Best 'big' garden toy: playhouse or something else?

[Catz]

If you could buy one 'big' outdoor toy (playhouse/slide/climbing frame etc) what would you get? Or, perhaps, more importantly what would you avoid!

I'm thinking of turning one of my veg patches (roughly 4m*4m) into an area for the children and giving them the raised bed next to it for them to grow things in. DD is 2.5 and DS is only 13 weeks so I'm looking for something that they'd enjoy as toddlers but get use out of for a while. I don't want swings as there are hard paths all around the paths that they'd swing over but am wondering about playhouse or a climbing frame or similar (obviously far enough away from the paths that if they fell they'd not hit it). I was thinking of a raised playhouse with slide off it like this possibly with sand pit underneath. The area is quite close to the fence with next door so I don't want anything too tall - trying to avoid the prison camp watchtower effect!

I'd be really grateful for any suggestions- not keen on losing part of my precious veg patch for something that isn't going to be played with much or last for long.

Thanks!

TESCO has 20% off the TP Outdoor Range at the moment if any help when you have decided!

I was going to say trampoline but maybe not for 13week old!

I had a TP frae with loads of bits hanging off it and a tent over the top. Boys did rough dangerous stuff with pretend guns and girls made playhouses in the tent thingy with pink barbie horses. Sigh.

They are very little yet - I might wait for a while, but in the meantime a playhouse that you can have near where you will be may get some use. Then later the trampoline was the best thing ever: my garden isn't big enough now but my friends' 23 year old son and his mates still uses theirs (DO NOT ASK!!!) - 18 years' constant use isn't bad going.

Many thanks for the replies. The discount looks great - will keep that in mind.

Yes, not really expecting the 13 wk old to get much use out of it just yet! We're just redesigning that part of the garden so it seems like a good idea to create a space now that will last a while but they (well DD at any rate!) can use this summer. The problem is that I don't really know what children older than 2.5 enjoy doing so don't want to create something that won't appeal in the future.

The trampolines do look fun - DH enjoys our friends' trampoline and he's 32...!

trampoline

We had a litte cube thing - Little Tikes maybe? It had a little slide and baby could climb into it and onto a ledge that went down the slide. She's 3 now and its too small - she has long legs which almost reach the ground when she sits on the top of the slide
But a slide/playhouse/den sounds like a great combination - sand also v good, mine still loves her sandpit, as do next doors kids who are all several years older.
The slide/cube we had actually stayed in the lounge for about the first 6 months after we bought it! It was too useful to consign to occasional use in the garden. Surreal moment when I found DSS (aged about 14) using it as a throne-like seat when the sofa was full..