How would you make this a child’s play area?

[AluckyEllie]

Hello,

Not really a gardening post but not sure where to put it. This space behind our garage, approx 12 ft x7ft used to be our veg patch. We now have kids, I have no time for veg patch maintenance and so we are thinking to make it a kids play area (they are 4 and 2.) When they are older I’d like to turn it back into a veg patch so nothing too permanent.

What would be best to put on the ground? Should I put a plastic liner and then play bark? The only thing that puts me off play bark and sand is reviews saying it becomes a cats toilet. Would fake grass be better (I hate it but it would be removed in a few years.) Outdoor carpet or rubber floor play mats? Is drainage an issue with these?

I'd put a mud kitchen in the back corner (where there's mud). Or is you can't abide a mud kitchen then a covered sand pit.

I'd put a blackboard on the wall or paint the wall with blackboard paint.

I would either keep the grass or put AstroTurf down. AstroTurf is hideous, but it does dry so quickly that it means you can use the garden all winter in a way you might not be able to with real grass. It probably depends on how much tolerance you have for muddy feet!

I'd probably go for some kind of Wendy House situation too. And then a trampoline.

If there's room some kind of climby/swingy situation, but one that can be adapted over time/to keep it fresh.

With apologies for the AI generate image - the design ideas are mine.

In my experience keeping a simple flexible design and having a tub-type table set up for sand is much more usable and less maintenance. You can fill the tub with sand one week; water and toys the next; compost and planting pots with onion and radish bulbs with garden trowels and spades for pretend planting and mini garden play in spring; A week filled with Lego; playdough with cooking pans and utensils and so on - even shredded paper for lucky dip type games, using wrapping paper for surprise finds. At the end of the day put the lid on and put it in the play house or just leave it covered over with its lid on at the table.

A chalk board with a shelf is great for drawing ideas. Clip on some large sheets of paper and put a plastic piece of tarpaulin on the floor and it turns into an easel for painting.

A small shed or Wendy house in the corner and some stepping stones gives plenty of scope for imaginative play or a quiet reading corner.
Easy to remove the table and replace it with an outdoor rug and floor cushions, with some wooden building bricks or construction toys or a toy car mat on the floor, or a Tipi tent.

Haha I’m going to be disappointed if it doesn’t look as neat as the image now!

Thanks so much for the ideas, I should have said I have collected a second hand little tikes plastic Wendy house so that’s definitely going in there. We have a tuff tray sort of thing on legs so I might move that down there as it isn’t getting a huge amount of use indoors atm. And I like the idea of a blackboard with chalk- it will also help cover up the neighbours dodgy fence. I think I will do astroturf for the moment, just for convenience.

When I googled blackboard paint for outdoors lots of Pinterest ideas came up so I’m on a roll now! I’ll post a picture when I’ve done it (might be a few weeks 🤣.)