Is sand for a pool filter the same as play sand?

"Sand" might be stuff shoveled up from a beach, or it might be carefully selected materials all of a certain size. There are beaches (more than one) where the sand is made of broken pop bottles. matadornetwork.com/trips/22-stunning-photos-californias-glass-beach/

In other places the sand is made of broken shells and/or coral and/or lava. You might get "sharp" sand which is quartz. You might get sand with all particles the same size, such as "60 grit" which is 1/60 inch.

I have no information about pool filters, but I would not expect play sand to be a substitute.