Outdoor Spaces for Kids
Summer is already underway, but there’s still plenty of time to create a backyard space that keeps your kids active, engaged, and inspired to use their imagination. Natural play areas are gaining popularity for good reason—they’re affordable, visually appealing, and blend beautifully into your existing landscape while encouraging creative, outdoor play.
Use Stumps and Logs as a Natural Border
Define your play space by partially burying stumps and logs into the ground for added stability and a more natural look. These rustic borders not only help outline the area, but also encourage active play by doubling as balance beams and stepping stumps. To make the space even more engaging, incorporate a few larger stumps at varying heights to inspire climbing, jumping, and imaginative exploration.
Incorporate Wood Chips and Stones
Playground-grade wood chips are a practical and natural choice for ground cover, offering a softer surface for safer play while blending seamlessly into the landscape. To create even more opportunities for hands-on fun, add an area with small stones where kids can scoop, dig, and transport materials with toy trucks and buckets. You can also include a simple dirt patch for digging and imaginative play—perfect for little explorers who don’t mind getting their hands dirty.
Create a Mud Kitchen
A mud kitchen can be as simple or elaborate as you’d like, making it an easy addition to any backyard play space. Repurpose materials such as wood, cinder blocks (secured safely in place), an old bench, or a small table to create the base. Then add second-hand kitchen items like pots, pans, bowls, and utensils to encourage hours of imaginative, hands-on play. With a little mud, water, and creativity, kids can cook up endless outdoor adventures.
Bonus Tip: Paint rocks to look like fruits and vegetables for mud kitchen play.
Build a Pallet Climber
Transform a wooden pallet into a simple climbing feature that encourages active, adventurous play. Before using it, be sure to thoroughly sand all edges and surfaces to help prevent splinters, and position it securely for added safety. With proper supervision, especially for younger children, a pallet climber offers an easy and budget-friendly way to introduce a fun physical challenge into your backyard play space.
Add a Slide
A slide is a fun way to bring even more excitement and movement into your natural play space. Mount a slide to a large stump or incorporate one into a small hill or slope if your yard allows. Pairing a slide with climbing features creates a more dynamic play area that encourages active play, exploration, and endless backyard adventures.
Consider Shade
A naturally shaded area—especially beneath a tree where grass may struggle to grow—can be the perfect location for a backyard play space. Shade helps keep children cooler and more comfortable during hot summer days while making the area more enjoyable for longer periods of play. For additional protection from the sun, consider installing posts with a shade sail overhead.
Bonus Tip: Create a cozy hideaway by building a simple tent or teepee using sticks and branches, or craft a DIY version with a pallet frame and outdoor canvas. These little retreats add an extra layer of imaginative play and adventure to the space.
Get Creative
If you already have a playhouse or swing set, incorporate it into your natural design for a more cohesive look. To add even more charm, consider creating a “secret garden” with tall plants, winding paths, or pollinator-friendly flowers that attract butterflies, birds, and beneficial insects. A birdhouse or feeder can make the space feel even more magical and encourage nature observation and imaginative play.
The possibilities for a natural play space are endless, and designing it together can become part of the fun. Invite your kids to share ideas and help with simple tasks like digging, arranging stones, or placing logs and stumps. Involving them in the process creates a space that feels personal while encouraging independence, creativity, and a stronger connection to the outdoors.
Need More Inspiration?
Looking for more ideas to spark your backyard transformation? Check out these books for inspiration on natural play spaces, outdoor creativity, and kid-friendly garden design.
- Seasons of Play: Natural Environments of Wonder by Rusty Keeler
- Natural Playscapes by Rusty Keeler
- Nature Play at Home: Creating Outdoor Spaces That Connect Children with the Natural World by Nancy Striniste
- Creating Spaces to Play Outdoors by Alistair Bryce-Clegg and Oliver Wotherspoon
- The Backyard Play Revolution by Samantha Dion Baker
- Nature Play Workshop for Families by Monica Wiedel-Lubinski
