nature of play: a natural playground

A play area for children outdoors—a wooded wonderland with swings, play things, fresh air and sunshine smiles. 

 

Our outdoor playground was so simple to assemble. I hung up our nature inspired, eco-friendly, green playground with our little helpers helping (mostly showing me where they wanted swings and things hung). It started with one swing a few years ago, with another fun something to twirl, spin or swing added each warm season. 

Our maple grove lends limbs for hanging our entire playground right in the woods. The Maple trees' branches are perfect for climbing too—our very own nature jungle gym. In the summer, the children's laughter can be heard under the shading canopy of leaves. In the fall, the golden and crimson confetti of leaves blanketing the ground are a delightful cushion for gleeful swinging jumps off the swings. You can't help but look up into the beautiful branches when you're swinging and climbing. It's a natural play area, a magical place, that draws us outside laughing and enjoying the outdoors together.

This evening, our 6-year-old and I were just dreaming and swinging while looking up in the branches like we do many summer evenings. Brimming with ideas, practical and not, of what to hang from our gracious Maple's limbs next. And that's the beauty of our do-it-yourself-playground. We can invent and add-on whenever we're inspired and whatever we dream up together. 

 

want to incorporate a natural playground into your landscape?

You don't have to have a whole grove of trees to make a playground. We have a wavy slide we recycled from a yard sale that is nestled on our hill; and it has had a turn off the edge of our deck too.

Make your own tree swing from and old tire like you probably had when you were a kid.

Hand rings, swings, nets (Amazon Affiliate link), tire swings, climbing ropes, and slides can all be purchased separately online and in hardware stores. Individual swings, like our wooden ladybug rope swing and our leaf swing (Amazon Affiliate link), are easy to hang from branches. Much easier than assembling an entire outdoor play set frame. Ours required no tools, just some fun tying rope knots—instructions were included with our swings.

A long piece of lumber or a fallen log makes a balance beam for circus or gymnastic imaginative play. 

Connect a between two trees. I've been scheming about one to hang near our treehouse. The beginnings of a daring obstacle course... 

©heather cahoon • wordplayhouse®

 

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