53 Backyard Play

As prime playing real estate, your backyard should have plenty of space for your kids to play — and plenty of toys for them to play with. Whether you opt for a full-fledged swing set or a small wooden sandpit, incorporating fun toys into your garden and backyard will help keep kids entertained for years.

Swing sets, monkey bars or cubby houses: What should I look for when buying playground equipment?
Be sure to consider what could interest your children for years to come. A small playground layout with just a slide and swing set would be great for a younger child, but one that includes climbing frames and monkey bars is more likely to keep children’s attention as they age.

While popular for little kids, jungle gyms work well for the older ones too, because they can quickly transition into a clubhouse where kids can play games and hang out with friends. And for an outdoor toy that attracts adults as well as kids, try a tyre swing. These swings take up very little space, are inexpensive and will be a source of entertainment for your entire family (including yourself) for years to come.

How big should my playground be?
Even though you want your kids to have plenty to do outdoors, ensure that your space doesn’t become cluttered by picking and choosing any larger toys carefully. Make sure your backyard to playground ratio is reasonable so you can use the space for other activities, such as playing sports, gardening and hosting outdoor parties. After all, you should be able to enjoy your home’s outdoor spots as well!

What are my choices in playground equipment?
Standard playground equipment such as slides, kids forts, swing sets, and sandpits are available for you to browse online. Look for finer details such as baby swings or simply baby swing seats to place in the swing set. You can also filter for material, with wooden swing sets, sandpits and cubby houses being almost as popular as their plastic versions. If you have ample space and are keen on matching the playground equipment to your home’s exterior, you can work these choices into the filtering process too.

Plastic cubby houses are an easy solution to ease of transport if you’re likely to move house soon. On the flip side, a wooden cubby house is a more difficult to move, so it’s best left semi-permanent. Similarly, swing sets meant for more than one child will be heavier to place. Since the swing frames will be made from metal (wrought iron) or wood with metal fasteners, they are nearly permanent fixtures - suited for a home that’s committed to a playground for a few seasons.