Ideas for keeping kids entertained in the garden

[Gloomandglow]

Our garden is pretty tiny but I'm trying to make it more appealing for the DC to play in this year. We have about £300 to spend (could be more for the perfect solution) and we're looking for something suitable for three boys aged 8, 7 and almost 5.

Any ideas? A trampoline would be ideal but it would take up the entire grass area. I've looked at slides but not sure if they would get a lot of use. They never play in the garden anymore, rather they prefer to play in the lane behind our house but it worries me as it's harder to keep an eye on them and cars occasionally drive along the lane.

Bubble machine!! My husband bought the kids a trampoline that takes up almost all of our tiny garden....and i despise the dam thing 😆😆😆

Basketball hoop on a stand was a hit last year for mine.
If you get an easily adjustable one all ages of kids can use it as well and it hardly takes up any square footage!

We have a basket ball hoop (full size posh one on stand) and a 12ft trampoline.

The basketball hoop has never been used by basketball mad DC The trampoline has been in constant use for 10 years.

A table that can be table tennis/pool/table football? I can't remember what combo of games they have but I always fancied one.

Or a tree house/tyre swing? Although that might be £££

Mine are younger (4 and almost two) but we've got so much mileage out of old junk in our tiny garden. A plank and some old crates have been a balance beam, car ramp, ballet stage, etc etc.

Sometimes simple and open ended is better than an actual toy?

Also bits for gardening, and moveable games like skittles, swingball, boules...

Look on somewhere like Decathlon at pop up badminton sets (they come in a flat plastic box). The older boys might love that. Very portable, can easily take to the park, and under £50.

We’ve got a 60 inch climbing dome by a company called Lifetime. We got the version which has a canopy so it can be used as a den as well, but it’s cheaper if you get it without.

Have you considered a mud kitchen? It's been very popular with our kids and their friends.

DS plays football with the dogs. And digs. Sand pit sometimes. He'd rather just mess about with the hose half the time

Apologies it’s above budget but we have a small climbing frame a little bit like this in our tiny garden and our two age 8 and 6 use it alllll the time.

Thank you all so much for your fab ideas. I'm going to make a list and get the DC involved with choosing some things.

Minipie I did find that climbing frame online earlier and I think it would be perfect. Just need to have a good think about whether we can justify spending that amount at the moment!