DIY mud kitchen plans, sized for your child

How we work it out

Counter height. The U.S. General Services Administration's child care design guide puts counters at about 450 mm (18 in) for toddlers and 550 mm (22 in) for preschoolers, and sinks at 650 mm (about 26 in) for preschool and school-age children. Community Playthings sells its outdoor kitchens at 18 in and 22 in for the same ages. Nobody publishes how high a standing child's elbows are, so we go by age, and you can set your own height.

Depth. The same guide says 450 to 500 mm (18 to 20 in) for a counter used from one side, and at least 610 mm (24 in) from both. We fit whole 1x6 boards with 1/4 in drain gaps inside those limits: 3 boards (17 in) for one side, 5 (28 1/2 in) for both.

depth = boards × 5 1/2 in + gaps × 1/4 in

Frame. Four 2x4 legs, the back two running up to carry the backsplash; 2x4 rails at counter and shelf height; 1x6 slats on top. Over 3 ft between legs, we add a middle rail so the slats don't sag. Board sizes are the real, dressed sizes from the American Softwood Lumber Standard: a 2x4 is 1 1/2 × 3 1/2 in, a 1x6 is 3/4 × 5 1/2 in. Cuts are packed onto 8 ft boards with a saw kerf between them.

Wood. Cedar or redwood resist rot on their own; otherwise use today's arsenic-free pressure-treated lumber. EPA ended CCA for playsets at the end of 2003, and CPSC says to use hardware rated for the newer treatments.