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What do you have in your garden for 3-5 year olds?

22 replies

SinkGirl · 05/06/2021 16:47

We only have a small garden - right now we have a double swing and a seesaw for our twins. They’re both autistic and lots of things are problematic - they eat sand, they love to climb but have no danger awareness, don’t do pretend play... so I’m trying to figure out what I could put in the garden to entertain them.

Please share what you have as need someone ideas!

OP posts:
Violet1988 · 05/06/2021 16:52

A water tray that's on a stand, so they stand at it to play. Mine have a fishing game they play in there or other times I just put in various funnels and measuring tubes and cups for pouring. We have a slide, a sand table, various small trike type things and a paddling pool. Also the outside tap and a watering can gets lots of play value too.

Hm2020 · 05/06/2021 16:53

Small water table went down well with mine at that age they say sand and water but you could just have double water.

JeanClaudeVanDammit · 05/06/2021 16:54

Slide, Wendy house and mud kitchen. The mud kitchen gets the most use by far.

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AllotmentTime · 05/06/2021 16:55

I had some tunnels like this:
www.amazon.co.uk/Tech-Traders-PlayHouse-Storage-Outdoor/dp/B07HN988V1/?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Actually these are better, ours were just four connected tunnels. Collapsed to store, because they’re collapsible they’re not climbable, and they’ve proved popular.

SquigglePigs · 05/06/2021 16:59

What about some outdoor games like skittles, hopscotch, hoopla?

Big hoops they can hula hoop with. Scooters if you have the space. Space hoppers to bounce on.

If you're feeling brave friends have a mud kitchen (I'm not that brave!).

DaftVader42 · 05/06/2021 16:59

We used to cut running circuits into the lawn. Different every time. Then they’d pretend to be race cars for a couple of days before we cut whole lawn and waited for it to regrow to do all over again !

Caspianberg · 05/06/2021 16:59

Mud kitchen
Water play ( could do high or low depending on what you think they like best)
Tunnels and pop up tents
Trike or ride on cars
Chalk drawing
Small climbing dome or frame - I think little tikes slide/ climbing frame square is pretty safe

Whoateallthechocolate · 05/06/2021 17:04

What about one of those some climbing frames so they get to climb but not too high?
Trampoline?
Aqua play set up might appeal as there is a system to it.

NannyR · 05/06/2021 17:05

The three year old I look after loves her bouncy hopper at the moment.

SinkGirl · 05/06/2021 17:21

Thanks all - it’s so tricky as they wouldn’t do things like scooping and pouring, they don’t copy so they wouldn’t do things like space hoppers, hula hoops etc.

Would love a climbing frame that’s not too high but haven’t managed to find anything suitable.

There’s not really much they’ll do independently but I could get some outdoor painting stuff / maybe a mid kitchen and try to support them to do it (difficulty being they will eat mud too, and paint actually).

Ooh they’re tricky! We did buy a climbing frame but it’s in the loft because it’s way too tall for them at the moment, but they’re too big for the toddler ones.

OP posts:
SinkGirl · 05/06/2021 17:22

I am tempted by a trampoline as they love the ones at school but I broke my arm in two places on a trampoline as a kid so they make me nervous! I know they cause a lot of accidents too. And I suspect they’d both want to be on it and double bouncing is too dangerous.

OP posts:
Caspianberg · 05/06/2021 17:25

Would something like these climbing frames be suitable? They look fairly sturdy and not too high

www.littletikes.co.uk/double-decker-super-slide/

www.plumplay.co.uk/deimos-metal-climbing-dome-teal.html

orinocosfavoritecake · 05/06/2021 17:31

Slip and slide?

SilenceOfThePrams · 05/06/2021 17:55

Autistic preschooler here. We have a small low slide. Not tall enough to hurt falling off but still satisfying.

And lots of steps. Steps up steps down, upside down plant pots to step on, big flat stones, bits of wooden decking. Steps up steps down. Plastic stepping stone trails are really popular at nursery (and great for vestibular input/balance practice) so we are thinking of getting some.

A pot with rustly grasses and bamboo to stick fingers in and shake (and snap and break but it grows back).

A little mini fountain. No standing water but it just trickles water out of the top and it all catches at the bottom but you can stick your fingers or faces into the trickling bit.

Lots and lots of edible plants. Gradually replacing all the plants with edible ones.

Other thing popular at nursery is lengths of guttering attached to the wall in a zig zag pattern. You can roll balls down it or pour water down it (or just lick it) and apparently it’s hand flappingly exciting! I’m planning to make one by fixing a piece of trellis to the wall sideways then fixing stuff to that.

Wind spinners. Twisty things hanging in the tree, windmill things planted in the ground. Great for flapping and spinning.

If you’re worried about two children at once on the trampoline then maybe look at an in-ground one? Harder to hurt yourself falling off although not impossible.

Lavender and rosemary and other calming herbs.

And some shelter - we have a bus shelter style seat thing; you can sit on it when it’s raining and not get drenched. Handy for me not to drown when child is insisting on being out but also very satisfying to sit in and feel the rain with fingertips or toes and not the rest of you.

We have a sort of trail through the garden which involves stepping, jumping, spinning... I didn’t design it that way but my child has created it through using it all the time. It weaves through the flowerbed too but apparently going round it over and over again is very satisfying. It includes the slide and then pushing the swing, climbing up onto the bench abs jumping off, all the way round the tree, and so on. Repeat. Not a huge garden but lots of exercising can be done following the trail in the right order.

Winkywonkydonkey · 05/06/2021 18:00

Quadro - get a starter set and then you can add to it. It's often on sale

Clarkey86 · 05/06/2021 18:00

My 4 year old loves her pop up shark tent. It gets dragged out all the time as a den and she then puts random toys inside.

Mudandrain · 05/06/2021 18:04

Slide, trampoline, mud kitchen, sand pit, water table and Wendy House

MonkeyPuddle · 05/06/2021 18:08

We have a Wendy house, sand pit, paddling pool, water table and a mud kitchen.
By far DS’s (almost 4) fave thing to do it jump along the pavers path in the lawn.

We have a carnival set (bean bags, small cones and hoops) which we use for jumping games as well.

princesslarmadrama · 05/06/2021 18:11

Sandpit, trampoline, playhouse, watertray thing but my 5 year old is more interested on going up and down the street on her scooter.

SinkGirl · 05/06/2021 18:12

Thanks so much for all the suggestions - @SilenceOfThePrams some great ideas there thank you! I’m going to look into everything others have shared.

We have a long length of picket fencing running down the side of the lawn as there’s a low path on the other side of it and the twins fell off the edge. So I’m now looking at things they might like that I can attach to those panels - guttering is a good idea, I’m sure there must be other things

Just seen this which I think could be brilliant - I like think DT1 would climb it and walk along it and I reckon DT2 would use the tunnel. So may stump up for this
moeducation.co.uk/shop/outdoor-play-equipment/half-tunnel-climbing-frame/

OP posts:
Bugbeau · 05/06/2021 18:18

Little tykes slide has been amazing and still played with now at 5 & 9. Trampoline is good, but we do let the kids double bounce, I probably wouldn’t get one if you don’t want them to do that as it will be hard work to monitor. Chalks, scooters, tunnel all popular and the paddling pool gives hours of fun on sunny days.

SilenceOfThePrams · 05/06/2021 20:13

Oo I like that tunnel!

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