Porch Redo with a Sand and Water Table

We have a back porch that we’ve never used.

In the two years we’ve rented this house, we’ve walked past the porch en route to the grill and stepped on the porch steps to water our shade-loving plants, and that’s it.

Clearly, our back stoop has been neglected. And, yes, those really are dead plants in the pots on the steps.

Our porch is parallel to the kitchen, so I realized that if we set up the porch as a toddler messy play area then I could work in the kitchen alongside our daughter, with the screen door open. It’s also nicely shaded and, being on the north side, remains cool all summer long. This also means that I don’t need to load up my daughter in sunscreen before sending her out to play, another bonus for a busy mom.

Of course, the toddler LOVED the idea of setting up an outdoor play space. She helped me sweep, wash and scrub the porch… removing several years worth of cobwebs and critters.

We replanted the shade-loving annuals for the steps on the porch with some of the flowers from my Mother’s Day Bouquet.

We set up a sand and water table, a HUGE upgrade to last years homemade version that the neighborhood cats just loved to visit. This table with a tight fitting lid is MUCH better. Plus, she gets much less wet and sandy since she’s standing up instead of sitting in the sand table. A big plus.

She loves it already. And I love that I can write blog posts at the kitchen table while she’s next to me playing. That’s the thing about small houses: I may be in another room but I’ll never be more than 20 feet away at all times. Here’s one instance when it’s a plus!

Here’s to many summer afternoons full of messy, creative play on our back porch!