CM - Need brainstorming over Garden Ideas

[Mollycat1]

I have a reasonably large grassy area in my garden which is fenced off to make it secure, we have recently added in an extention to the kid zone by fencing in another slabbed area and I am looking for ideas to make the garden more interesting.

On the grass we have stepping stones, swings, small climbing frame and loads of footballs.

On the slabs we have sand tray, push along bikes.

I want to make it more natural for the children and let them play in their own little worlds of imagination, anyone got any ideas on how I can do this. The children I look after are all under 3yrs. Also have approx 300pounds to do it with.

Thanks

There's some great ideas and guides here including willow dens, outside mirrors and chalkboards and minibeast hunting/viewing areas plus small plots for child-size veg growing.

Use the slabs as chalkboards. Get chunky chalks as they seem to break a bit less.
Willow screens or any sort of screen could be mounted on wheels so that it was moveable - could be used to make smaller areas.
Logpile would attract small insects - some magnifying glasses may be useful for bug hunting.

Saw some great ideas on websites for outside play equipment for pre-schools, obv their stuff was megga expensive, but you could do similar stuff really cheaply.

One had a fantastic mini beast bit, just a wood frame on the floor up against a wall if you have one, filled with bark chippings, some old logs dotted about and the backdrop was painted with brightly coloured bugs, kids had magnifying glasses etc. You could probably knock one up for about £40. Looks great and the mindees would love exploring in it.

Also if you have fence, some chalk boards / white boards / paint board / magnetic board fixed on. Drain pipes for talking down, looking through, can get lots of sizes and can use for water as well.

Willow screening makes good dens, if you could get some strutt wood to make a box frame and fix the screening on with tie wraps or pins, you could get some old tree stumps for them to sit on inside, pop a window in, some binoculours would make a lovely bird watching thingy. Oh how I wish I had a big garden.

Do you have room for a little pop up tent for the children to use as a den?

Can you pop some trellis up on one of the fences so the children can use ribbon etc to thread through the trellis and weave?

What about a small vegtable patch or some planters to grow veg in.
A herb garden is great for a sensory area.

Can you get some plastic drain pipes to make a large outdoor marble run (with balls instead)?

Tas1, I have a couple of pop up tents but I find that the children lean on the sides and they tip over so never really gwt to play in them,

Love the trellis idea, def going to do that. Looking for drain pipe bits at the minute, love that idea too.

Thanks everyone for your help, its great to get ideas from people who know what they are talking about and understand what works and doesnt.

Molly, this is a GREAT thread from a while back clicky here

fix a big square of marine ply to a fence or wall, paint it with blackboard paint, kids love a HUGE surface to draw on, or give them proper paintbrushes and a pail of water to 'paint' on it.

A couple of Tractor tyres, to play dens in, spaceships, or wherever they want to take their imagination to.

you could paint your slabs like a chess bourd,hang rope going across about ten rows and add air text balls the one with the hole and make a giant abbacuss,make a tee pee out off bamboo caine and dust sheet kids can paint patterns on it so u can use that as a planned session and do it about cowboys and indians.mobile out off cd,and sparklt thing s

Hi I keep getting hits to old pages on my website from this thread. if you would like the uptodate address it is here

kidsinthegarden.co.uk/play-in-the-garden-spring-activites/

There are some great ideas on Pinterest.
Things like outdoor kitchens/ mud pie kitchens.
Home built water tables using washing up bowls in wooden tables.

Sensory gardens.

'Campfire' circles.

Just type in children's garden ideas.

We are moving house and I need to start planning our new garden. We are leaving behind a very interesting garden and gaining a blank canvas. overgrown waist high grass and no plants and a pond to fill in
Nervous as my Ofsted inspection is over due. And I bet they'll come to my new house rather than my current one.