Advice on Turning My Yard Into A Natural Playground

[DBug]

Little Tikes puked in my back yard ... and I'd really like to clean it up.

Seriously, I've got more plastic playhouses and climbers than I know what to do with, and the kids are bored of them. So, I'd like to go in a completely different direction. I'd like to try to head in a more nature-based direction.

So far my husband is building a "river table" (a long thin water table that I'll have water, sand, pebbles and rocks in -- eventually we'll have a pump to create a current too), and I'll have an oversized sand table as well. I started a garden in the corner of the yard with a small tree and a few veggies. I'd like to bring in some large logs and stake them down horizontally for climbing on, and maybe some boulders too.

I've been googling around for more ideas, but I was wondering if any of you have any suggestions?

It's a very small yard, completely fenced in, with no natural hills. I'd like to do things as cheaply as possible, and I do have a forest out back to provide some of the things I'll need.

Any ideas?

[bice99]

I've seen people build growing forts out of peas or beans. Set up as a teepee usually. Plant the seeds at the bottom of each leg. Watch your fort grow.

[bice99]

http://www.deq.state.ok.us/pubs/lpd/edibleappends/ConstructABeanStalk.pdf

[DBug]

I've seen people build growing forts out of peas or beans. Set up as a teepee usually. Plant the seeds at the bottom of each leg. Watch your fort grow.

Awesome idea, thanks!! I'm going to start on that this weekend .

[daysofelijah]

http://www.vegetablegardener.com/item/6634/grow-a-sunflower-house-for-kids

[KEG123]

check out natural playscapes on facebook... I think that's the name of it. They have great ideas. (IN fact, buy the book if you can!)

[Cat Herder]

I am envisioning it in my head and love it!!

I want to caution, though, that some of the natural playgrounds, like the one we built for our kids, have a tendency to be "lived in" by nature a LOT more that the little tykes stuff.

I have had to move possums out of the teepees, bats out of the treehouse and along the zipline, a black bear away from the marshmallow/hotdog roasting pit, snakes/spiders from the obstacle course, and yellow jackets/hornets/carpenter bees from anything made of wood that touches the ground.

I could go on but you get the point. ::::

[jodi]

Little Tikes puked in my back yard ... ..... so funny. I've been trying to do the same thing. arborday.org is a great site.

[LittleD]

Little Tikes puked in my back yard ... and I'd really like to clean it up.

This has got to be the BEST quote I've heard in a long time!
I have the same problem, your natural playground sounds awesome!

[kimmi]

Awesome idea! Just got back from the store with lots of sunflower seeds!! The kids are going to love this house!! I'm going to incorporate some of this natural playground into my backyard also! I love this forum!!

[ammama]

check out natural playscapes on facebook... I think that's the name of it. They have great ideas. (IN fact, buy the book if you can!)

He has a website too, it comes up on google. I bought this book, and I LOVE it. Expensive though. Rusty Keeler is great.

Other ideas are.. a stump or tree cookie pathway, a large bin full of random scraps of wood to 'build' with ( I have all kinds of wood/large peices of bark in mine and the kids make houses for fairies, ants, you name it by stacking them together), and whatever other 'loose parts' that you can handle. I've always thought about doing a music wall on my fence too, but my neighbour would kill me. Oh, and a mudpie kitchen!! i'm building one this week coming up

[melskids]

https://www.teachertomsblog.blogspot.com

http://progressiveearlychildhoodeducation.blogspot.com/

http://playgrounddesigns.blogspot.com/

...here's a few blogs i love