Kids love to spend time outdoors! That’s universally known, so it’s not unusual to see yards turned into DIY entertainment parks. If you have little ones, make sure to have these essentials for creating an outdoor play area kids will adore. All you need is enthusiasm, creativity, and just a smidge of instructions from online tutorials.
1. Concrete pavers for a game of Hopscotch
Your kids can have their own Hopscotch playground with less than a day of work. The first step is to get concrete pavers available at your local hardware store that you will turn into stepping stones. Paint them in different colors — the livelier the better, and draw numbers from 1 to 10 on each paver. Place them on the lawn or mulched area where kids can jump and fall without hurting themselves.
2. Wooden pallets for a biking ramp
If you are not yet comfortable letting your kid ride a bike on the street, you can create an area that will be equally fun. A biking ramp is simple and easy to build and it can even serve to teach your kids to ride a bike. The DIY process requires two or more tires that will go under the ramp to create a rising or falling surface.
Place wooden pallets on the tires and coat them with paint to minimize splinters and protect them from the weather. You can disassemble and assemble this ramp when needed and even take it with you if you have enough room in your car trunk.
3. Bookcase for a sandbox
Check the yard sales in your neighborhood to find a bookcase you can turn into a sandbox. Use shelves to create separate compartments for sand, toys, and other things your kid may need. Just make sure that the compartment with sand is the largest one so kids will have enough room to play. Lastly, paint it with different colors that will make the sandbox inviting to play. As an extra touch, you can add a plywood lead to protect it from rain and handles to carry it to storage during winter.
If you have several kids playing in this amazing backyard they are bound to get dirty. From climbing trees (tree sap) to the sandbox to general dirt, you may want to start looking for a three-compartment sink to add to the play area so they can wash their hands and be encouraged to do so more often. Especially in a post covid world, washing hands is essential to keeping up with good health and protection and a multiple-compartment sink will allow for more than one kid to wash their hands at the same time. It also helps them not drag all that dirt into the house.
4. Trees to hang hula hoop hideouts
Trees in your backyard may be interesting to climb, but kids will have more fun and be safer if you use them to hang a hula hoop hideout. You will need hula hoops, twine, bedsheets, and cushions to build this summer entertainment.
Use twine to hang the hula hoop from the tree and fix the bedsheet on one half of its edge with safety pins or sew it in. Place a blanket on the ground underneath it and cover the inside with cushions for extra coziness. Keep in mind that this can be a wonderful place for you to relax as well, with a book or to take an afternoon nap in the summer.
5. Old tire for a swing
This outdoor play idea is a classic and never seems to get old. Get an old tire from the junkyard and wash it thoroughly until it shines. Make sure to check the tire for tears before you buy it or any other damage that can potentially cause it to rip in two. Attach three chains to it at an equal distance from each other and connect them together at the top. Now, all you have to do is find a spot to hang your tire swing, like a tree or pergola, test it, and then let the kids have their fun.
6. Solar lamps for backyard camping
Summer is a perfect time to spend time outdoors — day and night. If you can’t take your kids on a camping trip, you can recreate the whole experience in your backyard. Outdoor solar lights are the key element for imitating the wilderness with their dim illumination and no need for electricity. You can either buy tents or make teepees from branches and bed sheets. Build a fire pit and use it to roast hot dogs and marshmallows, all the while telling stories or singing.
7. Chalkboard for outdoor art
Giving your kids a space to draw on is probably the easiest DIY on this list. Buy an outdoor chalkboard or create one with special paint on drywall that will give you the same effect. Hang it on the fence or a house façade at the right height so your kids can rich the top when drawing. Place a small box or bucket beside the chalkboard with chalks of different colors and a sponge to erase what they don’t like.
8. Lumber for drawing table
When it comes to outdoor drawing areas, one is never enough. If you are good with carpentry and tools, building a drawing table from scratch may be just the summer project you need during your free time. You will need lumber, pallets, and paint to create a stable and durable shape.
To give it that special touch, hang a hammock underneath it if you have small children, so they can use it as a hideout. Also, add a couple of benches and this can be a table to have meals with your family or have a coffee when kids are not using it to draw.
9. Grey bricks for outdoor car track
Instead of buying a car track at the toy store, create your own with a few grey bricks and white paint. First, position the bricks to create the road, and then use a thin brush to draw the road lines. In the middle, create a landscape with pinecones and pebbles, or store-bought structures, like houses and trees. For a step further, you can use PVC pipes and cut them in half by length to create tunnels, but don’t forget to measure whether it’s big enough for toy cars.
10. Pressure-treated plywood for a climbing wall
A climbing wall is great for exercise that you can build in your yard. To create it, use pressure-treated plywood and fix it on the wall with screws. Paint the whole climbing wall in one color, or you can draw something, like the clouds on the top. Next, add climbing holds you can buy at the store and paint them in different colors.
To make the whole climbing wall safe, don’t make it too high and spread rubber mulch underneath it to cushion the falls. If it will make you more comfortable, you can also put inflatable mattresses on top of the mulch for a higher safety factor.
In the end
With these 10 essentials for creating an outdoor play area kids will adore you can transform your backyard into an amusement park. Safety should be your utmost priority, so go for those attractions that you are 100% sure how to make with your skill and quality materials.
