Extreme Sandbox from Shark Tank

extreme sandbox shark tank

As you would have imagined, Extreme Sandbox is the idea of a sandbox taken, well, to an extreme. The “sandbox” is actually a 10-acre land styled like a construction site. In it, you will find heavy construction machinery like excavators and bulldozers.

You can rent the “Extreme Sandbox” to fulfill your childhood dream of playing with real full-size full-powered heavy machinery. This amusement site is great for little kids who were always fascinated by heavy machinery and fancied sitting behind the controls of an excavator or a bulldozer.

In other words, it’s a dream come true for Junior who loves to play with his heavy construction machinery, toy trucks, bulldozers, excavators and so on. Even the big kids, aka grownups, can have lots of fun in this unique attraction destination.

Here you can let your inner kid run wild and dabble in the fun that you always wanted to experience as a kid.

The site is supervised by a “foreman” who will gladly guide you on how to work the heavy machinery. You can also play around with scrap cars on the site with your heavy machinery.

Are They Still an Active Company?

Yes, they are still an active company. They have grown steadily since the Shark Tank appearance. As a result of the investment received from Shark Tank, a new extreme Sandbox site is now open in Texas.

There are now also fire trucks and full-size vehicles that can be remote-controlled. Komatsu American is also now providing them with sponsorship. As part of the deal, Komatsu America is providing its own machinery for Extreme Sandbox to use on its site.

And now they are giving lectures in high schools to students about careers in construction.

Their previous site which was initially open in Pottsboro, Texas has now been shifted to Sachse to serve visitors who come from Dallas and Fort Worth. In April of 2022, the site shut down because the developer sold the site. Extreme Sandbox is now situated in Hastings, Minnesota. Only time will tell where else they will open up new sites.

How Did the Shark Tank Pitch Go?

The Shark Tank pitch went well for Extreme Sandbox since they got themselves a deal from the Sharks.

The founder of Sandbox Randy Stenger introduced his company describing it as an adventure brand that offers thrills customers won’t forget. And he had a point, to be honest. Customers would likely never forget sitting behind the wheel of a giant bulldozer or a towering excavator.

Moreover, they will likely never get to board a construction vehicle unless they work in the construction industry. So from the get-go, it was apparent that Extreme Sandbox had a fantastic unique value proposition.

Randy offered 15 percent equity in exchange for a $150,000 investment. Mark Cuban and Kevin O’Leary agreed to invest the same amount of money for a 20 percent stake. After some negotiations and planning, Randy Stenger finally agreed to this offer from the two Sharks.

Our Review of Extreme Sandbox

Extreme Sandbox boasts an extreme level of fun as evidenced by the myriad rave reviews from delighted trippers and tourists to Hastings, Minnesota. Trip Advisor also lists this site as one of the main attractions of Hastings.

Getting to operate heavy machinery is a one-of-a-kind experience. Visitors were in particular pleased with the guide who instructs tourists on the use of heavy machinery.

In short, there are few tourist attraction destinations that can boast the sort of experience that Extreme Sandbox is capable of purveying. Unless you work in the construction industry, you are never going to play with heavy machinery in your life. Hence, the reasonable fee is a small price to pay for an experience that will be indelibly seared in your memory for all the right reasons.

Some might reckon that operating heavy machinery is dangerous, especially with inexperienced unlicensed and inexperienced tourists in the driving seat who have no prior experience. However, Extreme Sandbox pays great attention to safety. A friendly and knowledgeable guide is always present to direct you on the safe working of the equipment.

You remain in contact with the instructor over hands-free radio. And before you step into the heavy vehicle, you will receive a briefing in the classroom. Remote shut-off devices are embedded into all vehicles so that the vehicle may be shut off by instructors in case of any trouble. Hence, Extreme Sandbox is scrupulously careful about customer safety.

And you would love to know that the dude running the show is quite hilarious besides being very affable. Hence, everyone is bound to have a good time with such instructors at the helm. And most importantly, everyone will remain safe.

It is no wonder then that many tourists plan of returning to this site should they come to this region in the future.

Extreme Sandbox Pros

  • Visitors get to sit inside heavy construction machinery and have fun
  • Reasonably priced packages
  • Give due regard to safety

Extreme Sandbox Cons

  • Operating just one site

Who is Extreme Sandbox for?

Extreme Sandbox is for anyone who always dreamed of having fun with heavy construction machinery. It can be the perfect outing for the whole family or a group of friends since there are packages for individuals as well as groups seeking fun with excavators, bulldozers and firetrucks. No other attractions site offers all of this besides Extreme Sandbox.

Are There Any Alternatives?

No.

Our Final Thoughts

The Extreme Sandbox review touched upon the Shark Tank appearance that saw Shark Mark Cuban invest in a fabulous idea by founder Randy Stenger to offer an attractions site where construction vehicles are available to play with – at a price of course.