All playgrounds need a sandbox
Building a backyard playground might be the best idea anybody has ever had. The pandemic has made everybody’s lives difficult. Everything closed, opened, re-closed, opened, ad infinitum. We have all been at home realizing just how inadequate our living spaces really are. Won’t somebody think of the children in all this?
Create a “Secret” Space
All adults know that one thing about children. They all seem intent on killing themselves in ever more creative ways! Your job is to stop them. A background playground is a good way to give kids a play space where you can still keep an eye on them. Even so, you should consider making a secret space that is hidden away.
Any writer from Essay Kitchen would have this at the top of their list. Kids will love the feeling of being able to hide. It will feel special – even if you know exactly where it is. This is essential for any good playground.
Keep Landscaping in Order
When building your playground, you should be very careful about landscaping. Think of what you will be putting in your playground. Will it need a flat surface? Do you need to cut back on trees and bushes? This is a big question when it comes to how to build a backyard playground.
Obviously, if you are having a secret place or a tree fort, you will need trees. But what if you want a trampoline? A wide-open space is best for that. Landscaping is the first step in building your playground. You need to keep the children safe when they play, so think safety first!
Pay Attention to Surfacing
Safety first includes the surface for your playground! Think about the ground, as well as the materials for the actual playground. Yes, the nineties had everyone playing on concrete, but things are different now! Try and reduce hard edges and surfaces as much as possible. Think in terms of that spongy bark that keeps appearing now.
Try and avoid sharp corners that kids could run into. When you are building, remember that they are much smaller than adults! You can’t make everything completely safe, so don’t worry. Just be careful with the materials you use, and you will be fine.
Follow Safety Regulations
When building a playground at home, you still have to follow safety regulations. As the last section mention, kids are much smaller than adults. You need to take this into account when you are building things. What would be knee height or less for you can be eye height for children.
Your first step should be to look up the safety regulations for your area. You can then plan your backyard playground around it. Different areas can have different regulations attached. Try and ask for advice if you are unsure of the regulations in your area. Everybody wants to keep their children safe while they enjoy themselves, don’t they?
Draw a Plan
Do you know how to start building a playground in your backyard? Make a plan. Don’t just walk into this with no fixed idea of what you are doing. Having a plan will make everything work smoothly and easily.
Your plan will allow you to see what will work with the space you have. Do you have a huge swing set, but aren’t sure if you have enough room for it to work safely? A plan will show you. If it turns out that you do have space, you can go ahead. If it turns out that you don’t, then you won’t have wasted any time or money.
Build a Swing Set
One thing that everybody can agree on is that swings are cool! Children especially love swings, so be sure to include one in your playground.
You can build a big swing set or a small one, it doesn’t matter. Just make sure that it is safe to use!
Swings are always good fun – you can spend hours just using that one piece of equipment. It should be able to work whether or not someone is pushing the swing. Sometimes you will make your kids go outside and play so you can do other things! Be sure to keep that in mind when you design the set.
Get a Play Structure
Designing a backyard playground is a perfect time to make things fun and interesting! Don’t just have a sandbox and a trampoline – make it fun! Get or make a dedicated play structure for your kids!
These play structures are particularly good because they often combine several fun playground items into one. The most common is both a slide and a small house. You can also have swings, tree houses, and more. It is entirely up to your own imagination and capabilities.
This is a very good way to make your playground more visually interesting for children It will keep them occupied, and let them use their imaginations.
Make a Sandbox
All playgrounds need a sandbox. A sandbox can be anything your child wants it to be. It can be a desert, the bottom of the sea, a beach, or anything else they can think of. A sandbox lets your kids play in an entirely different way to the rest of a playground. Where swing sets and play structures are static, the sandbox is not. Kids can actively create out of the materials that are there.
A good sandbox will be big enough for several kids to play in at the same time. You should plan for plenty of space when putting in a sandbox. Sand really does get everywhere.
Build a Tree Fort
Everyone loves tree forts, so this is an ideal playground base idea. The first step is to make sure that your trees are strong enough to support a fort! Then you can plan a tree fort.
Forts can be as simple or elaborate as you like! This is a very good time to get your children’s input into the plans. They might not have the same ideas about what a good fort looks like! The playground is for them, after all, and they will enjoy being a part of things. Remember that your tree fort should be accessible to the children, and also safe for them to use!
Your Kids will Love you
Building your own playground is a lot of work, but your kids will love you for it. So will your sanity, but that’s another matter. Hopefully, this article has given you some ideas. You will soon be able to create a playground for your children to enjoy no matter what.
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