Sandpit
Playing area for children
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.
01History
German sand gardens were the first organization of children's play in public spaces. The German "sand gardens" were an 1850 offshoot of Friedrich Fröbel's work on kindergartens. Sand gardens were introduced to America by Marie Elizabeth Zakrzewska, starting in her home city of Boston, inspired by the German sand gardens she observed while visiting Berlin in the summer of 1885. Joseph Lee from Boston is considered the "founder of the playground movement".
02Physical 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.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Sandpit”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Sandbox Lawn Jam Our Community Place Harrisonburg VA June 2008.jpg by Artaxerxes, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Sandpit.jpg by Unknown author, Public domain
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