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An outdoor play kitchen from three 2x2s, one 2x4, and four cedar pickets — with a cut-in sink for a real wash bin and a backsplash shelf for the mud-pie supplies.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L | Material | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Back legs They run past the counter to carry the backsplash and upper shelf. | 3 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 40" | 2x2 | ☐ |
| Front legs | 3 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 19 1/4" | 2x2 | ☐ |
| Bottom shelf rails | 3 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 15 1/2" | 2x2 | ☐ |
| Counter supports and backsplash | 7 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 15 1/2" | 2x4 | ☐ |
| Counter, shelf, and backsplash boards | 8 | 5/8" × 5 1/2" × 35 1/2" | Cedar fence picket | ☐ |
| Shelf brackets 45° both ends, long point to long point, ends NOT parallel. Cut from the end of a LONG board, clamped — never from a short scrap. | 3 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 7" | 2x2 | ☐ |
| Item | Qty | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| 2x2, 8 ft Legs, shelf rails, and brackets. | 3 each | ☐ |
| 2x4, 10 ft Top shelf supports and backsplash. | 1 each | ☐ |
| Cedar fence picket, 5-1/2" x 72", not dog-eared (Cedar) Counter, bottom shelf, and upper shelf. | 4 each | ☐ |
| Trim screws, 2-1/2", self-tapping Frame joints. Trim screws' small heads sit clean in 2x2 stock. | 40 each | ☐ |
| Trim screws, 1-1/2", self-tapping Picket shelves and counter. | 50 each | ☐ |
| Plastic wash bin Buy the bin FIRST — the sink hole is traced from it. | 1 each | ☐ |
| Kid-safe penetrating finish Or leave the cedar raw. No film finishes — they flake into the play. | 1 pint | ☐ |
Overall cost: $$. Lumber varies by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Drill Bit Set, Speed Square. Materials: 2x2, 8 ft, 2x4, 10 ft, Trim screws, 2-1/2", self-tapping
Each leg set is a tall back leg and a short front leg joined by a 2x4 counter support up top and a 2x2 bottom-shelf rail lower down. Build all three identical — two screws into the 2x4s, one per 2x2 joint.
Pre-drill every screw in this build: 2x2 stock splits near its ends without a pilot hole, and nearly every joint here lands near an end.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Tape Measure. Materials: 2x2, 8 ft, Trim screws, 2-1/2", self-tapping
Connect the three leg sets with a front rail and a back rail, two screws per joint, the middle leg set centered. Stand it on flat ground and check for rock before the final screws — a three-legged-table wobble is much easier to fix now than after the counter's on.
Tools: Drill / Driver. Materials: 2x4, 10 ft, Trim screws, 2-1/2", self-tapping
Add the remaining 2x4 supports — the rest of the counter bearers and the backsplash rail across the tall legs. Everything the pickets land on should now be in place.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Jigsaw. Materials: Cedar fence picket, 5-1/2" x 72", not dog-eared, Trim screws, 1-1/2", self-tapping
Lay picket boards across the bottom rails, notching the front board around the legs with the jigsaw. Screw down with even gaps between boards — the gaps are the drainage plan, and a mud kitchen without drainage is a mosquito farm.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Drill Bit Set, Jigsaw, Pencil. Materials: Cedar fence picket, 5-1/2" x 72", not dog-eared, Trim screws, 1-1/2", self-tapping, Plastic wash bin
Screw the counter pickets down with even gaps. Then trace your actual wash bin upside down where the sink goes, draw a cut line about 1/2" INSIDE the traced rim, drill a 1/2" starter hole, and jigsaw the opening. Drop the bin in — the rim hangs on the counter, and lifts out for dumping.
Trace the real bin, not a measurement of it. Bins taper and their rims aren't square, and a hole cut to the catalog dimension is how bins fall through counters.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Miter Saw. Materials: 2x2, 8 ft, 2x4, 10 ft, Cedar fence picket, 5-1/2" x 72", not dog-eared, Trim screws, 2-1/2", self-tapping, Trim screws, 1-1/2", self-tapping
Screw the backsplash board across the tall legs, flush to their tops. Attach the shelf board to the bottom edge of the backsplash, then fit the three 45° brackets under it — the brackets carry the real load when the shelf gets leaned on, which it will.
Cut those brackets from the end of a long 2x2, clamped to the saw. Seven-inch pieces and fingers do not share a saw fence.
Tools: Drill Bit Set, Jigsaw, Random Orbit Sander. Materials: Cedar fence picket, 5-1/2" x 72", not dog-eared, Kid-safe penetrating finish
If the chef wants burners, cut rings from picket scraps — drill a 1/2" hole and connect the circle with the jigsaw — and screw them to the counter.
Then the most important step on a kids' build: sand everything, round every corner, and run your bare palm over every surface a kid will touch. Finish with a kid-safe penetrating oil or let the cedar silver. Stock with pots, spoons, and a strict no-mud-in-the-house treaty.