Three years ago, I had an idea for a backyard play area that my then toddlers could really enjoy. I’m a big fan of upcycling, so I took some old tires, a kiddie pool and an old entertainment center and created a space in our backyard with a sandbox, climbing structures, a vegetable garden, and outdoor mud kitchen. Just in time for the boys’ first and fourth birthdays; they loved it.
They played in it for three years, but as Big B’s legs grew longer he could hardly sit in the sandbox. The outdoor mud kitchen turned more mud than kitchen and the paint had worn and plastic crumpled over time. It looked like a mess. The backyard play area needed a remodel.
Still a fan of upcycling, I sat down with the boys, now 7 and 4, to design a new space that would incorporate their imagination. They came up with some pretty elaborate ideas! After realizing I wasn’t engineering-inclined enough to build a custom rock wall or water feature, we simplified the concept into something more realistic, but I made sure they could still add their creative touches.
Inspired by their current obsession with building and Legos, I designed a space that wouldn’t make our backyard look like a mess. Well, it would, but this time it’s supposed to. What better way to let the boys dig in dirt and sand than to install their very own construction site?
Taking the tools we already owned, adding a few elements like construction signs and wood borders, we added 1.5 tons of sand to be sure Big B wouldn’t grow out of the new sand box. A fresh coat of paint, a 7-gallon camping jug, and a digger from Amazon put the finishing touches onto this new play area to make it versatile and fun. They’ve already played in it for hours, digging, building castles, making moats, and more. Our neighbors have been getting in on the fun too! A towel by the back door keeps us from bringing a whole beach inside.
These boys continue to build, create, and grow, and I love being able to make space for them to do just that.
Our Life in A-Z 