Our preschool picnic table is one of the most popular plans. Due to the simple design, easy building instructions, and perfect sizing for preschoolers, thousands of these tables have been built! We love this table as a gift too!
We also have a bigger kids picnic table plan, and an adult sized one too! Photo by Tinsel + Wheat
One of my first project ever was a simple kid's picnic table. It must have been years ago, because here is Grace blowing out two candles. Where does time go.
We love this picnic table and have made it many times - it's the perfect birthday gift!
The sizing is appropriate for preschoolers. For older kids, we recommend the bigger kids picnic table plans.
Preparation
1 – 1×6, 8′ Long (About $5.00 Each)
3 – 1×6 @ 31″ (Tabletop Pieces)
General Instructions. Work on a clean level surface and use proper safety precautions. Check for square after each step. Predrill and countersink all screws.
Instructions
Step 1
Tabletop and Supports. Begin by cutting the support board ends off at an angle as shown above. Then fasten the top boards to the supports using 2″ screws and glue.
Step 2
Top Support. Attach the top support, centered on the end supports and the center tabletop board, as shown above. Use 2″ screws and glue. It is very important that you have checked for square before fastening.
Step 3
Legs. Cut your legs from 1×3 boards with a starting overall length of 22 7/16″. Use the above diagram to guide you.
Step 4
Legs to the Top. Fasten the legs to the top of the table, as shown above. Notice how the tip of the leg comes even with the outer tabletop boards? And the side of the leg meets up with the end of the support? Use 1 1/4″ Screws and glue to fasten in place. Notice the marks on the legs with a measurement of 12 3/4″? Make these marks on the legs, this is where the tops of the step 5 boards will be placed.
Step 5
Step 6
Bottom Support. As you did in step 2, fasten the remaining support board in place, using 2″ screws and glue. It is a good idea at this step to square up your project by taking a square of the bottoms of the legs.
Step 7
Seat Boards. Mark the seat boards 2″ from the ends. Position the outer seat board flush with the ends of the seat supports and fasten in place with 2″ screws and glue. Leave a 1/2″ gap and fasten the next seat board in place in the same manner.
Step 8
Finishing. Fill screw holes with wood filler, sand and finish as desired.
Comments
Katie S. (not verified)
Fri, 11/26/2010 - 16:54
My husband surprised me with
My husband surprised me with a miter saw today (great black friday deals!). This is my first project that I am working on this weekend. Thanks so much for all the awesome plans! I love your site
josh.ruppert
Thu, 07/04/2013 - 08:26
I was curious as to which
I was curious as to which type of paint you use for the picnic table. My thoughts were to use an oil base since its so durable. The downside is the clean up. Your thoughts?
SoybeanDad
Tue, 05/27/2014 - 19:55
Time Flew
A few nights back, I had plans in hand for a DIY water blob, which involved melting painter's plastic sheeting between parchment paper with a hot iron and promised only 30 minutes of work. After multiple hours, multiple beers, all of X-Men, half of Gladiator, and several iron burns, I completed a water blob that held most of the water inside it. Needless to say, I and was somewhat leery of this plan because of how simple it appeared to be on its face.
That said, I can't stress enough how simple this one was. I started it after the kid went to bed (8ish) and was finished before 10. It would have been done a bit earlier if I'd had an extra pair of hands, but a set of small Vise-Grip clamps more than compensated. Excellent for a free timeslot of only a few hours. I'll still need to sand and stain it, but I was very, very pleased with the simplicity of the project. The one major tweak I made was to use 1x4s instead of 1x3s, only because they were easier to get at Home Depot. This enabled me to make a table that was more vertical and can hold a little more weight. The tradeoff was that the benches don't have the half-inch gap they're supposed to, so they don't match the tabletop exactly. Not a big deal for me, but the way to compensate using 1x4s would be to make the bench supports about 3 to 4 inches longer.
Again, awesome project. I'll DEFINITELY be doing more from Ana.
Thanks,
Patrick
Hokulani1
Thu, 06/12/2014 - 07:52
pocket hole screws
Hi! I see the plans say 1 1/4" pocket hole screws but it doesn't show where to put the holes like many of your other plans. Did you use pocket holes or just counter sink? Also, are the 2" screws done from the top of the table with a counter sink bit? Thank you!
stannius
Sat, 07/16/2016 - 14:44
Paint
I'm going to buy some paint for this. How much will I need? A quart? A gallon? An amphora?
TK58
Sun, 04/11/2021 - 09:36
Kreg's pocket hole jig.
I notice that you include the Kreg's pocket hole jig in the "tools needed" section, but I don't see any specific instructions regarding the location and number of holes and screws to be used in the project. Can you provide detailed information on this?
nyyankeegrl38
Tue, 08/03/2021 - 08:49
Love this table!
Last minute project for our grandson, after my husband and I built the Modern Farmhouse bed (for son and daughter-in-law- which they loved). Grandson loves this table so much, daddy had to take it inside for him.