Global Toy News Insight
As screens compete for more of children’s attention, experiential play is creating opportunities to make physical toys feel bigger than the products themselves. Little Diggers is tapping directly into that idea with its construction-themed indoor sandbox concept, offering kids seven and under 1,200 square feet of sand filled with more than 200 toys, trucks and excavators. Since launching in 2023, the company says it has welcomed more than 100,000 children and has now surpassed 50 signed franchise locations across the U.S. — suggesting there is growing room for play experiences that encourage kids to dig in, slow down and become completely immersed in what they’re doing.
For the toy industry, Little Diggers also illustrates how experiential play can extend the relationship between children and physical toys beyond the toy aisle. A truck or excavator becomes something different when a child can operate it inside an environment built around construction, imagination and sensory exploration. These spaces can also create opportunities for toy companies, licensors and entertainment properties to bring products into real-world experiences — something Little Diggers has already explored through collaborations involving Handyman Hal, author Sherri Duskey Rinker and Paramount around PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie. As more families seek activities that combine entertainment with hands-on engagement, experiential play could become an increasingly valuable bridge between toys, destinations and memorable brand experiences.
Little Diggers, the Nation’s Premier Indoor Sandbox Playspace, Expands to 50+ Signed Franchise Locations Nationwide
The construction-themed playspace, founded to counter childhood overstimulation with slow, hands-on play, has served more than 100,000 guests since 2023 and is rapidly scaling its franchise network across the U.S.
DUBLIN, Ohio, Sept. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Little Diggers, the premier construction-themed indoor sandbox playspace for kids seven and under, today announced continued rapid growth of its franchise network, now totaling more than 50 signed franchise locations across the United States, alongside six corporate-owned stores, with additional locations opening later this year.
Founded in Dublin, Ohio in 2023 by Zach and Hannah Bowers, Little Diggers offers 1,200 square feet of sandbox space filled with more than 200 toys, trucks, and excavators, including the brand’s custom-designed Sand Stacker. Since opening, the company has served more than 100,000 kids and built a following of more than 130,000 across social media platforms.
“There’s something special about getting lost in playtime. And for our kids, it’s never taken more than trucks and a pile of dirt (or sand),” said Founder Zach Bowers. “We created Little Diggers for children to enjoy an immersive, hands-on play experience that excites both their senses and imagination.”
Little Diggers is built on a simple premise: Childhood overstimulation isn’t a kid problem, it’s an environment problem, one that’s often bright, loud, and crowded. The company’s answer is something both simple and complex: sand, paired with an environment designed to help kids slow down and focus.
Zach, a former venture capital-backed fintech CTO, applied lean startup principles from the tech world to scale Little Diggers’ brick-and-mortar growth. Outside of the business, he is a father who believes in giving kids the opportunity for hands-on play in an increasingly digital world.
The company sources sand from the Bahamas that is silica-free, non-toxic, and bio-renewable, and offers coffee, including nitro cold and hot brew options, for visiting parents.
Since launching its franchising arm in 2025, Little Diggers has received thousands of franchise inquiries from all 50 states and more than 85 countries. The company currently has more than 50 signed franchises, with locations open or in development across Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin.The company also plans to expand into California, with details to be announced.
Little Diggers has collaborated with Handyman Hal, Sherri Dusty Rinker, and Paramount around the recent release of Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie.
Little Diggers is expanding rapidly across the U.S. with a bigger mission in mind: If hands-on, slow and focused play can help raise problem solvers, thinkers, innovators, and world changers, the company considers that the ultimate measure of success.
For more information, visit littlediggersplayspace.com.
About Little Diggers:
Little Diggers is the premier construction-themed indoor sandbox playspace for kids 7 and under, founded in Dublin, Ohio in 2023 by Zach and Hannah Bowers. Designed around slow, focused, hands-on play, each 1,200-square-foot sandbox features more than 200 custom-designed toys, trucks, and excavators, along with silica-free, non-toxic sand imported from the Bahamas. Since opening, Little Diggers has served more than 100,000 kids and has grown to 5 corporate locations and more than 50 signed franchises nationwide. Follow them on Instagram @littlediggersplayspace.
SOURCE Little Diggers
