New Play Area For The Kids

The kids love being outside at this time of year.

Crafts outside - painting money boxes!

This is great for me as it means I can get on with jobs outside whilst they flit between playing and helping me. They love playing in their Wendy house and have spent many happy hours in there, selling ice creams and being "mums and dads". 

At Christmas their grandparents (my wife's side) brought them a climbing frame. It's huge! I had no idea where I was going to put it up. Ideally it wanted to be somewhere I wasn't going to have to mow around (as I have no lawn mower at the moment) and near enough to the patio so if we have a BBQ we can still keep an eye on them. 

One area that has been neglected lately is right next to the patio, the old chicken pen has just been sat there quietly growing weeds and looking a mess. I decided I could change all that! Luckily I have the use of my fathers digger so moving soil isn't too much of a job! 

A messy weedy patch! Needed sorting out anyway!

Within about an hour I had raked up all the rubbish. I then moved some soil back up from a pile at the bottom of the garden to level up the sides where it sloped off. I tracked this in with the little dumper that I've got here.

A few hours with the digger later!

Over the years I've becomes much better at using a digger. Little jobs done here and there, all of a sudden it becomes second nature, I'm not saying I'm a master but I can normally make it do what I want it to these days. Leveling out isn't easy but a bit of time and effort and I'm pleased with the results.

Weed membrane down

Once I got it leveled I laid some weed membrane down, I then moved up some wood chip that dad brought me a few years ago. I'd used lots over the years but some had been left in a pile. It has started to compost but not completely, hopefully it'll give a bit of spring to area and if I add some fresh bark or wood chip on top it'll last a while. 

Levelled off

Once I had the area complete I started putting the climbing frame together. There was so many pieces I had to rope in my wife to sort out all the bits for the next page of the instructions. 

Took all afternoon to put together but there was some seriously happy children by the end of the day! 

Thanks to Nanny and Granddad! 

I'm really pleased with this area now, the kids love it and I can see them from the main veg garden or the patio. I plan to add a few more bits yet - a bloudering/climbing wall along one side made from scaffold planks, some balance bars from old tree trunks and maybe some jumping ramps so we can make an obstacle course.

What do you think to the area? 

What would you add that's easy to make and fun to play on? I'd love some ideas!