How to Create a Backyard Play Area for your Children

When you’re a kid, nothing beats a play area right in your own backyard. It easily accessible and nearby, so it encourages physical activity. Plus, having a play area right in view of the house, makes it easy for parents to keep an eye on the kids while tending to other tasks.

A little planning goes a long way

Take a little time to plan out the space. Sketch the rough dimensions of the yard and include permanent fixtures, such as trees, fences or buildings. Brainstorm along with your children about what they’d like to include: Children couldn’t care less if you choose to decorate the living room with music notes wall decor or a wall art tree, but they’d like to have a say about whether there is a fort or a swimming pool in their backyard!

For planning purposes, draw a rough diagram of different play zones: For example, you might like a kid size picnic table under a tree and a swimming pool out in full sun where dropping leaves won’t be a problem. Making a diagram also makes it easier when you shop because you’ll know how much space you have to accommodate a swing set or playhouse.

Creative Ideas for the Backyard

• Kids love natureand the backyard is a great place for them to learn about birds, bugs, plants and trees. Birdfeeders and birdbaths will attract a variety of native birds and you can plant a garden together that will Invite butterflies and hummingbirds to the backyard. A simple Internet search will provide you with a list of plants for your climate that are attractive to birds, hummers and butterflies. Plant a vegetable garden together; kids are more likely to eat healthy veggies and fruits that they grow themselves.
• Make a live ‘teepee’ with a pole, some string and scarlet runner beans: Drive a pole into the ground and tie six or eight lengths of string to the top of the pole. They should be long enough to go all the way to the ground with a few inches left over. Tie the end of each string around long nails and drive them into the ground at approximately equal intervals around the pole, leaving a larger opening to enter the teepee. Push three of four scarlet runner beans into the ground about one inch deep around each string. In a few days they’ll push through the soil and climb up the string, creating a really cool green teepee.
• Invite physical activity with swing sets, clubhouses and playhouses. You can buy pre-made sets or build a fort or tree house from scratch. Letting older kids help is a great way to spend quality time together. Don’t overlook simple pleasures: An old tire tied to a rope and hung from a tree is great fun for a child, or make a fort with a blanket draped over a clothes line.
• In warm weather months, add some water activities. A hose and sprinkler is about as simple as you can get, or add a slide mat or pool appropriate to the age and size of your child. Swimming pools will require diligent supervision, however, so be sure that you have time to supervise activities and teach your children to stay out of the pool unless they have your permission and supervision.

Safety Concerns

Safety is paramount when planning a space for children. Rubber mulch in play areas will reduce injuries when a fall inevitably occurs. If you don’t have fencing around the space, consider adding it. This will keep younger kids in the backyard and out of the path of passing cars. If planning a swimming pool, a privacy fence would be in their best interest as well. Check with your local municipality regarding local requirements for fences and lockable gates when there is a swimming pool in the backyard.

All text copyright Relica. Photo from Flikr - "View St (7)" courtesy of mezuni.