Sandpits are a great sensory experience for children and can provide hours of fun for all ages! The texture, submerging fingers and toes, making sandcastles, destroying sandcastles; it’s such fun exploration. They also resonate summer, and for those of us who don’t fancy the long journey all the way to the seaside, are a happy alternative.
1. The Arium
A garden shop and plant nursery with the added benefit of an extremally spacious and secure children’s play area, with a number of different climbing frames, and a giant sandpit! There is also an outdoor picnic area, so if you fancy a bite to eat, their family friend café offers a range of foods including children’s sandwich boxes. There is also indoor seating, with a craft table to keep little ones entertained. And during the school holidays, they usually have family friendly events, crafts and activities.
Attractions and Facilities: Accessible site, parking, plant shop, gift shop, café, toilets, play area, sandpit, outdoor picnic area
The Arium, Thorner Lane, Whinmoor, LS14 3FB
2. Moortown Park
Opened in December 2018, a large green play space with two dedicated areas; the older section has two slides, swings and a great trim trail; whilst the younger section has a sandpit, swing and animals to climb on. There is also a track around the park which doubles as a good bike practice area for children. There are picnic benches and lots of grassed areas for ball games and flying kites in the warmer months too, so best to take a packed lunch!
Attractions and Facilities: Older play area, younger play area, sandpit, bike track and picnic area.
Located behind Moortown Primary School, entrance off Shadwell Lane
3. Grasshoppers at Tong Garden Centre
Grass Hoppers is a safe and secure play space for families set in the grounds of Tong Garden Centre. You’ll find a huge outdoor adventure playground and a large indoor play area which children up to the age of 10 years old can enjoy.
The outdoor play area includes jumping pillow’s, giant sandpit, water play, race track, zip wire, Adventure play area and under 4’s pre-school area with playhouses and outdoor toys.
The indoor play area (currently closed for covid) includes a bespoke play frame equipment with slides, swings, rope bridges and tunnels, challenge decks and a mirror infinity deck and sport’s court! There is a separate zone for babies and toddlers including a role play and big interactive piano for everyone to enjoy!
There’s also great food including pizzas, paninis and award-winning ice cream in Woody’s Kitchen! You can also take your own picnic to eat in the outdoor area.
Attractions and Facilities: Garden centre, gift shop, café, children’s play area, pet supplies, aquarium, parking, toilets, fully accessible.
Tong Lane, Bradford, BD4 0RY
4. Horsforth Hall Park
Situated towards the top of the park, there is a large play area for children called the Horsforth Integrated Play Project and at Hall Park Playground. To the far left of the play area is a large sandpit, with climbing frame, slide, seesaw and hut. Open all year, children are free to bring their own buckets and spades to enjoy.
If you wanted to make a day of it, there is also the Japanese Garden which is fun for a wander, and during the summer the bandstand houses local bands. The café at the cricket club is also very child friendly and often has a bouncy castle outside during the summer on week days too!
Attractions and Facilities: Scenic walks, cricket pitch, summer entertainment events, trim trail, Japanese garden, skate park, integrated play facility, spider’s web playground, large sandpit.
Hall Lane, Horsforth, LS18 5JE
5. Pugneys Country Park, Wakefield
Situated just off the M1 in Wakefield, Pugneys is worth the ride out if you have young children. They’ll love the Pirates Cove Play Area which has it’s very own sandpit! Dont forget to take change for Pugneys Light Railway which operates at weekends. A walk around the lake is 1.6 miles, and children can do the Blown Away trail as they go!
Attractions and Facilities: Cafe & toilets, lakeside walk, bike hire, playground and light railway
Asdale Rd, Denby Dale Rd, Wakefield WF2 7BN
6. None Go Bye Farm Shop, Horsforth
If you fancy some indoor sandpit fun, None Go Bye Farm Shop’s play area is the place to go. It costs £2 to enter, and there is a sandpit on one side and slides, and ride-on’s on the other. With chalkboards around the edges and picnic benches to sit for a drink from the farm shop.
If you want to make more of a day of it, None Go Bye Farm Shop has lots of animals to visit too! It costs £1 for adults and 50p for children with a free bag of feed; and you can see chickens, sheep, cows, goats, pigs, and llamas galore!
Attractions and Facilities: Indoor play area, sandpit, farm animals, animal feed, farm shop, fishing ponds toilets, parking, fully accessible.
Otley Old Road, Leeds LS18 5HZ
7. Other Yorkshire attractions with Sandpits
