Spring will be arriving soon, and with it, lots of time spent outside. The most family-friendly yards have spaces for relaxation and entertaining, some beautiful things to look at, and (especially if you have little ones) an exciting, interesting place to play. This year, considering bringing a bit of seaside fun into your garden with a neat little backyard beach!

There are two key elements to this concept: water and sand. For your peace of mind, I definitely recommend a water table – keeping the water up and off the ground increases the chances of your child NOT climbing in constantly, which you might prefer until the hot days of summer hit! A cold, soggy child is a sad child, and this idea is supposed to bring more joy into your lives, not take it away.

coffee table turned play table credit: http://www.thechildatheartblog.com

There are dozens of commercially-available sand and water tables out there, but if you don’t see the perfect one, you can certainly make your own. And all of these ideas work equally well for a sand table, or a combination sand/water table. Those plastic containers have tight-fitting lids, which keeps the sand inside and the neighborhood animals out! Cleanup is so easy; simply throw all the toys into the tub and snap on the lid when you’re done playing.

2×4 sand/water table credit: https://www.diynetwork.com

The ideas pictured here have the added bonus of being portable – April showers bring May flowers, but they also bring loooong days spent indoors with busy little kids. Simply pop the plastic container out of the frame and bring the fun inside! You might want to lay down some towels first if you’re playing on the floor, or contain the mess by playing on the table.

Instructions for the coffee table – turned play table can be found HERE

Instructions for the 2×4 sand/water table can be found HERE