Small Yard Outdoor Play Area

    The weather is warming up and it's time to get outside and play!

    But, perhaps you saw my post about creating a natural materials playground in your own yard, and you thought: "that's all well and good... but I just don't have that kind of space in my yard!".  If that's the case, then this post is for you!

    I used to think that dreamy nature inspired outdoor play spaces were only available to people with land, a lot of land.  But, while we lived in our last house, I realized that wasn't necessarily the case.

Our side "yard"

    

We used to live in a home with a very small outdoor space. Essentially all we had was a narrow patio, and a couple of cramped flower beds along one side of the house. I would get green with envy when I'd see photos of large beautiful yards.

    But, I thought a lot about my options and was able to get creative. In the end I surprised myself with how many fun and inviting options for play we were able to pack into that little area! Many of these ideas you could use even if all you have is a small apartment balcony.

Our back "yard"

    When making choices about my children's toys, it is always my preference to stick to natural materials whenever possible, and avoid junky plastic playthings. So, I carried this theme outdoors too.

A Multi-use Playhouse

    Children love to have a place to hide, tinker and experiment. So, using part of our old kitchen cabinets as his base, my husband constructed this small wooden playhouse.

    On the side of the playhouse I mounted a child height shelf. The shelf itself was a piece of scrap wood, and the brackets were only a few dollars each at Ikea.

    To encourage creative play, I filled the shelf with interesting objects from nature (like iridescent abalone shells, rocks and glittering geodes).

    When you are short on space, look to walls and fences! Using regular cup hooks I utilized the nearby wall space to hang wind chimes. I also hung a second set of them from the playhouse itself. Playing with sound doesn't take up much space!

    Then to add some growing green things, I also hung wooden planters filled with cheerful flowers on the back wall of our house. Things like window boxes and hanging planters also work well for this.

 

    Later, to keep things new and interesting, I mounted a mailbox to the shelf (pictured above). These should be available at your local hardware store. Check to be sure there are no sharp edges.

    I also found 3 metal butterflies at the dollar store, which I spray painted brown and screwed above the door for decoration.

 

    As time went on I kept an eye out for interesting things to add to our small outdoor play space, trying to keep with the natural materials theme. The carved redwood mushroom pictured above came from a roadside stand near Redwood National Park. But, similar treasures can often be found at garden centers, nurseries or on etsy. I liked that it was made of wood, and had a relatively small footprint. When you're short on space think "tall" and "thin"!

For more details of this playhouse and views of the details inside, please see this post.

Places to Dig

    A friend once reminded me that if our kids weren't getting dirty, then we weren't doing our jobs right. How right she was! Digging in the dirt it fun and therapeutic (for adults too!). In our small yard the kids had two places to dig!

    

    The first was a sturdy raised sandbox that my husband constructed himself. Because we were so short on space he added wheels to one side, and handles to the other. That way it could be lifted and easily relocated if needed (kind of like a wheelbarrow). 

*Also pictured above: Inexpensive reed fencing hides an unsightly view of the neighbor's Rubbermade shed!

    The bottom of the sandbox was drilled with drainage holes to let the water out, and lined with fiberglass weed barrier, to keep the sand in. Also, because we had many neighborhood cats, who would have loved to use the sandbox as a littler box, he created a mesh lid. The lid was essentially a wooden frame with crosspieces. It was lined in wire mesh, and fit just inside the box.

    Sand toys were kept nearby in wooden baskets. These drain easily, and are readily available for a couple of dollars at most secondhand stores. Over time I eventually replaced most of our plastic sand toys with actual kitchen tools and gadgets, also found at thrift stores. The Goodwill always seems to have a good supply of wooden spoons and wooden baskets! I also kept a small hand broom and dustpan nearby, for the inevitable spillovers. 

    Playsand is easy to find at most big-box toy stores or hardware stores. 

    If cats are an issue for you, and you don't want to have to cover a sandbox after each use, then consider putting in a gravel pit instead. The cats seem to avoid these, and they can be just as much fun for digging as a sandbox!

    I chose to locate our gravel pit just around the bend, in our side yard. It was a narrow space, but the kids didn't care!

Gravel Pit "Before"

    

    I pulled weeds, dug down a few inches and lined the pit with weed barrier. 

Gravel Pit "after"

    Then I filled the space with a few bags of pea gravel. I contained it at the edges with prefab "log" garden edging and large shells. Then I built a "willow hut" (but more about that below!).

    Add some bright flowers and a few sand toys, and you're all set to play!


A Shady Retreat

    I am so inspired by the images I see around the internet of living willow structures, and willow huts! In the early spring there are several online retailers who will sell live willow rods. They are marketed as being for making these neat outside creations. There are also numerous online tutorials on how to do so.
    But, I decided I wanted to make one in the middle of the summer, and I didn't want to wait until spring for supplies (plus I was working on a budget!).

So I created my own version!

    I decided to blend it into the gravel pit, to make the space more intriguing and multidimensional. So, I tucked it into a corner of our side yard.

Willow Hut "before"

    

    Using some decorative sticks from Ikea (you could probably find them at craft stores, or places like saveoncrafts.com too), jute twine, and long flexible sticks cut from nearby trees, I crafted a "hut". About half of the decorative dry twigs snapped, but the ones cut from trees worked really well. I didn't have a method per say, rather it was just a process of trial and error until I got the shape I was looking for.

Hut "after"

    

    Then I covered the floor with small size wood bark and planted non-poisonous flowers like nasturtiums and sunflowers. Eventually the sunflowers got so tall that they drooped over the top of the hut, perfect! Also, in the corner I planted a honeysuckle vine. This fast growing plant eventually grew to cover the top of the hut. And speaking of sunflowers...

    Giant sunflowers can actually be great for small yards! They are tall, thin, dramatic and a delight for children! They are easy to grow from seeds, and can get really tall. As you can see mine were tied to the (6 ft high) to keep them from toppling over! I only wish they lasted all year long.

    Remember to save a few of the blooms, and let them dry out.

    You can use the seeds to plant a new crop next year!


A Container Fairy Garden

    Fairy gardens are great for small yards or even balconies, because they are by their very nature small. The whole fun of creating and using these little worlds is in the fact that everything is miniature. We made ours in half of a wooden wine barrel (look for them at garden stores), but you can use any permeable container. Search Pinterest for thousands of ideas.

    I have an entire post dedicated solely to this tiny garden, and the changes it has undergone over time. To see much more about the process and detailed photos, please see this post:

Click here for Fairy Herb Garden tutorial

    Also, tucked away into another corner I created a labyrinth for the kids to enjoy. Details and a DIY tutorial can be found by clicking the link below:

Labyrinth Compas Tutorial: Here

    If you are interested is seeing more outdoor space inspiration, please clink the link below to see how I created a natural materials play space in a larger yard.  Many of these ideas can also be incorporated into small spaces.

Natural Materials Play Space

    One last thing to think about if you're making choices about hardscaping... A curving path that meanders slowly through your garden is more interesting that a straight one.  So, consider curving your walkways.

    Thank you for stopping by, and have fun outside... no matter what size your outdoor space is!





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Natural Materials Waldorf Playground

*Updated*

I am very inspired by Waldorf education. Part of the Waldorf theory is that children should be surrounded with natural materials. Waldorf purists don't have any plastic in their children's spaces. While I'm not that strict with it, I do try to limit junky plastic toys as much as possible.
Unfortunately I found that there aren't a lot of commercially available options for natural outdoor play equipment (at least not economical ones). So, this led us to create an outdoor play space largely ourselves.

We were lucky that the sand area you see in these photos was already here when we bought this house. But, besides a crumbling old fence, there was nothing else. It was a blank slate!

Build a Swing Set

In my effort to avoid big colorful (plastic) play structures, we were led to build our own. 
Amazon sells ready made brackets. They are nice because you can make the swing set as tall and wide as you want to, and customize it for your space. Here is a link to the ones we used:

All of the commercially available swings I could find were made of brightly colored plastic or rubber. Since I was trying to avoid that aesthetic, I decided to go a different route and use wooden swings.

I ordered these traditional wooden swings from here. It was the best price I could find for them. There are also some for sale on Etsy, or you could make one yourself.

We added extra length in the top cross beam of the swing set, on the side. This enabled us to add a rope and wooden rope ladder for climbing (see detail photo above).

Create Hiding Places

Kids love to have places to hide, places to be alone and to experience their own sacred space. We created two small areas for them to get away from it all, and be alone. The first was this ready made canvas teepee. It is made for indoors or outdoors, and so far it has held up well.

I lucked out and found the teepee on a day that Amazon was offering it half price! It might be worth watching for sales, and building up your backyard playground slowly over time.

The second hideaway my husband build himself. The base of it was actually one of our old kitchen cabinets left over from a remodel!

Make use of any old wood you have, or unused house parts, and get creative!

This little house could be a play area all on it's own! There are lots of extras to keep little ones entertained. On top there are 3 Dollar Store butterflies, spray painted with Rustoleum's Oil Rubbed Bronze paint (I love this stuff and use it all over the place!). 

On the side there I also added a small wind chime, that has become "the doorbell". 

To see the kitchen it came from go Here :) Or, to see how I originally worked this into a tiny yard playspace, go Here.

Inside the house I mounted a wooden box, to act as a shelf for trinkets and treasures. It's a leftover from a Melissa and Doug toy set. 

On the outside of the house, a small shelf holds a real mailbox (an easy find at most hardware stores).

 There is even a "peep hole" in the door! This was simple to do with a drill and wood bit.

Unused kitchen cabinet pulls are mounted on the door for an added element on interest.


Logs To Climb On

When we took out an old hedge in the front yard, we noticed that many of the shrubs had usable logs. We saved them, and eventually I used them to create this small climbing structure.

First, I used three of the longer logs to make a pyramid shape. I screwed them together with deck screws (and an electric drill).
Then I used the longest three logs to make the horizontal bottom rung of each side. I worked my way up to the top of the pyramid using shorter and shorter logs, and finally added vertical cross pieces for extra strength.

Lastly we trimmed off any extra length, and used an electric sander to round off sharp edges.

Also, it is importand to be mindfull when screwing the logs together. You don't want to have the sharp end of any screws poking out the other side of the logs. 

In my continuing quest to use natural materials, I decided to utilize the pieces of an old tree that someone had left at the bottom of our yard. 

I was fortunate to have these logs just lying around. But you could also contact a tree service company and ask them for spare parts, or keep an eye (and ear) out for anyone doing tree work in your neighborhood. 

I dug down into the sand about a foot and buired each log, being careful to keep the tops level. This created a raised stepping area. It is great for building balance and coordination!

With another log, I created a wooden ramp for balancing. I laid the log on its side and used two old boards to create the balancing/ walking surface. 

Using an electric drill and deck screws, it was simple to attach the boards to the log.

Add a Place for Art

After growing tired of having sidewalk chalk drawings on every single surface in our yard, I decided we needed a dedicated drawing space!

This chalkboard was simple to make. First, we had a piece of sheet metal cut at the hardware store.  Then I used some of the leftover chalkboard paint from our kitchen re-do and painted several layers directly onto the metal. 

Because the edges were very sharp, my husband used some old boards we had laying around to create a frame for the chalkboard. 

Lastly, we mounted it onto the fence (at child height) and added a hook and bucket for holding the chalk. Once it stars raining I'll probably take the bucket down, but you could also drill some small holes in the bottom for drainage. 

Loose Parts Play

Another great element to add to your outside space, is a collection of loose parts for creative play.

Whenever I find an interesting piece of something, I add it to our collection. We have pieces of wood, and bits of moss, and other interesting natural materials. You could also incorporate things like: shells, rocks, and pinecones. Left to their own devices, kids will use these spare parts in all kinds of creative play.

A true Waldorf purest probably wouldn't have these trucks or small rubber figures in their collections. But, I find that they are also great catalysts for creative and imaginative play.

I purchased these old metal Tonka trucks on eBay (the new ones are expensive, and have a lot of plastic parts). The toy dinosaurs were found for free on the side of the road! Hurray for free toys!

If you have sand or dirt, provide tools for digging. Instead of ready made plastic sand toys, look for interesting kitchen items, and gardening tools.

Much of our collection of wooden and metal tools came from second hand stores (like the Goodwill) and the Dollar Store's kitchen section. I found the child sized rake and broom at a nursery. Or you can purchase a similar set like this.

Wooden baskets make great storage containers, and there are always plenty of them available at low prices at the Goodwill or other second hand stores.

Add Growing Green Things

Part of the magic of outdoor play is being amongst growing things and nature. Wherever possible, add (non toxic) plantings. 

One side of our sand area is dedicated to plantings. A redwood bark path wanders through a small garden, and over a wooden bridge. 

This area is meant to be child friendly and inviting.

I was also happy to discover that there was good soil buried about a foot under the sand in our yard. Because of this, I was able to plant a winter flowering Witch Hazel tree directly into the corner of the sandbox.

Also pictured, is the one piece of plastic play equipment that we have. It is a Craigslist plastic slide, that I spray painted a natural tan tone. Originally it was a loud obnoxious color. I'm still searching for a good natural materials slide option!

We are also so fortunate to have this large majestic Live Oak tree towering over our play area.

Its twisting branches provide shade, and are home to animals such as birds and squirrels. We love watching them go about their days.

It also provides us with an endless supply of acorns for creative play!

Add Mystery and Wonder

In addition to play equipment, carefully placed garden trinkets can add wonder to your play space.

I bought the quirky red birdhouse from this Etsy seller. We left one of the fenceposts long, and mounted the birdhouse high above the play area.

A hook meant for hanging plants holds a bird feeder and wind chimes. We love to fill the feeder with peanuts, and watch the squirrels and blue jays quickly devour them. The wind chimes provide a magical auditory element.

A big part of incorporating nature is embracing it's creatures. We love to feed all the critters who live in our yard, and we recently added this squirrel feeder.

It's so much fun to watch them gnaw at it and then scamper along the fences!

My local hardware store carries these dried corncobs, but you could also check for them at feed stores or online. They go pretty fast so it's worth shopping around for the best price!

Another way to inspire awe and wonder is with plantings. Look for unique and interesting plants, like this curly grass.

Kids love to hide under bushes, climb trees and duck behind plums of large grass. So visit your local nursery to see what is interesting and best suited to your climate. I always try to chose drought tolerant perennials. My preference is for plants that can withstand winter frosts and water rationing. 

 

Also, see my blog post about exciting day glow plants for more inspiration in this area.

Ready Made Elements

Sometimes it's just easier to buy things pre-made for your outdoor play space. But, they need not be made of unsightly plastic. In a the lower section of our yard we've added two readily available things that are very attractive to children.

The first is a simple hammock. It's surprising what a child-magnet this thing is! You can hang one between two trees, or with a hammock stand like I did. 

Just be sure that your hammock is the right length for your stand, they are not all standard sizes. 

Next, we added a classic dome shaped climbing structure. This particular model was not very expensive and it's very sturdy. 

Assembly was a little tricky however. It took two adults several hours. But the payoff has been well worth it!

The dome is the perfect size for my 6 year old, and my 3 year olds are starting to get the hang of it. This structure also lends itself well to open ended creative play. It can be anything they can imagine it to be. One day it's a castle, the next it's a spaceship! Through a sheet over the top and it makes a great tent!

We also have a fairy garden. For more details, see my other blog post on the topic.

 

Lastly, if you're short on yard space, then see my other post about creating a play area in a tiny yard (or even on just a balcony) here: 

Small Yard Outdoor Play

That's all! Thanks for stopping by, and have fun playing!

**Recently, I was SO honored to do a guest post on this topic on my dear friend Shelly's amazing Homeschooling blog. For that post, and much more, visit her here Here!

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