My friend Hayley Brentmar is one of the most creative people on the planet. She's a fellow homeschooler to her adorable 6-year-old girl and heart-bendingly cute 3-year-old twin boys. And though I could tell you hosts of things I love about my friend, including all the many ways in which she inspires my own creativity, today I'd like to tell you about her backyard. Actually, she's going to tell you about her yard. I asked her to write a guest post, specifically about creating an outdoor play space with natural materials. You won't believe what she's done with her home. I know you'll be inspired, as am I!
From Hayley:
The weather is warming
up and it's time to get outside and play!
One of my hopes for my
children has always been that they experience the joy of having a dreamy place
to play outside. More specifically, I’ve always wanted them to have a place that
embraces (and is inspired) by nature. Unfortunately, once I set about
creating this space, I found that there aren't a lot of commercially available
options for natural outdoor play equipment, or at least not economical ones.
So, this led my husband and me 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!
Swings For Soaring
In my effort to avoid
big, overly colorful and plastic play structures, we were led to build our
own. I wanted, something simple, something classic. Ready made brackets helped
us with the process. Luckily they come in a soothing green tone, a color found
in the natural word. Also, they are handy because you can make the swing set as
tall and wide as you chose, and can customize it for your space.
All of the
commercially available swings I found 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 old fashion 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
them.
We also added
extra length in the top cross beam of the swing set. This enabled us to
add a rope on one side and a basic rope ladder on the other
for climbing.
Create Hiding Places
Kids love to have
places to hide, be alone and to experience their own sacred space. We created
two small areas for them to escape, 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 was fortunate,
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 using scrap wood and old house parts. The base of it was
actually one of our old kitchen cabinets left over from a remodel!
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 metal butterflies I found
at the Dollar Store and spray painted with Rustoleum's Oil Rubbed Bronze paint (I
love this stuff and use it all over the place!). On the front I hung a
small wind chime, that has become "the doorbell." The side of
the house holds a small shelf with a real mailbox (an easy find at most
hardware stores, check for sharp edges).
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. There is even a "peep
hole" in the door! This was simple to do with a drill and wood bit. Unused
cabinet pulls are mounted on the door for an added element of 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 attached 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, essentially creating a 3 sided ladder.
Finally I added vertical crosspieces for extra strength.
Lastly we trimmed off any extra length, checked for
sharp screw points sticking out, and used an electric sander to round off sharp
edges.
In my continuing quest
to use natural materials, I also 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 buried 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 simply 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 to create
an incline on both sides.
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 starts raining I'll probably take the bucket down, but you could
also drill some small holes in the bottom for drainage.
Loose Parts Play
To encourage creative
play, I gathered interesting objects from nature and from around
our house.
Whenever we find an
interesting piece of something from nature, I add it to our collection. We have
pieces of shells, rocks, iridescent
abalone shells, glittering geodes, pinecones, wood, bits of moss, and other interesting
natural materials. Left to their own devices, kids will use these spare parts
in all kinds of creative play. I like that loose parts don’t have a preset
storyline that goes along with them. They can become anything the child
imagines them to be.
A true nature play
purist 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!
Digging in the dirt is
fun and therapeutic (for adults too!). If you can, get sand or dirt, and
provide tools for digging. Instead of ready made plastic sand toys, look for
interesting kitchen items, and gardening tools. These sand toys are kept nearby in wooden baskets. They drain
easily, and are readily available for a couple of dollars at most secondhand
stores. Over time I’ve eventually replaced most of our plastic sand toys with
actual kitchen tools and gadgets, all found at thrift stores. The Goodwill
always seems to have a good supply of wooden spoons and wooden baskets!
I found the child
sized rake and broom at a nursery. Or you can purchase a similar set like this. Real gardening tools,
like the hand trowel pictured below, are also preferable to the flimsy plastic
children’s versions.
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. Over time the plants have been
filling in and it is even more intriguing now.
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. Because it blooms in late winter it
serves as a nice reminder for when spring is on it’s way.
Also pictured above,
is the one piece of plastic play equipment that we have. It is a Craigslist
plastic slide. I simply couldn’t figure out an alternative
slide material other than plastic. So, I spray painted it in a natural tan tone.
Originally it was a loud obnoxious color. I'm still searching for a good
natural material 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 even 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
our play space.
I bought the quirky
red birdhouse from this Etsy seller. We left
one of the fence posts 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 (similar). 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 plumes of large grass. So visit your
local nursery to see what is interesting and best suited to your climate. I
always try to choose drought tolerant perennials. My preference is for plants
that can withstand winter frosts and summer 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
more practical to buy things pre-made for your outdoor play space. But, they
need not be made of unsightly plastic. In the lower section of our yard we've
added two readily available things that are very attractive to children and
harmonious with nature.
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 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! Throw a sheet over the top and it makes a great tent!
We also have a fairy garden. For many more
details, see my other blog post on the topic. Lastly, if you're short on
yard space, then you might be interested in my other post about creating a play
area in a tiny yard here: Small Yard Outdoor Play.
That's all! Thanks for stopping by, and have fun
playing!
From Shelley:
Thank
you Hayley for all of your wonderful ideas and for sharing them with us! You can learn more from Hayley on her blog:
Leaving the Ivory Tower.
