lurking-in-the-sandbox/). *www.cbsnews.com*. 27 April 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2021. ## External links Look up ***[sandpit](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sandpit)*** in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. - Media related to [Sandboxes](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Sandboxes) at Wikimedia Commons - [Example of Wooden Sand Pit / Sand Box](https://web.archive.org/web/20110610200102/http://www.breswaoutdoorfurniture.co.nz/kumeushow.htm) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Sandpit](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandpit) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandpit?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.