Easy and Fun Kid’s DIY PVC Pipe Sprinkler

Post Audio Version

With summer right around the corner, my mommyhood is in full force! I have been excitedly planning fun crafts, play-dates, and outdoor activities I can do with my children. In the mail last week, my favorite store—Lowe’s—sent their quarterly magazine: “Creative Ideas.” I love flipping through the pages to see the various home improvement ideas I could easily do and the fun crafts I can build with my kids. One such project marketed towards kids uses PVC pipes to make a DIY PVC pipe sprinkler for kids.

I love homemade sprinkler ideas, especially since the temperatures in the summer can get extremely hot and not every commercial sprinkler offers the lawn adequate TLC while also supplying the kids with their very own PVC water park.

I went to the store with an idea in my head that my husband kindly chose to trust without question. Thankfully, that idea was contagious, and he envisioned it so well that he bought the very pipes we needed and set to work on the project as if he required no instruction at all. Tagging along every step of the way was our son Tristan. He LOVES to shop for and to play with pipes and was a big help to his dad as they built our PVC pipe sprinkler together.

Upon returning home, the construction crew carried on the vision by measuring and cutting all the pipes first. Then they laid them out on the pavement and dry-fitted the sprinkler to make sure all the parts were present before gluing. It didn’t take long before I had two proud builders and a fully-functioning DIY water sprinkler for my antsy kids and thirsty lawn.

The DIY PVC pipe sprinkler system I devised was simple, relatively inexpensive, and versatile. It can be put over a Slip ’N Slide® for more fun or put to good use in a garden for watering when your children are otherwise engaged. As sprinklers go, it’s lightweight, portable, and well-worth the time, effort, and pennies spent, especially when you watch your kids have a blast with it throughout the entire summer. Unlike other outside “toys,” kids never tire of their very own PVC water park.

DIY PVC Pipe Sprinkler Tutorial:

Parts You Will Need:

• (14) 1/2 inch – 5 foot long PVC Pipes – two extra in case you mess up a cut
• (3) 1/2 inch PVC elbows (non-threaded)
• (5) 1/2 inch – Side Outlet Elbow (non-threaded)
• (8) 1/2 inch – PVC Tee Connectors (non-threaded)
• (1) Metal Hose Connector (female)
• (1) 1/2 inch PVC Ball Valve
• (1) 1/2 inch Threaded Coupling
• PVC Cement
• PVC Cleaner
• Handheld Drill with drill bit
• Hacksaw
• Tape Measure and pen to mark your cuts
• (2) 1/2 inch Hose Extenders
• Landscape Fabric Pins

Cuts You Need To Make:

• (4) 30 1/8 inch Cross Ties
• (4) 19 3/8 inch Long Top Rails
• (4) 9 1/8 inch Short Top Rails
• (4) 29 3/8 inch Bottom Base Rails
• (2) 2 inch Hose Extenders
• (6) 5 foot long PVC Pipes (you can buy them in this exact size at Lowe’s to reduce cutting)

First lay out all your parts, measure twice, and use your hacksaw to cut once. When you have all your cuts done, refer to my pictures on how to lay them out and do a dry-fitting first. Once you have all the parts dry-fitted, take the sides apart from the top, and use your pipe cleaner and then your glue to adhere your pipes together. Once you put the glue on, you need to quickly insert the other pipe before it dries. It will take two people at the end to hold up sides as you glue the top on.

Now, connect your 2″ hose-connector piece to one corner of your sprinkler frame. Then, connect your ball-valve to that and add your other 2″-long hose-connector piece. Next, add in your threaded coupling and metal hose-connector and this is where you connect your garden hose to the sprinkler (to bring water to it).

This is what it looks like when it’s all connected to your garden hose.

This is how the sprinkler looks standing up and all glued together. You then take your handheld drill and make as many holes as you want. We have six holes going across the cross ties, four holes going around the long rails, and some on the 5 foot sides, as well.

That’s it! I know it seems like a chore at first glance, but for once, something is actually easier done than said! The best part of this kids DIY sprinkler is the fact that you can be as creative as you want. Feel free to use my precise measurements, or get those creative juices flowing and work with bigger, grander homemade sprinkler ideas.

My kids love their sprinkler and I think yours will, too. In the summers, we use it daily to cool off and let loose.

What are you waiting for? Summer’s just around the corner! It’s time to give this craft a try. Let me know what you think in the comments below. I’d love to see pictures of your DIY PVC pipe sprinkler! You might inspire me to make a new and improved version!