I have been making a wish list of DIY projects for my handy hubby to work on (you know, for when he is not working or helping out with our two little ones). Pinterest has a way of making you feel like you can build just about anything. Here are some DIY projects I found that appear to be more straightforward and simple in directions. It’s definitely getting me excited about spending warmer days outside. Hopefully these projects will get you thinking about some fun things to build for your kids!
Simple treehouse
Growing up, I remember wishing I could have my very own treehouse (was this every kid’s dream growing up?). I’m sure all your kids’ friends would love to come over if they knew there was a treehouse. I found a simple treehouse but of course you can get pretty elaborate if you wanted to.
Water table
I found two options that totally look doable. This table is made out of PVC pipes and this one is a wooden water table option.
Platform swing
How much more fun would it be to swing with a sibling or a friend? I could see this being used even as the kids get older.
Learning tower
Everything that I’ve read about the learning tower has been so positive (Mrs. Garland wrote a post about it here) that I have been itching to have one. The price of a learning tower makes me feel a bit uneasy though, and it’s totally something that I can see Mr. Pizza being able to make so I’ve been looking for a good DIY. There are many out there, but I like the look of this one.
Picnic bench
I’m looking forward to warmer weather when I can feed my kids some of the meals outside. Lil’ Pizza loves picnics and I think having our own little bench will make it nice to feed the kids outside every so often and not have to deal with the mess on the floor. Here is a picnic bench that I like.
Are there any DIY projects you are planning to work on for your kids this summer? I’d love to hear ideas!
clementine / 806 posts
We made the PVC water table you linked to last year, and we LOVE it! We modified the plans so that it holds 2 trays side by side. It is so light weight, we use it indoors when it is cold, and just carry it outside when the weather is nice.
Unless you want to disassemble the entire thing regularly, I highly recommend using PVC glue on all the joints except the vertical legs — active play will require you to constantly stop and re-assemble it. If you don’t glue the vertical pieces in, then you can swap in longer legs as your kids grow (and disassemble it into 2 flat squares, if needed).
kiwi / 657 posts
Tire swings are also a big hit at our house!
pea / 15 posts
Such great projects! My “honey do” list is probably a mile long, but would love it if we could have some sort of playhouse in our yard. A treehouse would be amazing but we don’t have a tree big enough to support a platform.
blogger / apricot / 431 posts
@MrsLonghorn: Thanks for the tip! I really hope summer doesn’t escape me without us making this!!
blogger / apricot / 431 posts
@mamasong: yes! I know your honey is up for the challenge!