Sand & Water Play Table

Here is the simple sand and water play table that I created for my toddler out of an old coffee table that I got for free on OfferUp.

I also bought:

• two bins with lids
• play sand
• spray paint
• polyurethane weatherproofing spray
• sand toys

Here’s my lovely 1980’s coffee table that I got for FREE! (My favorite thing is getting stuff for free)

Because it’s going to stay outside in the weather, I wanted to make sure and get the underside of the table and the feet sealed really well with the spray paint and weatherproofing spray. The photo above is how it looked after one coat of paint. You can see it was still a little thin in some places. I used two coats of paint and two coats of weatherproofing on the whole table.

Here is the table after painting was complete. The poly spray gave it a nice glossy coating and it made the texture of the table feel like it was almost made of plastic.

Here is the table all set up with the sand and water bins! I didn’t manage to get a “perfect” picture before my daughter dumped some sand into the water, so you get the realistic picture instead. Proof that it was fun!

And this is a super important feature… Lids! Our neighbors have an amount of cats that  I still haven’t manage to count. Needless to say, everything in our yard has to be cat proofed. (I cover my garden beds in chicken wire)

Plus this is great to keep the rain and bugs out when it isn’t being played with.

Hours of playtime potential right here!

After awhile if she starts getting bored with the sand and water bins, I can easily switch them out for other sensory bins like colored rice, different themed activities, etc.

Check out my sensory bins board on Pinterest for some cool ideas!

What are some of your favorite backyard activities for kids in the Spring and Summer?