Keeping Kids Active and Entertained: 7 Cheap Outdoor Play Area Ideas

As a parent, you want to raise active and healthy kids. Play is central to this. Here are 7 outdoor play area ideas you can implement.

Did you know that children spend three times as much time indoors looking at screens than they do playing outdoors? 

From connecting to nature to staying physically active, there are numerous benefits of outdoor play for children. 

And yet, as a parent, you may not find it easy to encourage your children to play outdoors. There are many budget-friendly and easy outdoor play area ideas that you can implement for your kids. 

Check out our list of DIY playground solutions below. Let’s go!

1. A Builder’s Construction Site 

Many kids are fascinated by builders. Does your child gaze out across the construction site with wonder every time you pass by?

It’s not hard to see why. They have huge and powerful machines that dig holes in the ground and move around giant chunks of earth.

But what if you could simulate the same experience in your own backyard? You just need to purchase a kiddie’s swimming pool. 

You probably don’t want to use rocks because they can cut your kid’s knees. Instead, you can use a bunch of safer materials, such as sand, rice, and smaller stones.

Then, pack the swimming pool with toy trucks and tractors. If you have any LEGO figures, these can make excellent builders, too. 

Don’t just encourage your boys to play in the sensory construction site. Over 99 percent of construction site workers are male. But there’s no reason why girls won’t want to get involved as well. 

2. Your Kid’s R and R Zone

Running around and having fun is the best way to play for kids. However, that doesn’t mean “R and R” time needs to be indoors. 

Your kid may want to soak up the sun rays as much as the adults. You can create a DIY wooden frame with an attached hammock for your kids to enjoy.

Allow your kid to pick the color and pattern of the hammock. The more colorful and wacky the better, we say!

Let their imagination run wild while reading an exciting children’s storybook. They can also spend time listening to the birds singing or the wind blowing.

During the summer, you want them in the backyard as much as possible. Even if that’s getting an afternoon nap under the sunshine. But remember the sunscreen!

3. The Old-Fashioned Tire Swing

You probably didn’t have ipads and VR when you were a kid. But, there are some kid’s activities which never get old.

The old-fashioned tire swing is easy to assemble and lots of fun for your kids to enjoy. You’ll get a dose of nostalgia yourself when you see your little one on the tire swing. Enhance the safety and durability of your DIY tire swing by exploring reliable tree swing accessories, like secure straps available at Swing Set Mall. It’s a simple way to ensure a worry-free experience for both you and your child.

You just need a strong tree trunk to be able to hold the weight. Some chains and an old tire are enough to provide hours of joy for your child.

This budget DIY idea doesn’t take up much space in your yard either. You and your kids can even enjoy the swing together. Just make sure it can hold your weight, too!

4. Round and Round the Hill Slide 

You may think that you need to be a pretty experienced DIY mastermind to handle building your kids a slide from scratch!

However, there is a shortcut to fashioning a slide out of nothing. Do you have a mound or hill in your yard?

This is normally a nuisance. But, if you place a rescued slide from top to bottom you have given your kid their own slide experience.

You can even decorate the surrounding area with bushes and flowers. This will create the feeling for your kid that they’re sliding through a natural oasis. 

5. Discarded Wooden Boat Sandbox

Many parents want to create amazing outdoor play areas without ruining their carefully curated gardens. 

That’s why any opportunity to combine your landscape design with playful fun should be grasped with both hands. 

Well, you only need to keep your eye out for a wooden boat. Do you know anyone who is throwing one away? Have you spotted one at the dump?

This can be quickly converted into a sandbox for your kid. It may need an industrial clean and a lick of paint to finish the transformation. 

Just add sand and a flag on a stick and hand them to a pirate’s hat. Trust us – their imagination will surely do the rest! 

This enclosed sandbox can give your child hours of entertainment setting sail on adventures with sandy fun!

6. Blackboard Against the Fence

We know that kids learn better when they’re also having fun at the same time. Any way that you can make homework time more fun should be encouraged.

Simply making homework time an outdoor activity can make maths a little more magical for your kids. By installing a blackboard on your backyard fence, you can transform the dull fence into a blank canvas for your child’s imagination.

Even when homework time is over, your kid can enjoy drawing pictures with brightly colored chalk and practicing letters. It’s easy to install with a few bolts and a hammer as well. 

7. Plastic Water Slide Mat

When the sun is hot, do you just look at each other and think “water slide” at the same time?

You don’t need anything elaborate to enjoy the combination of warm weather and water fun. Just lay down a plastic sheet on the grass in your backyard and switch on the water hose.

This can be dangerous. So, ensure that there isn’t anything hazardous that your kid could crash into. This is also probably an idea for adult supervision.

Read more for many other great summer activities that can make the perfect fun for your kid’s birthday and a special weekend surprise.

Outdoor Play Area Ideas

You don’t have to spend a fortune to keep your kid entertained playing outdoors. There are a bunch of budget outdoor play area ideas that can keep your children busy for hours.

If you found this blog post helpful in inspiring you with budget DIY, then you should keep browsing the rest of our website. 

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