A workbench for tyke’s toys
I have a 4-year-old son. Let me rephrase that; I have a rambunctious 4-year-old son.
I have been astounded by his seemingly never-ending amounts of energy. He is constantly using his imagination to build and create things.
To encourage his love for fixing things, my husband and I bought him a real lifelike toolbox a few Christmases ago. This bright orange toolbox proudly displays an authentic Home Depot logo and came with various tools like a hammer, screwdriver, wrench and tape measure. We also bought a few battery powered tools, a handsaw and power drill to add to his collection.
My son quickly outgrew his toolbox, and tools were constantly being left behind at whatever the “worksite” was for the day, for example, the kitchen or our bathroom. After searching for different ideas on how to organize his ever expanding tool collection, I came across some plans for a miniature tool workbench.
This workbench is perfect for him because it has a bottom shelf where he can store his toolbox and a pegboard where he can hang any extra tools. I also love the authentic feel of this workbench. It is handmade out of real wood and not the generic plastic-type you see at the toy stores. Because I put it together myself, it also holds sentimental value.
This overall project was very simple and took about a full day to complete. Take into consideration the rambunctious 4-year-old was about 2-years-old at the time so I had to take frequent breaks from this project.
First you need to take a trip to your preferred lumber store with your supply list in hand:
Four 2-by-4s Nails Peg board Spray paint Wood stain Wood glue (optional)
I had everything already on hand except the peg board, and because this was before I had purchased my wonderfully handy jigsaw, I was able to have the pegboard cut to size at Home Depot.
The measurements are as follows: Cut the front two legs so that they are 19 inches.
The three boards that make up the top of the tool bench should measure 2 feet.
The bottom two boards that make up the bottom shelf should measure 2 feet as well.
The four small boards that attach the front legs to the back measure 9-1/2 inches.
The two back legs that also support the peg board should be cut and measure 38 1/2 inches.
The peg board is 2-feet-by-1-1/2-feet. The top shelf should measure 7-inches-by-2-feet.
Once you have your pieces cut, all that you have left is to simply nail the boards into place. You can use wood glue in between the boards as well since this is a toddler piece and it will get a lot of wear and tear – the sturdier the better. For assembly:
Start by attaching two of the small boards that measure 9-1/2-inches to the bottom of the front and back legs. Next attach them to where they come up to the top of the front two legs. Take all five of your boards that measure 2 feet and attach them to make the top and bottom shelves.
After you have painted your peg board and given it a few hours to fully dry, attach it to the top of the back two legs that measure 38 inches.
Finally, attach the top shelf which is your final piece measuring 7-inches-by- 2-feet. As you can see, our top shelf has had some wear and tear, making it all the more authentic.
Once you have assembled your workbench, stain it, paint it or leave it alone and step back and admire your project.
Your children will love to play with this custom-made workbench.
Home improvement stores that sell pegboards usually also sell the attachments that go along with the board. I attached several different ones on our pegboard so my son could hang a few tools instead of storing them in his toolbox on the bottom shelf.
This piece has become a signature piece in our playroom, and I absolutely love how it turned out. For a total cost of about $25, we have certainly gotten our money’s worth.
Two and a half years later, and it is still getting plenty of use.