Whats in your kids Outdoor play area?

[Cherished]

I'm excited to be setting up an outdoor play area for ds who is 14 months. It's nothing fancy, just putting up a gazebo for shade and maybe another shade sail too. I Was wondering what you have outside that is awesome? So far we have a sand and water table and a little blow up pool and I think we'll be getting a mini trampoline with the bar to hold onto. One of his grandmas is giving him an outdoor bike and trailer. A friend got a tunnel with a tent at either end for $10 a while ago so something like that could be great too if not too expensive. What ideas have you all got for me?

[Lenny]

The thing that gets used most at our place is the swing. It was $69 from Bunnings and it's a double one. It seriously gets used rain hail and shine.

[AngelPants]

We have a trike, a scooter, far too many balls and this xmas we are getting DS a cubby house and kitchen with utensils. My mum is getting him a sand and paddling shell... Mini tramps are meant to be good too and small slides... hmm i can't think of anything else

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[~Kim~]

We've got similar stuff to you.
We also have a cubby and a sandpit but my kids are a bit older.
Ummm
Sidewalk chalk? My kids just draw on the pavers and it hoses off.
Hula hoops
Big tonka trucks
wheel barrow
gardening tools (my kids have their own little patch of garden they can destroy/play/'plant' all they want)

[NaeNae]

DD is 2 and at the moment we just have a cubby that needs painting and my small chook coop
The plan is a table and chairs for the kids, slide and swings and a small pool just for summer. Plus a table and chair set for whoever is supervising.
I'd love to put a sandpit in there but Iknow what the 9 farm cats would use it for

[MrsFabuloso]

We have,

Plastic climbing/cubby thingo
a tonne of balls!
hula hoops
frisbees
kiddy gardening tools
kiddy pool
bikes, trikes, scooters
tonka trucks and other sorts of cars
chubby chalk
buckets and paint brushes (for painting with water)
kiddy table and chairs

and for christmas they're getting a big swing set with a mini tramp attached (I'm so excited!! lol)

[Phteven]

We're lucky enough to live less than 20m from a playground so we have a slide, roman rings, a spinning thingy, a big play car, a climbing frame and most importantly the neighbour's children (and bunny-bun-bun the free ranging rabbit).
In the backyard we have a trampoline, bikes, scooters and a basketball hoop.

[Sunny Love]

*trike
*push along music walker
*slide
*shell pool
*adult pool
*see-saw (thanx bulk rubbish)
*teepee tent
*art easel and blackboard
*picnic seats
*dolly pram
*bucket of random toys (nothing stuffed)
*one of those play centres that the kids rotates around the table
*trampoline (getting as a xmas pressie)
*water and sand table
*sandpit
*cubby house
*windchimes
*CD player
*skipping ropes
*potted plants and flowers

[LuluHB]

We have

cubbby house with climbing stuff, swing, slide
sand pit
swing set
trampoline
pool
bikes, trikes, scooters
bouncy castle (don't have it up all the time though)
toy box full of stuff like balls, frisbees, mini golf, soccer nets, sidewalk chalk, finger painting, bubbles etc

In our last house where we had a much smaller backyard we had a tiny blow up pool for the kids and one of their favourite things was a little plastic slide going into it. They sort of rebound off the soft edge of the paddle pool and had an absolute ball.

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

1. Swing set with slide & mini tramp
2. roller coaster w/ bike
3. Toddler Trike (girls are getting a bike each from mum for x-mas)
4. Shell pool / Sandpit with sand 1 side - ball pit balls the other
5. Sandpit toys - buckets, spades etc.
6. random plastic toys
7. Lots of balls
8. Chalk

The girls are getting a tramp for xmas and a kitchen from SIL that might go outside, i am also planning on putting up a big wooden board with clips on it against the brick wall to use as an outside painting area so they can stand and paint.

[Novella]

My girls are a bit older but here is what we have
- Swing and mokey bar set
- Trampoline
- Bikes, trikes and scooters
- buckets and shovels, a play tea set, spoons. At mums they have old baking trays and love using them
- sand and water table (mud table at the moment)
- balls, more balls, hoola hoop, plastic tennis racquets
- dirt and the dogs water bowl (not meant for play but both very popular)
- butterfly nets (they rarely catch anything but like trying) plastic magnifying glass for bug hunting
- plastic basketball hoop
- totem tennis (not up yet)
- paddling pool for when it gets warmer
- a picninc rug they can take outside
- plastic table and chairs which is great for outdoor playdough and other messy craft activities
- bubble blowing machine and bubbles
- chalk board and chalk
- sometimes old paint brushes and buckets of water to 'paint' the concrete

that sounds like heaps but they spend loads of time outside when the weather is fine!

[~me~]

Hills Swing Set
Plastic play gym
Sand Pit..made by DH
Trampoline
Bikes, trikes, scooters
Little tikes ride in truck
Totem Tennis
We have quite a few big trees, so in one corner of the yard, my DH has set up a 'secret spot' for the kids to play in with bench seats and a table. You can't even see them when they are in it
We also have an easel a blow up pool, cricket sets, golf sets, soccer nets and heaps of balls we get out when needed.
An old table they can do their painting on and messy craft things.

They play alot with all of the above.

[berrme]

We have a plastic cubby/ climbing house with slide, swing set, trampoline, sandpit with a roof, blow up pool, big tonka truck, bikes, trikes, noisy push lawnmower, loads of balls, bats, todem tennis, easel, box of random plastic toys, chunky chalk, table and chairs, and a baby swing.

As far as I am concerned the outdoor play equipment has been the best purchases we have made. They sometimes cost a bit, but they have been used and used and will be for years yet. They are outside all the time, which makes bed time easier, and just general kid noise easier to deal with.
Your DS won't really want all that stuff yet though so I would suggest getting all the balls and noisy push around stuff now and putting your requests in to family about bigger outdoor items to add over the next couple of birthdays and xmases.

[JLeigh29]

Cherished, you know what's in ours!

Can't wait for DS' 'play deck' to be finished cos it'll have the sand and water pits (with balls, trucks etc, bucket and spade), cubby, chalkboard lids for chalk, bench seat with underneath storage and pot plants with herbs/flowers etc DS' favourite toys aren't the kids toys. It's seeds, nuts, bark, leaves, garden tools, watering can, pots, rocks etc (and inside it's boxes, empty cling wrap rolls, plastic containers, shells, lids, dress ups...)

Maybe also:
bubble blowing gear
lots of containers for putting stuff in, stacking, 'bowling'
paint brushes for painting with water
kiddie table and chairs
lots of balls

[*Ang*]

The thing that gets used most at our place is the swing. It was $69 from Bunnings and it's a double one. It seriously gets used rain hail and shine.

Ooh I didn't know you could get double ones?! We have had a singular swing for around 4 years now (have replaced it once already due to too much playing resulting in a side snapping!!) and it gets fought over all the time. Might have to go check out Bunnings now.

We have:

A singular swing in the grass
A baby swing hanging from the patio
A massive wooden raised cubby house with slide
A Little Tikes Slide (one of the best buys, it cost $89 6 years ago and is still going strong and is very well used. Very sturdy too)
Lots of balls of various shapes and sizes
Bikes
Scooters
Ride-ons
Tonka trucks
Other various "outdoor" toys like buckets etc
Lots of bubbles and bubble blowing things
Gardening tools

Have had totem tennis but that broke and we never replaced it. Same with a chalk board.

And we are getting a big tramp this year for xmas.

[Cherished]

So many fab back yards! Mine is sounding very lame! Lol nahhh it'll be great for now

Jleigh yours is going to be fantastic! Can't wait for play dates when it's finished too.

[Calluna]

we have a clam pool.
that's it
oh, and a great big concrete area beside the big pool, which would make a lovely patch of grass if only it wasn't unfenced and covered in cement!