If you’ve got a little skill with tools you can learn how to build this awesome Lego table for kids. It’s a simple do it yourself project that your kids will enjoy for years to come. You’ll find this and other great DIY projects here at Kids Activities Blog.
When my husband and I started looking for a Lego table sized for older kids, we were surprised that there wasn’t much available. Every table we found was sized for the toddler crowd, but our boys’ Legos were in desperate need of a building area. At ages 6, 8 and 10 they are ready for a regular height table and chairs.
We decided to build our own Lego table.
How To Build
After doing some research, we decided modifying an IKEA table for Lego purposes would be our cheapest option.
At IKEA we did a lot of math.
We wanted the largest surface area that wouldn’t take up more space than we have in the room. None of the tables/table tops/desks we found had exactly the right measurements to add LEGO baseplates without alteration and it was our goal to have a portion of the LEGO building surface permanent.
This is what we ended up choosing:
Create Your Own
Lego Table Parts
- 1 – IKEA Vika Amon Table Top {in red} – $24.99
- 2 – IKEA Moliden Underframe – $30 each
- 8 – LEGO baseplates {green} – $4.99 each
- 2 – LEGO baseplates {blue} – $4.99 each
- 4 – LEGO road plate packages {2 pack} – $14.99 each
The entire project cost a little less than $200. We could have saved an additional $40 by choosing a cheaper leg option for the table at IKEA and an additional $20 by going with a solid color vs. road baseplates.
The IKEA table top measured 59″ x 29 1/2″ and the LEGO baseplates are 10″ square. To cover the table completely, we purchased 18 baseplates.
The middle baseplates shown here in grey and blue were left intact and not glued down which allows the kids to mix and match the layout to what they have in their imagination.
Do It Yourself
The outer border of baseplates were cut and glued down to corral the inner plates.
To fit the table the green baseplates on the long sides were cut to a depth of 14 studs {cutting 5 plates into ten 14 stud pieces} and the ends were a width of 13 studs {cutting 2 plates into four 13 stud pieces}. The corners were cut from one piece into four 13 x 14 stud corners.
The cut edge ALWAYS faces out when glued to the table.
Lego Make and Create
We used a circular table saw the baseplates with a fine tooth blade and then gently sanded the cut edge.
This next step is VERY important.
Originally, we thought we would just push all the plates together and glue around the outside. BUT there is a small gap required between baseplates to allow a brick to straddle two.
What we did was arrange ALL the baseplates on the table like we wanted and then used LEGO bricks to bridge them all together.
Once the entire layout was one unit, we lifted up the green border pieces slightly and squirted Elmer’s glue underneath.
We placed books on top of the glued border until dry.
Once it was dry, the interior plates could be removed and rearranged as desired.
It was time to play!
Build with Legos
Our boys built for days.
The roads were rearranged to create a main city street.
This street will eventually need a bypass because the traffic is TERRIBLE!
This LEGO table has been a big hit. Since its appearance in the playroom, it has been used almost every waking hour.
About Holly
awesome!!!!
that is very cool!!
This table is amazing!
I am in awe
That’s cool. I loved Legos when I was little. When my girls get a little older I’m going to have to make them a table like yours. Very cool.
How awesome! I am thinking of doing it now but where you have that blue Lego squares maybe cutting a hole and dropping in a fabric or plastic bucket to hold Legos!
I think that is a great idea. There were also some tables at IKEA that were a bit more expensive that had drawers on one side…that could be great for scooping messes into.
Holly, as always what an AWESOME project!
My boys just asked as I was scrolling through the pictures… can we have that?
Thanks so much! I suspect this would be a hit at your house too
.
Holly, that is truly amazing ~ was it a Christmas gift? I’ll bet the boys were thrilled!
Yes, Ryan has been asking for one for awhile. We had the clover-shaped toddler version that had just become a dumping ground and totally useless for building. They LOVE it and have now turned the bench into part of the city as well.
Such creativity! I love how you used the red table underneath. It makes the entire setup look so professional!
Thanks Barb! We had such a good time putting this together and sneaking around behind the boys’ backs up until Christmas.
I just built a lego table for my husband (nothing like yours, or as cool by any means). I put a raised border around the edge of the table and didn’t glue the lego base plates down so my husband had room to build. Well I want to find the Duplo base plates so we can always switch them out for the kid to play with as well. Where did you find the base plates for $5? Thanks!!
Ditto on the where on earth did you find the base plates for $5?! I must know! This is a great idea and my older girl needs to get those legos off the floor before the new little one becomes mobile.
The best place to find the Lego Building Plates for $5 is at the Lego shop online, or Toys R Us online. I just purchased 4 of them for a Christmas, they were $5 each plus Buy 1 Get 1 Free from Toys R Us online. The prices vary drastically online! The Lego Bricks n More Building Base Plates is the brand Toys R Us has for $5. Legos can get very expensive, so I thought I would share this – prefect Christmas present!
I love this table and am thinking of making this for my 8 year old son! I especially like the matching red bench seat…. where did you find it? Very creative!!
Both the table and bench are from IKEA. Thanks!
I may have missed it…but where did you get the red bench that is along side your table?
I am sure it has been used almost waking hour! This is truly awesome and my boys would love it!
Congrats as this post and your other food post were both one of my most clicked blog post on the Mommy Solutions link up last week! http://www.crystalandcomp.com/2012/01/the-mommy-club-share-your-resources-and-solutions-25/
As always, thank you for sharing your post on my link up! I look forward to more of your ideas!
Have a super week, Crystal
This is fabulous!!! Would you please share this with our readers for Fun Stuff Fridays? http://www.toysinthedryer.com/2012/01/fun-stuff-fridays-5.html
What a wonderful table! I really need to make something like this for my son!
Thanks for the great idea. I am planning on putting the green plates on the wall in my sons room but he might need a table as well.
That looks awesome! From what i’ve seen, you guys kids must love lego when they are building that kind of stuff
have you looked into stop motion animation? it would be great for kids to do when they have a big lego set like that. it isn’t that hard, but you might need to help em along the way.
My son was 11 when he started, he LOVES doing it, he even asked if he could make a website for it XD
That’s incredible! I had a Lego table when I was little and it was far and away my favorite toy. I would love to link to your how-to if you didn’t mind. My readers would love this!
this is amazing!!! i love it!
This is great! I’m with the other ladies though, where on earth did you get baseplates for $5?? I want to get some more for my 5 year old that’s really starting to get into Legos & the only ones I found are at least double that price, if not triple.
I have been getting the base plates at the Lego store for that – and online. These are the smaller ones that are packaged individually that are $4.99. BUT the most expensive part of this project is all the LEGO base plates! They are expensive.
THIS IS AWSOME.
I LOVE YOU ALL
Thanks for posting; I took your advice and made a smaller version for my 4 and 6 year old boys for Easter out of a pine dining room table from Ikea, and two kids storage stools. It was a huge hit…thanks for all the tips!
Boy, and I glad I read this before starting working on our son’s table. We bought a very nice train table with a solid wood top off Craigslist for $30, and I’m in the process of painting the legs different primary Lego colors. I had planned to cover the entire area with 12 glued down files, and purchased 8 of the roads tiles that I was just going to have loose on top of the greens, but this method of doing the border around it and having the other tiles fit in like a border tray puzzle is awesome! Now I’m going to sit back and do some re-calculating!!
Thanks!!!
Hi
I own a preschool and we are going to build this. I’m not a pro so when u say stud what size are the edge pieces suppose to be in inches? Thanks
And where did u get the bench?
The bench is from IKEA as well. I think it was more expensive then the table…if I remember correctly it was around $70.
The “studs” are the bumps on the LEGO pieces. So for the end pieces, I just counted 13 bumps and then set the saw at that width to cut all the end pieces.
What a fabulous idea and your finished project looks great. I’m trying to figure out how to make a removable base–probably just one color–to fit an imaginarium train table since it takes up so much room (50″x18″)–leaving very little room for another activity table and using tubs to store the legos in under the table, since his trains are in the tables drawers. I was thinking of using a very thin sheet of plywood to glue the bases down on and then standing the base up on end when he is playing with the trains. Does that sound fesible to you. My grandson just turned 4 and is really into both his trains and legos. I would appreciate any thoughts you might have on this project I am about to undertake. Thank you.
I had a friend who used a table top that wasn’t as secure as ours {it was thinner and cheaper} and she ended up with problems with the glued down baseplates warping. I would suggest that whatever you use as a table base be able to withstand the tension from the upper layer.
Good luck!
That is awesome! What a great idea!
Built this table yesterday, cut the baseplates with tablesaw and cement blade, made smooth edge no sanding required! Also glued down with a contact cement glue for more permanent base without risk of lifting and breaking. FedEx shipping of tabletop was Horrible, 3 corners damaged and a hole the size of a pencil top punched into table top, but once baseplates in place- can’t see the damage.
I work at an indoor playspace in NY and we have a very large lego table. The problem is it takes forever to clean especially since the base plates are the kind with the hollow bumps. How do you clean yours?