How to Make a Children's Game Table

You can make children's game tables at home and customize them to suit the preferences of any child. You can paint it pink and cover it with stenciled flowers, coat it in a magnetic whiteboard or chalkboard paint, or make the tabletop into the shape of a hockey puck and paint it black.

Instructions

1

Trace a 36-inch square onto a piece of 3/4-inch plywood. Cut out the square with a jigsaw or handsaw. Use sandpaper or a hand sander to smooth the top and bottom surface of the square.

2

Trace a rectangle that measures 2 inches by 19-and-1/4 inches onto the sheet of plywood. Cut out the rectangle with a jigsaw or handsaw. Use the rectangle as a template to cut out seven more rectangles.

3

Lay four of the rectangles on a flat surface and apply wood glue to the entire 2-inch face of each of the four rectangles. Align another rectangle on top of the glue, press firmly and hold the pieces together for at least 30 seconds. Repeat this step with the other three sets of rectangles. Clamp the attached rectangles and leave them for 24 hours while you assemble the tabletop.

4

Cut four 36-inch long pieces of baseboard or casing with a miter saw at a 45-degree angle, so that the four pieces look like they would make a picture frame. Prime and paint the baseboard in a color you choose and allow it to dry for 24 hours.

5

Apply wood glue to the outer edges of the face of the 36-inch square. Place the four pieces of mitered baseboard on top of the glue and line them up evenly with the edges. Use clamps to keep the baseboard in place while the glue dries. The tabletop should now look like a picture frame. The baseboard edges will keep dice, beads and other small objects from rolling off the table.

6

Apply a coat of primer to the tabletop. Cover the inner edges of the baseboard with green painter's tape so that you don't cover it with primer. Allow the tabletop to dry for 24 hours. Apply a coat of chalkboard paint to the tabletop and allow it to dry for 24 hours. You can then assemble the table, but do not use the chalkboard for three days.

7

Turn the tabletop upside down and apply wood glue to the joined rectangular table legs. Attach them to the underside of the tabletop, one inch away from the edge. Press firmly and then allow the glue to dry for 24 hours. Turn the table right-side-up and hammer a nail through the baseboard and into the table leg. Repeat this step for each of the table legs. Fill the nail hole with a wood filler and apply a bit of paint to cover it.

8

Use a hand sander or sandpaper to round the hard edges of the tabletop to help prevent injuries.