Do you have a garden and wish your kids would play in it more? We all know that children thrive in an outdoor play environment but, sadly, kids today tend to spend more time indoors, and much of that in front of electronic devices. And yet the benefits of playing outside are undeniable, wide-ranging and scientifically proven. They range from physical benefits such as building muscle strength and motor skills, to developing an awareness of the world around us, building social and communication skills, a sense of independence and greater learning. Most of all, playing outside is fun!
The garden, then, can be an amazing source of play and a huge opportunity for your kids to get active outside. Perhaps all you need are a few child-friendly additions to encourage your little ones to step outside for hours of outdoor fun. At Balcombe Estate Sawmill, we can certainly help with that. Why not discuss your timber supplies or woodland product requirements and contact us for a free quote?
Here are some great ideas for a kids’ play area in your garden.
Playhouse
Putting a Wendy house in your garden ensures year-round fun for the little people in your family. At Balcombe Estate Sawmill, we can supply the most suitable timber landscaping materials for any outdoor garden project. A child-sized wooden playhouse can be made to any dimensions and design specifications, painted in bright colours and even decorated inside. How about adding stairs up to a second-storey ‘bedroom’, an outdoor mud kitchen or a verandah for all those teddy bears’ picnics?
Our children’s imagination is boundless, and you can really help bring it to life with a vibrant colour scheme, a child-sized table and chairs, hanging up bunting and adding cuddly cushions and a rag rug.
Sandpit
A sandpit is one of the most versatile play areas imaginable. Just add kids, give them a bucket and spade, some sand moulds and access to water, then sit back and watch them become immersed in this most basic sensory material.
A sandpit is easy to assemble from softwood sleepers that we can supply and deliver. All that remains is to fill it with special fine-grade play sand that easy easily available. We recommend adding a lid or canopy for nighttime, to deter any passing cats from using the sandpit as a litterbox.
Treehouse
Why put your playhouse on the ground if you can site it high up in the trees? Well, maybe not very high up, but it’s the idea that counts. Treehouses are a perennial favourite with boys’ and girls’ play. From a hideaway den to a pirate ship lookout, create a versatile space that can be reached by steps or rope ladder and can stimulate your kids’ inspiration for creative play.
And while, strictly speaking, you need a sturdy tree in your garden to build your treehouse around, there are other alternatives that work just as well. How about a tower house – essentially a Wendy house on stilts? You could even add a platform, gangway and slide down for added interest.
Playground
Of course, if you have the space, you could invest in a climbing frame, swings, slide and seesaw as well, bringing all the fun of the playground into your private garden. Outdoor playsets are widely available to buy in kit form, or you can design your own and have us supply bespoke materials. At Balcombe Estate Sawmill, we have 40 years experience of working with timber in all its forms, while our sawmill equipment can produce a large variety of sawn timber materials for all sorts of outdoor building projects.
Finally, don’t forget that accidents and falls will happen, so make sure that you protect your little knees with play-grade bark chippings on the floor around the equipment. Ask us to supply the woodchips and put them down around 4 inches deep so it’s extra springy and safe underfoot.
Kids’ vegetable garden
If you grow your own vegetables in the garden, why not give your children a little patch of their own that they can tend? Help them grow things like sunflowers, runner beans or pumpkins – produce that yields maximum wow factor results with comparatively modest efforts. Give your little ones their own mini watering cans, rakes and trowels and let them discover the wonders of nature first-hand.
Raised beds are easy to construct with untreated and locally sourced materials. We offer a wide range of sleepers – including treated softwood sleepers, railway sleepers and prime-grade sleepers – that will help you achieve defined and solid planting areas that are convenient to maintain.
When it comes to playing in the garden, the only limitation is your kids’ imagination. Involve your children in the design of their play area as much as you can, making sure they know that the garden is not just for the adults, it’s for everyone in the family to enjoy. For help with timber supplies for your outdoor play area, please feel free to get in touch.
