Creating a Play Structure in your Backyard

 

Whenever you decide to create a play structure in the backyard surrounding for your children, the most important aspect that you should take into considerations are the materials that you want to use, the safety aspect of the play structure and also the construction techniques. Sometimes children like to play slide and swings which normally they will find at the playground. However, what type of play structure that you decide to create depends on the budget and also the time spent in making the whole structure completed. You can also consider purchasing a play structure from used store because normally when children starts to outgrow, people tend to sell off their play structures. It is also important for you to create play structure which is suitable to all range of age and abilities. At the same time, it can also be a place for your family and friends to get together during free time. A play structure that you build could also be based on games that required skill and strategy. For example, games like bocce, horseshoes, and croquet or even building your very own Cornhole game, Ladder Golf set, outdoor fort, soccer goals, and many other yard games and play structures that you feel suitable for your children.

To create a play structure, you need:

  • Tape measure
  • Note pad
  • Play structure kit
  • Slides
  • Lumber
  • PVC pipes
  • Deer netting

Making a Play structure

Creating a Play Structure in your Backyard

  • A play structure that you could consider making is the Ricochet game.
    • The TOH version of Ricochet uses an elastic band along with a hollow-core door that enables you to change the traditional playing surface to a much more challenging of the U-shape.

You should always use the sanding method when using timber or wood especially with an 80-grit abrasive on a belt sander and rout it at the timber’s edges round. By sanding the wood or timber, you will enhance the safety and appearance of your play structure. Make sure to also wear mask and hand gloves whenever you are working with pressure-treated lumber.

  • You can also create a Soccer goal play structure for your children.
    • For example, build a basic design and also easy for you to build them in a fast and efficient period of time.
    • It is easy to assemble because it only uses PVC pipes and deer netting.
    • It is also a lightweight unit and can be easily move around that enables you to set it up where ever you want.
    • You can even get everybody to enjoy turning the back yard into a mini soccer field.
  • Another type of play structure that you can make is the Pipe Ball Lawn Game which is similar to playing basketball but this time you are only using a tennis ball and shoot it through a group of pipes where you will encounter very nasty rebound throughout the game.
    • By creating variety of angled ends of pipes with different heights, you and your children will definitely need shooting skill in order to emerge as winners in the game.
  • A miniature golf course can also be created at your back yard for everybody from all ages to enjoy.
    • It is easy to setup as it is made of several panels that you can easily assemble and disassemble it whenever you like it. You can make it an easy course or hard for your guest to play or even keep it in your garage when you are not playing.
    • It is up to you to create how many panels whether 1 to 3 holes of if you have a large back yard you can even create an 18 holes mini golf course.
    • Once finished, you can start playing and use a putter along with a golf ball in order to navigate throughout the obstacles that you have created.
  • Creating a sandbox at your back yard will definitely add the beach feeling to the area.
    • For example, you can make a red car-shaped box that you can fill them up with sands in order to provide your children with hours of playtime and enhanced your children’s creative ideas using the sand.
  • You can also instill business experience for your children by making a lemonade stand as a motivational project where at the same time giving them a built-in reward.
    • It is a small business that you can teach your children during summer school holidays by selling nice cold lemonade. It only needs you to use a few lumbers and a good paint job to attract customers.
  • Another option is for you to make a few obstacles for playing water rocket.
    • You can achieve this by putting air under pressure like the one that you use in tires in order to propel an object to a certain directions.
    • You need to also add water to the mix for enabling the rocket to go further or even above the trees.
    • Water rocket is normally made of PVC plumbing pipe along with some plastic soda bottles. It is easy to create and once finished you can play a war game with your family or your children can invite their friends to enjoy the game.
  • Make an outdoor fort if you want your children to have wild imaginations playing at the fort.
    • You can design the fort either on top of a tree or above a platform at your back yard.
    • For example, you can add a peephole to the fort for monitoring visitors or even create special theme like pirates fort or an army camp type of fort.
    • Design a special flag with your children to let them feel like they owned the outdoor fort and use it as a retreat area to play as well as relaxing their mind.

No matter which play structure that you decide to make, the most important thing is to make sure that the play structure is designed with safety in mind and remind your children on the importance of playing safely on any play structure available at your back yard.

Always remember that whenever you want to create a play structure in your backyard,

  • Always consider the safety of your children before deciding on what kind of a play structure that you will be building at your backyard.

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