How to make this child friendly

[Strawber]

I am renting, this space of the garden would be perfect to make into the children's play area.

What would be the best cheapest way of sorting this. I don't like the stones I'd rather something else.

What age children?

Could you scrape all the stones off and sow grass?

They children are 2 and 3 years old and would love to put a playhouse on it so need a more child friendly base

I would just grass and put a sandpit with base and lid or a mud kitchen area. Most used items in our garden

A playhouse needs pavement really which is expensive and probably not allowed in rental.

The paving stones are great for chalk.

some planters along the edge where children can dig, plant, have greenery. Grow your own, flowers, fairy garden, etc.

a playhouse would take up a lot of space and the ground probably isn’t right - go for an outdoor play kitchen instead - most used play area in my garden, and will be cheaper as well.

if you can change the stones for grass that would be great, but if you need to keep as is (check rental agreement) then you can plant into the gravel - google gravel gardens for ideas.

Our local B&M (which has an outdoor garden centre bit) sells wooden decking squares, I think they are about 60cm x 60cm or so, and you can buy as many or as few as you need and just lay them out over the area. I expect other places sell them too. I've done that in our garden to make stands for pots to go on, and put weed membrane underneath them so weeds don't come up and the wood isn't resting directly on the soil. You could stand a playhouse on something like that.

I think I would make a mud kitchen area for that age group too. Plenty of ideas on Pinterest on how to make a good one.