Outdoor Play Space

We spend a lot of time in nature. We love hiking, exploring, playing in the water, picnics and more. But there are times when we look for our nature connection closer to home, right in our own backyard. It could be gardening, tending to the chickens, picking wild raspberries, climbing a tree, reading stories in the hammock.  As a family we are inspired by Mother Nature and do our best to spend as much time enjoying her as we can.

In the spring of 2011, Justin and I sat down to start planning a natural outdoor play space for Reece. We wanted a space which would create a spark for imaginative play, something which would grow with him and something his little friends would enjoy as well. We wanted it to be a place where Reece could play and enjoy nature, all right in our backyard.

The more my husband and I talked about it, the more excited we got (are we suppose to be this excited over a play space...).  Last year we settled on and completed the following in Reece’s play space:

·          A tepee
·         A sandbox
·         A balance beam
·         A set of swings
·         A garden
·         A rock area

It was perfect. Reece and his little friends had a great time last summer playing, creating and having fun.

This year, we decided to add a few more elements to his play space. We created a little secret garden, which Reece loves, and a banging wall. The banging wall has been great fun for all us!

I also caught Justin and Reece up to something one afternoon and took a peek out back. They had carved out another little secret garden for Reece.  

So here’s a peek at Reece’s play space:

The tepee

The sandbox and banging wall

Reece having some fun on the banging wall

On the balance beam

"Look mom, I am jumping off the rocks!"

Flying high on the swing

The new secret garden

Reece's little garden edged in all the rocks he has collected on our travels.

As our goal with most of our projects, we created this space using as much reclaimed materials as possible.

The tepee is made from tree trunks hydro had been plowing down in the forest around our house last spring.

The sandbox is made from square logs we picked up from an old barn.

The balance bean is also made from the same square logs.

The set of swings is made from hydro poles which were removed last spring when hydro was doing some work on our road.

The rock area includes rocks we have gathered from the many forests around our home.

The banging wall is made up of trees from the forest floor and the pots and pans were gathered from my in-laws and a flea market trip.

The only materials we purchased were the canvas for the tepee, Reece’s infant swing, the rope for the swings, a few pots and pans and the plants for the garden. The sand for the sandbox was kindly donated by the gravel company which owns the land surrounding our property.

A view of the entire play space

Reece loves this space and so do we. I am sure over the next few years it will change, grow and evolve as Reece gets older. It will be interesting to see those changes and also to watch as his play changes.

And tucked away, just under the trees is a special place where Reece and I come together each afternoon to share a story or two and just be.

***We added to new areas to our play space during the summer of 2014. 
A play structure and a mud kitchen. Be sure to check them out!***

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Linking up with Naturally Crafted Mama for {into nature}

Linking up with Coombe Mill for Country Kids