Easy Portable Sandbox and Water Table

Here is a cheap and easy way to keep your kids cool and entertained this summer! This sand box is easy to put away and it's surprisingly easy to make as well. You can use it as a sandbox, or add some water for a water table. Here is what you need to get started:

• Small kids table. Any table will work. (We found ours at walmart for $15)
• Shallow plastic tote that is smaller than your table.
• Caulking (optional)
• Sand
• Toys
• Tools to cut the table

Flip the storage container face down on the table and trace it out. Keep in mind that you want your hole to be SMALLER than the container so we then traced a line about 1in offset from the original line.

I used a oscillating tool to cut out the hole in the table, but you could use a jig saw or circular saw. The important thing is that you end up with a hole in the table like the one pictured. This is what we are going to set the storage container into.

I figured that I should really secure the tote in place seeing as it may be holding up to 30lbs of sand. In hindsight I found that this step is probably not necessary, but I chose to glue the storage container in place. (The unevenness helps to give it that authentic DIY look.)

I applied copious amounts of caulking on the perimeter of the container and then dropped it into place. Once it was dry enough to stay in place I also added a bead of caulking around the outside of the container for good measure.

I bought some sandbox sand from my local hardware store and just dumped some into the container. I didn't fill it up all the way so it would be less likely to spill, and I also wanted to leave some room for the kids to add water if they wanted to.

Throw in some beach toys from the dollar store and you are that much closer to a kid free afternoon.

We had a lot of fund watching the kids play in their new sandbox. At first they just played with the sand and tried to make sandcastles.

Soon they decided to add water and it became a soupy mess. They threw in some nice polished rocks and then tried to find them by sifting through the sand.

When it was all said and done the kids were tuckered out and ready for a nap. Cleanup was as easy as putting a lid on it and placing it into a corner of the yard where it was out of the way. Overall, I would say this was a resounding success, and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.