How to Build a Child Picnic Table

Child sized picnic tables provide children with a space of their own. Also, picnic tables provide opportunities for groups of people (families, friends, community members) to socialize and enjoy one another’s company. Picnic tables lend themselves well to the encouragement of the “town square” idea behind public playspaces and encourage this idea at a young age. They can also add to the beautification of a playspace.

Picnic tables are a challenging but achievable project for volunteers. Such a tangible final product also
contributes to the sense of accomplishment a volunteer feels on Build Day. Volunteers easily identify the
benefit of a picnic table near a playground and can feel more closely related to the playground construction itself. Picnic tables provide many options for personalization or customization led by the community.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 2x4 Lumber, Quantity: 7, Size: 2 x 4 x 8 (traditional table only)
• 2x4 Lumber, Qy: 4, Size: 2 x 4 x 8 (wheelchair accessible table only)
• 2x4 Lumber, Qy: 4, Size: 2 x 4 x 12 (wheelchair accessible table only)
• 2x6 Lumber, Qy: 1, Size: 2 x 6 x 8 (traditional table only)
• 2x6 Lumber, Qy: 1, Size: 2 x 6 x 12 (wheelchair accessible table only)
• 1 5 lbs Box of Deck Screws, size 2 ½”
• 12 Galvanized Bolts, Size 3/8” x 3 ½”
• 12 Galvanized Washers, Size 3/8”
• 12 Galvanized Nuts, Size 3/8”
• 1 Drill bit for Wood, Size 3/8”
• 1 Sandpaper Variety Pak
• 2-3 pairs Latex/Vinyl Gloves (optional)
• 1 pint Stain or Sealer (optional)
• 2 Stain Brushes, Size4” (optional)

1. Tools Needed
   1-2 Pencils for Prep Work (marking cut lines)
   1-2 Mitre Saws for Prep Work / Angle Cuts
   1-2 Safety Goggles for Prep Work
   1-2 Measuring Tapes for Prep Work and Build Day
   1 Power Drill, Need Phillips bit for deck screws
   Clean Up Items: Mineral Spirits, Rags, Towels

2. Preparation
   • Cut all wood as indicated in the attached instructions
   • Always use protective goggles and gloves when cutting wood
   • If you are making wheelchair accessible tables – see instructions below before cutting
   wood
   • Do not pre-drill pilot holes – instead this will be done on build day as the frame is
   assembled

3. Directions:
   Assembly Directions
   • Assembly instructions are attached
   • Sand the entire table, paying special attention to coarse edges and seating areas
   • Check with your project manager to confirm the final location of the table
   • If you are using stain or a water sealer, you should wait 2-3 hours for any stained pieces to
   dry – you should also move the table to it’s final location before you begin to stain/seal
   • Check with your project manager to see if there are any decorative projects planned for the
   table

4. Make it Wheelchair Accessible
   • You will have 8’ table tops instead of 6’ – center each beam so that there an equal amount of
   overhang on each end of the table
   • You may have been given legs that are longer than those indicated on the diagram – this is to
   provide more clearance for the wheelchair to slip underneath the tabletop. Keep the distance
   between the seats and the tabletop consistent with the diagram – this will lead to higher seats.

Tips & Warnings

• Your wood choices will largely depend on the geographic region you are in, but include: pressure treated wood, whitewood, redwood, and cedar. Pressure treated is cheapest; whitewood is next. We do not use pressure treated wood unless the community specifically requests it. Regardless, you should always check with your community to see what their preferences are.
• It is always best to cut the wood during prep days, to avoid having the power saws near volunteers on build day.
• You should always sand the entire piece, paying special attention to coarse edges. Use leftover wood as blocks.
• If you’re not using pressure treated wood, you should stain or seal the wood. Ideally you want to cover every side of each piece, but it is also possible to stain/seal the table once it is fully assembled. If you are using whitewood for budget reasons, you also have the opportunity to stain it to look like cedar or whatever your community prefers.
• If you are concerned that the manufacturer did not precisely cut the Lumber for the seats and tabletop, measure each beam and find the shortest and cut each of the other beams to match, then cut each beam exactly in half. This way you won’t end up with jagged ends.
• To make the table wheelchair accessible, center the 8’ table top over the frame so you have an equal amount of over hang on each end. You may also want to extend the legs by 3-4” in order to create more height for the wheelchair to slide in underneath.
• Use the bolts only for the frame connections. To secure the seats and tabletops, use deck screws.

Resources

• KaBOOM! Playground Side Projects