There are so many dangers in the world for young children, the backyard should not be one of them. When your child is a toddler you can’t simply open the back door and say “Go Play.” It’s important to have a designated place for them to go play. Somewhere they can be free to run and jump and learn, and where you can be assured they are safe.
Creating a safe environment where you can turn around for two seconds and know nothing terrible is going to happen is easier than you may think. Read on for suggestions on cool design ideas, as well as fun things to include and how they benefit your child.
I’m a great believer in having a plan, so once you’ve committed to creating a play space for your toddler there are a few decisions that you need to make. Such as where to put it? What activities to include? What would you like to encourage in your child? What’s the budget? Keep it simple or go all out? Most times you don’t even have to start from scratch. If you already have some items, like a playhouse or a slide, you can easily plan your design around them.
Sometimes the location jumps out at you and you just need to figure out how to best use it. Look at this ingenious location. It has so much going for it. The deck was already there so the play area was inexpensive to build. It’s right by the house so it’s easy to keep track of your child. It encourages imaginative play, as well as independence. It’s also a perfect hideaway for your child to have quiet time and to get away from it all. Best of all is the ability to adapt the space as the child grows.
If you’re looking to encourage creativity and intellectual development try creating an area strong on sensory play. Look to engage all five senses. Sandboxes* and water tables are perfect for this type of play. Be creative. Have different sized pails and buckets on hand and include bins with pebbles, seashells, and pine cones. Little ones love to transfer items for one container to another. Bubbles are always a hit. You can plant flowers and herbs nearby to engage the sense of smell as well as for fun garden play. Outdoors is always the best place to fingerpaint. Finger painting is great messy fun that no toddler can resist. Children learn best when you engage their senses so if you’d like to learn more, check out this great article from Educational Playcare.
* Always have a cover for the sandbox and use the correct type of sand. If not cared for properly sandboxes can become a breeding ground for bacteria and germs. See this article on backyard safety for more information.
Here are two fun, economical ideas that may be tough on your ears but are sure winners of the creative play award. A musical sound garden combines the benefits of a sensory garden with the playing of homemade musical instruments. Creating a sound garden for kids will engage their senses while they have fun and experience the outdoors in an unexpected way.
Now if physical play is more what you had in mind take a look at this list of activities so you can encourage a range of movements and skill development:
- Crawling: tunnels, tubes
- Jumping: skipping rope, hula hoops or trampoline
- Pulling and pushing: scooters, wheelbarrow, wagon, shopping cart
- Climbing: ladders and climbing domes, rock walls
- Hopping: pogo stick, hopscotch mat, bouncy ball with a handle
- Swinging: sling swing, nest swing, trapeze, hammock
- Throwing, catching, kicking, batting: balls, frisbee, lacrosse, jai-alai, t-ball, Wiffleball
- Balancing: stepping stones, balance beams, stilts, scooter, balance ball
Active play has so many well-known benefits to children. Aside from the development of motor skills, it will also teach kids about assessing risks, how to manage falls, and how to get up from them. Kids learn to conquer fear and how to problem solve by jumping off things and crawling under them.
Now to me, these three images embody a toddler play area.
They have everything a little one can need. They all provide a place for the child to play safely. They have soft surface material on the ground in case of falls. They encourage physical play as well as sensory and imaginative play.
I love the fence around the one play area. Besides keeping the little ones corralled in its protective walls, it’s perfect for hanging art projects and drying wet clothing. Including a table and chair set means the child can take a quick meal break and be right back at it.
The last image allows for the little ones to play in the same area as their older siblings. By not having permanent toddler structures it will let the items be swapped out easily as the children grow.
Nature can provide its own playground. This family cut down a few trees and created a fun, imaginative gravel pit and construction zone. It can easily adapt to more strenuous physical play with the addition of a beam for balancing or even just jumping from stump to stump.
Foster a love of nature from an early age with natural elements in the play space. Here the play space is made out of nature. Provide your little explorer with a butterfly net or a bug catcher, maybe a magnifying glass, and they can view insects up close and then let them go. Place a few birdhouses, a birdbath or bird feeder across the yard, and get a pair of binoculars and perhaps you’ll raise an ornithologist.
If you’d like to make a bean teepee for your little one, here is a great post from Gardeningknowhow.com that provides instructions on how to do so.
This Family went all out and created a huge racetrack in their yard. The kids will surely be playing on it from toddler to teen. Can’t you just picture little motorized cars zipping along this track? Take out the kiddie signs and add a ramp or two and it becomes a great extreme course for the older kids.
Here’s a creative use of the back porch for a toddler play area. This little guy is getting to enjoy the fresh air and Mom knows exactly where he is and that he is safe and sound. Plus he can play rain or shine and there’s no chance of sunburn. This colorful area uses repurposed items as toys to keep the cost low but the fun high.
This imaginative idea deserves an honorable mention. While not a toddler play area it is still a fantastic idea. This simple inexpensive design will keep the kiddie cars organized and out of the elements. Visit the Mom Endeavors website for instructions on how to build this kiddie parking garage.
I hope I provided you with some helpful ideas that you can use in your toddlers play space. You may also find the information in one of these previous posts helpful as well:
