Building a Kids Step Stool (And Why I Make Them for Every Baby Shower)

My go-to baby shower gift is not onesies or stuffed animals. It is a step stool I build myself. Yeah, people think I am weird. But here is the thing – by the time that kid is 2, they are going to use this stool every single day. Brushing teeth, washing hands, helping in the kitchen. Parents always thank me later.

Why Kids Step Stools Matter More Than You Would Think

My daughter’s first step stool was some plastic thing from Target. It lasted about six months before the top cracked. Then I built her one from solid oak – she is 14 now and her little cousins use that same stool when they visit. Twenty bucks of wood versus a landfill full of broken plastic? Easy choice.

Plus, there is something special about a kid standing on something you made with your hands. I put initials on the bottom of each one with the date. It is corny. I do not care.

The Three Styles I Have Made

Single-step, basic box: This is the easiest. Essentially a little wooden box with a slight lip around the top so feet do not slip off the edge. Takes me about two hours from rough lumber to finish. Great for beginners.

Two-step traditional: More useful honestly. The two levels let kids reach higher as they grow, and the lower step works as a footrest. Takes longer because you need to think about joinery – the steps need to support weight without collapsing.

Flip stool/chair combo: This one I stole from an old Amish pattern. When it is upright, it is a step stool. Flip it over and it is a little chair. Kids love it. The build is trickier because proportions matter for both functions.

Materials: Wood Wins Every Time

I have messed around with different materials over the years. Here is what I have learned:

Hardwoods (oak, maple, cherry): More expensive, but they are practically indestructible. Oak especially – I have got a red oak stool that has survived three kids and still looks great with just a light sanding. These absorb paint nicely if you want color, or look gorgeous with just oil or poly.

Pine and poplar: Cheaper, easier to work with, but they dent. Like, really easily. Every dropped toy leaves a mark. Fine for painted stools where you do not care about pristine surfaces.

Plywood: Works for simple box-style stools. Baltic birch looks nice with a clear finish. Regular construction plywood is ugly but it is strong and dirt cheap. I have made job site stools from scrap plywood that work perfectly.

Whatever you use, avoid that plastic lumber stuff. It is slippery when wet, which is exactly when kids need to stand on stools (bathroom, kitchen). Bad combo.

Safety Stuff I Learned the Hard Way

The first stool I ever built tipped over with my nephew on it. He was fine, but I was mortified. Here is what I fixed:

Wide base: The bottom of the stool should be wider than the top. Not by a lot – even an inch of taper on each side makes a huge difference in stability. Those cheap straight-sided plastic stools tip because they are essentially balanced on a knife edge.

Non-slip surface: I either route shallow grooves into the top or add rubber pads. Slick finished wood plus wet kid feet equals exactly what you are imagining.

Rounded edges: Every corner gets a roundover. Every single one. Kids fall, they bump into things, they grab edges. Sharp corners are asking for trouble.

Weight limit thinking: Kids will stand on stools, but so will adults who want to reach something quickly. Build it stronger than you think you need. Nobody ever complained that a step stool was TOO sturdy.

The Build I Do Most Often

My standard is a two-step stool in red oak with a clear polyurethane finish. Overall dimensions: 15 inches tall, 14 inches wide, 10 inches deep. Steps are 3/4 inch thick oak glued into dados cut into the sides.

I cut the sides as solid panels (no glue-ups needed if your board is wide enough). Shape the sides however you want – I usually do a simple arch on the bottom so it sits on four points rather than rocking on a flat edge. Sounds small but it matters on uneven floors.

The whole thing goes together with glue and pocket screws. Are pocket screws optimal? No. But they are fast and strong, and nobody is examining the bottom of a step stool for dovetails. I am building for a baby shower, not a museum.

Finish Options That Actually Work

Whatever you use needs to handle moisture. This thing is going to live in a bathroom getting splashed daily.

Polyurethane: Three coats, sanding between. Tough, waterproof, easy. This is my go-to for anything that needs to survive kids.

Painted + poly: Milk paint or latex, then poly over top. Lets you do fun colors. The poly protects the paint from peeling when wet.

Tung oil or Danish oil: Looks beautiful, feels great, but requires maintenance. Better for stools that will live in a bedroom rather than bathroom.

Avoid straight lacquer – it does not handle moisture well. And skip the wax-only finishes unless you want to refinish every six months.

The Development Thing Nobody Talks About

Here is something my wife (she is a pediatric occupational therapist) told me: step stools actually help kids develop. When a little one climbs up and down, they are building core strength and balance. When they stand on something elevated to do a task, they feel capable and independent.

I never thought about it that way until she pointed it out. Now I build them even sturdier because I know they are basically little gym equipment.

Mistakes I Have Made So You Do Not Have To

Once I built a stool with super smooth, lacquered steps. Looked gorgeous. First use after a bath? Kid slipped right off. Added some rubber feet and routed grooves into the top immediately.

Another time I used construction screws instead of proper pocket hole screws. They split the oak and I had to rebuild the whole side panel. Use the right fasteners.

And my biggest early mistake: building it too short. I made it kid height without thinking about how fast kids grow. Eighteen months later it was useless. Build them tall enough to last a few years.