Indoor sandpit with ‘natural sand’ saves NYC kids from public ‘litter boxes’ — for a fee
An exclusive indoor sandpit has opened on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, giving the children of New York City’s elite a germ-free alternative to the public sandboxes.
Urban Dunes, calling itself “NYC’s Only Indoor Sandbox,” offers three themed “Sandventure” rooms—Dino Land, Golden Beach, and Construction Zone—where kids can play for 90 minutes at $30 a session. Each room comes with its own toys, keeping germs off the meticulously maintained sand.
“I hate when they go into the public sandboxes,” said Upper East Side mom Natalie Barzilai. “I don’t stop them, but I hate it. Walking in here, I thought, this is a great idea—they get the experience without worrying about what’s in the park.”
Barzilai and her husband, Alon Jex, brought their sons, Paz, 6, and Kohav, 3, to Urban Dunes for the first time on Friday. The new pay-to-play sandpits on East 91st Street, off Lexington Avenue, aim to bring the tactile joy of sandplay to the city—even in winter.
“As parents raising kids in Manhattan, we realized there’s almost nowhere in the borough where children can play with real sand safely, especially during colder months,” said Vana Kozlina, Urban Dunes’ manager.
While New York City has around 75 public sandboxes and play areas with sand, many parents remain wary of letting their children play in them. City crews maintain the sandboxes by raking the top layer, sweeping around drains, leveling the sand, and topping it off to maintain a minimum depth of six inches.
But parents like Kozlina say the public pits still often feel unsanitary. “After a rainy day or in early spring, sand is soaked or frozen, and twenty minutes later, you’re brushing mystery grit out of everything,” she said.
Urban Dunes addresses these concerns with daily sand raking, toy sanitization, and strict rules—no shoes, socks, food, or drinks in the sand. Guardians must also sign a waiver confirming their children are healthy and agreeing that the facility is not liable for injuries or damages.
For some parents, the hygiene promise is the main draw. Jane Kim, visiting from Queens with her 3-year-old daughter Remy, said she avoids public sandpits entirely. “Half the time it’s wet, it’s not drained, it’s not maintained. I’ve seen critters and kids eating in the sand,” she said. “This is a cute, clean, contained, smart idea.”
Other parents, like Seah Kim, aren’t as concerned about public pits. She brought her daughter Sulla, 3, to Urban Dunes Friday mainly because the 42-degree weather made outdoor play unpleasant. “She loves it! It’s not perfect, but I don’t think it’s dirty enough to make her sick,” she said.
Urban Dunes seems poised to become the Upper East Side’s go-to indoor sand destination, offering a controlled, sanitized escape from the city’s concrete jungle for families willing to pay a premium for peace of mind.
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