It was easy to set up. They included a liner that was already cut to the shape, so little prep work was needed. An electric drill will make assembly quicker. My 2.5 year old loves it and so does her friends. Make sure to get the safe sand that is labelled safe for sand boxes. We could not get the spikes completley into the ground thanks to desert tough soil, but they are in deep enough, so it does not move. Great product and looks nice as well.