How to Make a Toy Sink {Little House on the Prairie Unit Study}

One of my favorite parts of homeschooling is watching simple ideas turn into meaningful, hands-on learning moments. Recently, together with Daddy, Thomas made a great (yet wonderfully simple) toy sink unit for our Little House. Sometimes things turn out just as you’ve imagined them, and this was absolutely one of those times. I can’t tell you how pleased I am with it. So I thought I’d share how to make a toy sink!

This project fits beautifully into a Little House on the Prairie Unit Study, combining practical life skills, family teamwork, and imaginative play—all while keeping things simple and budget-friendly. Even more special? The memories created along the way. We are truly blessed to have a Daddy who loves to build, teach, and create right alongside the children.

Catch Up! If you haven’t read all about our first week on the prairie, I would encourage you to go and read my Little House in the Big woods post. This covers everything we did from making nightdresses, to prairie cooking and making button strings. It also gives you a good idea of everything we achieved with our own little house on the prairie renovations!

Why Build a Toy Sink for Homeschool Learning?

Learning doesn’t always happen at a desk. When children use their hands, problem-solve, and collaborate, lessons stick in powerful ways. Creating a toy sink gives children the chance to:

• Learn basic woodworking concepts
• Practice cooperation and family teamwork
• Explore historical domestic life
• Engage in imaginative, open-ended play

Projects like this help bring literature, especially historical fiction, off the page and into real life.

Check out week two! Last week we focused on Farmer Boy. This is the second book in the Little House on the Prairie book set. During the week we did lots of prairie cooking (hasty pudding, making a sour dough starter and some prairie bread) and also made some button lamps, a prairie ladder, and some peg hooks. Gary and the little ones did some gardening in our prairie garden and we tried to make some more of our rag rug.

How to Make a Toy Sink (Simple and Practical)

This toy sink unit was delightfully uncomplicated.

The sink itself is basically a wooden box turned on its side. That’s it, no fancy tools or expensive materials required.

Here’s how it came together:

• The boys fixed a shelf inside using cot bars, creating space for toy dishes
• The existing hand hole in the wooden box was repurposed to drape C10’s tea towel through
• T11 added a thoughtful touch by popping a screw into the side to hang her dish cloth

The result? A sturdy, charming sink unit that feels authentic and invites hours of imaginative play.

Sometimes the simplest designs are the most satisfying.

Check out week three! We focused on The Little House on the Prairie. This is the third book in the Little House on the Prairie book set. During the week we did some of prairie cooking (soda biscuits) and also made some curtains, hay sticks and a hammock net. Gary and the little ones did some gardening in our prairie garden and we tried to make some more of our rag rug.

Connecting This Project to a Little House on the Prairie Unit Study

If you’re studying Little House on the Prairie, this activity fits perfectly. Laura Ingalls Wilder’s stories are filled with everyday chores, family cooperation, and resourcefulness, values that shine through in a project like this.

Children can better understand:

• What daily life was like without modern conveniences
• How families worked together to meet basic needs
• The importance of creativity and making do with what you have

Hands-on projects like this make historical learning come alive in a way worksheets never could.

Week four we focused on ‘On the Banks of Plum Creek’ and the children learnt about herbal medicine, stained a rocking chair for the corner of the house, made some baskets and began a productive Little House vegetable garden. And lastly, we made some home-made yogurt and a blueberry pie.

Hands-On Activity Ideas to Extend the Lesson

Here are a few ways to build on this activity:

• Pioneer Chores Role Play: Let children act out washing dishes, fetching water, or drying utensils as a pioneer child might have done
• Design & Build Challenge: Have children sketch their own version of a pioneer kitchen item before building it
• Material Comparison: Compare modern sinks with pioneer wash basins: what’s different and why?
• Practical Life Practice: Use real (safe) dishes and water for supervised washing practice

During week five, we focused on By the Shores of the Silver Lake. We made signs for over the front door and inside the cottage, wove our own baskets, Thomas began building a stove for the cottage, made some molasses popcorn balls and a very tasty prairie chicken with home grown green beans.

Reflection Questions for Homeschool Discussion

Use these questions to deepen learning and spark conversation:

1. Why do you think pioneer families had to make many of their own household items?
2. How is this toy sink different from the sink we use today?
3. What was your favorite part of building or using the toy sink?
4. How did working together make this project easier or more fun?
5. What other items do you think pioneer children might have helped make?

Last week, our focus was on The Long Winter. We made this tea towel and dish cloth (I’m posting about them a bit later), did some prairie cooking and made butter, bread, and jam. Thomas also completed the Little House stove and Lillie made a table cloth.

Final Thoughts on How to Make a Toy Sink

Knowing how to make a toy sink isn’t just about building a play object. It’s about creating shared experiences, nurturing creativity, and bringing homeschool lessons to life. Whether you’re deep into a Little House on the Prairie Unit Study or simply looking for meaningful hands-on learning, projects like this are a beautiful reminder that education happens everywhere.

And sometimes, all it takes is a wooden box, a few screws, and a willing Daddy to make something truly special.