Building Plan for Children's Chairs

Chair Height

• The most critical measurement required for building a kid's chair is the height of the seat. The child's feet should sit flat on the floor and his or her knees bend at a 90-degree angle if the chair is to be comfortable. This height can be quickly estimated by measuring the distance from the floor to the bottom of the standing child's knee.

Wooden Chairs

• The smallest chairs can be built from single widths of lumber. Larger chairs require that either smaller boards be glued together, or that they be "stick-built" from several small components. Stick-built chairs are more labor-intensive, requiring more skill to ensure that the chair is stable and will not come apart when treated roughly.

Plywood Chairs

• Plywood is one of the easiest materials from which to build a child's chair, as you can cut all of the pieces for a child's chair from a single sheet of plywood: a seat, a back, and two sides. The sides combine the duties of legs and armrests; and because there are so few pieces, the back can effectively brace the entire unit
  The back and seat can be simple rectangles of wood. Shape the sides so that the back "legs" angle away from the child. Children wiggle a lot, and can tilt the chair backward; angled legs will enhance its stability.

  Half-inch thick plywood should suffice for most small chairs. Three-quarter-inch plywood can be used as the child grows or treats the chair more roughly. Always use furniture-grade plywood, as it takes a finish easier.

  Screws and glue should both be used to create the sturdiest chairs. Be sure to drill pilot holes for the screws, to prevent splitting.

Benches

• Small benches can be built from either lumber or plywood. Benches must have at least four components: the seat, two ends, and a brace that can ties the three together. In many ways, such benches resemble footstools and can be built using the same tools and techniques.

  Larger benches can be built to resemble adult benches, or use the same techniques as those for plywood chairs; including a back can make the bench sturdier. Extra bracing can be attached to the underside of the seat, making it strong enough to support several kids at once.

  Benches can also incorporate storage underneath, doubling their usefulness. Such a bench can be little more than a box with a lid serving as a seat.

  Add a cushion to make chairs and benches more comfortable. Little touches like that make a chair more than just a place to sit; they can make it a special part of a child's home, and make the child feel special as well.