Pick Your Plastic Kiddie Pool
The size of the kiddie pool you use will drive the project dimensions, so that is the best place to start. You’ll need a sturdy plastic pool, and not one that’s inflatable. Plastic kiddie pools seem to be generally available in either a 4 or 5-foot diameter so choose one that’s big enough for kids or pets to enjoy.
Locate and Lay Out
Next you’ll need to choose a location for your kiddie pool/fire pit project. Be sure to keep this a safe distance from your home! Remember that this fire pit will likely be too large for any type of screen cover so you’ll need to be concerned that embers won’t fly up and land on your home or any other combustible in the area.
Get Ready to Dig
Once the location is confirmed, mark off your hole and get ready to dig. You can do this by flipping the pool upside down and marking off an area that’s about two feet wider than the width of the pool. So, if the pool is 4 feet wide, you’ll be excavating an area that’s about 6 feet wide, or 7 feet wide of you are using a 5 foot pool. You can also use a stake and string as a makeshift compass to lay out the pool as well. Just make sure the distance between the stake and the end of the string is half the width of the hole you need. Plant the stake in the middle and swing the string around the entire circumference, marking the soil as you go.
Build the Surround
Next, you’ll need to get your hole ready for the pool/pit. Basically you are building a below ground retaining wall that is sized to allow the pool to fit inside. Once the hole is dug and level, stack your block or bricks to the height of the pool plus about two inches. Then fill in the hole with two inches of playground sand so that the pool will be well supported and the sand is there as a base for the fire pit once the pool is removed for the season. Lastly, fill in the soil outside the brick or block edge of the pool, fill the pool with water, and get ready to jump – or maybe just step – in!
Drain and Maintain
First, remember that a kiddie pool can be a breeding ground for mosquitoes. So, it’d be best to drain it between uses, or come up with some sort of cover.Use a bucket to remove as much of the water as you can. There’s really not that much so this could be pretty simple, then you can lift the pool out to drain the rest. Before inserting the pool for the new season, be sure to clean out any of the old firewood and ash that’s left behind, so that you are left with a relatively clean, level and smooth sand surface.
