Tuesday, June 15

Our Outside Play Space

Here are some photos of our play space outside.


This year we got a sandbox and my daughters love it. They spend a lot of time playing in it every day. We don't bother wearing shoes and they especially love adding water to the sand. The cover is a wooden lattice piece from the local hardware store, cut to size.




My daughters enjoy using rocks, shovels, sticks, buckets, small tins and rakes when they play in it. (Any other ideas for sand play?) I need to get some trucks and am looking to make some stick people to use in the sandbox as well.



The stumps are often used for tables, seats, or walking on top of. They also love stepping stones for jumping and balancing.



We had so many stumps that I dug and laid some half buried in the earth for walking on.



Here is a little secret spot further away from the sandbox and other play areas. It is often used as a "house" or "campsite."



A pile of rocks serves as a campfire.



Another stump is used as a spot to sit or table.



This giant galvanized tub (found at Home Depot) is what we use for water play. I keep it at a good distance from the sandbox to encourage lots of movement and exercise when they add water to the sandbox.




We have a swing that is used often. My daughters just love swinging and I appreciate and value swings for their developmental and physical benefits (see an earlier post here for more info on rocking and swinging).



Another fun play area is the meadow behind our house. In the summer we cut a horseshoe shaped path for running and walking through.



My daughters have been enjoying these plastic gutters for sandbox and water play. When put together they make a fun water-way.



Great for making "rivers and lakes"





Fun for experimenting with floating or moving objects.

21 comments:

Annette said...

This is so wonderful! Thank you for sharing. :D

Anonymous said...

Love the gutter idea. I am a first time visitor. I came by from Our Counrty Road. Very neat blog.

The girl who painted trees said...

Beautiful outdoor play space. I need to set something up like this in our yard.

Montessori Beginnings said...

What a gorgeous environment you've created for you girls to play in!

Debi said...

Love this space -- what a wonderful place for your kiddos to enjoy hours of nature play!

Unknown said...

I love the gutters--what a great idea.

Ariella said...

What a perfect play area! Lucky kids!!

Miri said...

As others just said, the gutters are such a wonderful idea. We have set a spot with the pots and pans and even a microwave besides our sandbox (all of them are no longer in use, of course). Those encourage the imaginative play so much!

Marci said...

I love the idea of the horseshoe shaped path through the meadow. I think I will try that out. Thanks.

melissa said...

So simple, and yet there are so many possibilities! I love it!

Lindart said...

What a great space to grow up in! Its nice to be able to work without safety playground standards that we as a school have to abide by. Ridiculous! As to an idea for the sandbox - my kids love dinosaurs. I have about 5 large dinosaurs in the sandbox toys that are used daily! I like the gutters idea too!

Amy said...

Thanks for your comments, and those ideas. We'll have to hunt garage sales for pots and pans and dinosaurs!

XYZZ said...

Gorgeous! Even though we avoid plastic in our home, we haven't done so outside as much. I love your outdoor area and I'm sure your girls do too. :)

nocton4 said...

great space, lovely x

Insightful Brain said...

This is such a peaceful play space. I need to recreate some of these wonderful things for my children.

Kyle
http://www.montessoriforlearning.blogspot.com

Mama Randa Morning Glory said...

What a beautiful play yard! My toddler's favorite thing in our yard is his water table. I'll DEFINATELY be adding a gutter to the water fun!

Insightful Brain said...

I wanted to stop in and say that your blog is very inspirational to me and that I have given you the Sunshine blog award!

Kyle

http://montessoriforlearning.blogspot.com/search/label/Awards

Anonymous said...

Very practical and inspirational ideas!

Christie - Childhood 101 said...

I love your stumps. We have recently cut down some trees and the trunks will makes for some lovely stumps I think. Thanks for the inspiration :)

Rachel said...

What a great idea! Love the use of gutters!

Let the Children Play said...

Amy, I'm Jenny from Let the Children play and I would love your permission to use some of these images in an ebook I am writing called Natural Backyard Playscapes - I'd like to feature it in a section called inspiring playscapes. I'd credit you within the body of the text, as well as in the contributors section at the beginning of the ebook. My email is theplayfiles@gmail.com. Thanks Amy :)