When I was growing up, I remember one of my favorite things to do outside was play inside the sandbox my parents set up in our backyard.
As a kid, not much was quite as satisfying as running sand through my fingers and toes and building little castles with the help of buckets filled with water. Never having lived near a beach, that box was the next best thing to me. What this guy made for his little girl, however, is even better.
Redditor steviethev‘s three-year-old daughter absolutely loves sand and water, so he decided to surprise her with something that gives her unlimited access to both whenever she feels like playing with them. The resulting station he built is something any kid would have a ton of fun with.
First, he gathered pine boards and a piece of plywood, then cut them to size.
![First, he gathered pine boards and a piece of plywood, then cut them to size.]()
Reddit / steviethev
Using his router table, he cut a groove on the ends of the board and one in the middle of the piece he would use to divide the box into two sections.
![Using his router table, he cut a groove on the ends of the board and one in the middle of the piece he would use to divide the box into two sections.]()
Reddit / steviethev
Thanks to his handiwork, the boards fit perfectly and it was a cinch to glue and nail them together.
![Thanks to his handiwork, the boards fit perfectly and it was a cinch to glue and nail them together.]()
Reddit / steviethev
Then came time to glue and nail the plywood to the bottom and attach smaller pieces around the frame.
![Then came time to glue and nail the plywood to the bottom and attach smaller pieces around the frame.]()
Reddit / steviethev
Using more of the small pieces, the builder constructed legs and added middle support to the bottom of the table.
![Using more of the small pieces, the builder constructed legs and added middle support to the bottom of the table.]()
Reddit / steviethev
Everything started coming together after a nice session of sanding!
![Everything started coming together after a nice session of sanding!]()
Reddit / steviethev
With three coats of paint in his daughter’s favorite color, it looked even better.
![With three coats of paint in his daughter's favorite color, it looked even better.]()
Reddit / steviethev
After adding a bead of silicone to the corners to keep the water and sand inside, he drilled holes for the tubing and threaded it through.
![After adding a bead of silicone to the corners to keep the water and sand inside, he drilled holes for the tubing and threaded it through.]()
Reddit / steviethev
Copper clamps and screws kept the tubes secured to the underside.
![Copper clamps and screws kept the tubes secured to the underside.]()
Reddit / steviethev
To give his little girl a water source to play with, Dad screwed in copper piping and attached an adjustable shower head to one side.
![To give his little girl a water source to play with, Dad screwed in copper piping and attached an adjustable shower head to one side.]()
Reddit / steviethev
The fun part was arranging rocks on the bottom to look like a river bed. Thinset helped secured them and the drain.
![The fun part was arranging rocks on the bottom to look like a river bed. Thinset helped secured them and the drain.]()
Reddit / steviethev
The only thing left to do was to attach an overflow drain so the water would never spill over the sides.
![The only thing left to do was to attach an overflow drain so the water would never spill over the sides.]()
Reddit / steviethev
With some sand, the station was complete.
![With some sand, the station was complete.]()
Reddit / steviethev
Now his little girl can play with sand and water to her heart’s content!
![Now his little girl can play with sand and water to her heart's content!]()
Reddit / steviethev
Want to replicate this project or check out the entire process? Click here and share if your kids would love something like this for the hot summer months!