This DIY Wood Water table for kids is so fun to make. Every time I see my kids using my projects, it makes me so happy! I’ve hacked an IKEA bunk bed, upcycled an IKEA Kids table, and made a scrap wood growth chart.
I’ve been working on my garage organization project and it turns out that I am a scrap wood hoarder. I guess that’s not really a surprise but I’ve accumulated more wood than I realized. Coincidentally, are plastic water table was left out on our deck during the winter and it has a huge crack. So naturally I thought that I could use the scrap wood to create a water table for my kids. Is that with any logical person would do?
There are lots of great ideas online for water tables. I was inspired by this scrap wood water table. But I knew I wanted to add a magical element to my table. That’s where I used pipes from Central vacuum system to create a sprinkler. This is an easy project that can be done under $40 in just a few hours.
Materials for a DIY Wood Water Table
- 3 pieces of 2x4s – my preference is to use pressure treated wood. I used combination of pressure treated and regular whopper because that’s what I had available from my garage. If I was to do this project from scratch, I would definitely use pressure treated wood
- 1×1 wood slats
- 1×6 wood
- 2.5″ Kreg Screws
- 1.5″ wood screws
- Exterior Paint or Stain – I used Tricorn Black SW 6258
- Central Vacuum Parts
- 2 x 90° angle connector
- 2 x 3 way connector
- 1 x 5ft pipe
- 2 x bracket pipe strap
- Paint Brush
- Drop cloth
- Storage bin
- Measuring tape
Tools to Build a water table
- Mitre saw
- Drill
- Impact driver and drill bits
- Sander
- p200 grit sandpaper
- Kreg Jig (Optional)
- Speed Square
- Level
- Hand saw and mitre box
How to Build a Wood Water Table
Part 1 – Build the DIY Wood Water Table
- Lay out your wood (or measure each side). Mark and cut your wood pieces to size. Having a tight fit around the bin ensures that the bin won’t fall through. Make 2x these boxes. One will fit the water table bin and the second will house all the kids water toys.
2. Assemble 2 boxes. I used my Kreg Jig to create strong corner joints with pocket holes. However, you can also use regular straight joint assembly if you’re not familiar with a Kreg Jig.
3. I had these leftover slats, so I used them to create a base for my storage shelf. Cut them to the length of the box. Then attach them to frame. Be use to drill pilot holes first as 1″ wood can split easily.
4. Now you should have 2 identical size boxes. Before attaching the legs, place the bin in the top box to ensure a good tight fit. If not, make any adjustments now. Once you get the legs attached, you’ll regret not taking the time to double check your fit!
5. To create the legs, cut the 2×4 to the desired height. The best part of making your own water table is that you can personalize it. My kids are a bit older so I opted to my legs taller. They are 28″ tall.
6. To attach the legs, lay your 2 boxes on the ground. Use a speed square and level to ensure the boxes are placed at the same height and the table will not wobble.
7. Once the legs are all attached, stand up the table and admire the beauty of it! We’re almost done!
8. Sand down the table using P 200 grit sandpaper. Using a power sander will be faster, but you can also hand sand this. Ensure that your kids do not get any splinters. Run your hand over the flat surfaces several time until you feel like it safe.
9. Give your water table a coat of paint or stain. A paint or stain will help your water table hold up to rain, snow, and sun. I used leftover Sherwin Williams Emerald Rain Refresh Exterior. I used paint for my place structure and is held up wonderfully over two summers and to Canadian winters. This paint is an ultra-durable exterior coating with Self-Cleaning Technology.
Part 2 – Build the water table sprinkler system
1. Cut your pipe pieces down to size. Again, this is there you can personalize it to the size of your kids! You need 2 side pieces, and 3 top pieces. Mine were 18″ in height for the sides good job mobile thanks so much
2. Drill holes along the top piece. Using different size drillbits will allow different amounts of water to flow into the water table. It makes it more fun!
3. Attach the pieces together and secure them to the table with the brackets.
Let your kids have hours of fun playing this water table. I love that I can cover up the table with the lid in case we go inside for lunch. To dump the water, you can either lift out the bin, or use small buckets to dump the water out.
You can also use this for a sand table. One of my IG followers suggested that you can bring the table inside in the winter. You can add the lego baseplates and store the legos inside as well!
