Creating an epic outdoor play area for your child

I recently shared Patrick’s Kmart hack cubby and mentioned that it was part of a larger play area I was making him. Today, I’m so excited to share the whole play area with you!

I’m really proud of this playground which I did 99% on my own — I learnt to use lots of new power tools/building materials and most importantly, Patrick absolutely loves it.

Related article: DIY play tent: Make this on-trend tent for your child
Related article: 20 of the best-ever Kmart hacks for kids

Designing the space

I did a lot of research (if you can call trolling Pinterest and Instagram research, haha) to get ideas on the different ‘zones’ I could create in the play area and had a long list of ideas.

Zones you can create in a kids outdoor play space:

• sandpit
• slide
• mud kitchen
• logs to hop along
• cubby
• trampoline
• hopscotch
• rock climbing wall
• water play table
• pool
• dirt tracks/roads for toy cars or trucks
• blackboard
• steering wheel on wall or in a ship.

To create the design, I thought about what things Patrick would enjoy the most. I knew the sandpit and cubby were a must but wasn’t sure what else I could squeeze in so I measured up the space and played around with a few ideas.

It was important to me to create a flexible play space that I could change as he developed. I didn’t want to ‘fix’ everything down, like the sandpit, as I know how quickly children can bore of things! A Kmart hack mini outdoor mud kitchen using their bench seat was a quick and portable win, perfect for sensory play. I also picked up their water play table which ended up being a total winner!

For a long time I considered adding an in-built mini pool but felt nervous about having any deep water in the area, and thought I could always put an inflatable pool on the grass on those hot days.

Constructing the play area

This play area was a surprise Christmas present for Patrick so I had to work on it during day naps or after he went to bed at night… so it took a few weeks to do it all! But I think it’s achievable to do in one weekend if you can have both your hands free.

Cubby

The first part of the play area I made was the cubby. You can read all about the Kmart cubby hack here. Patrick absolutely loves this cubby and if you can get your hands on one, I think it’s a great buy for children aged anywhere between 1-6 years. Since sharing the hack, I haven’t changed much other than hanging a sweet pot with succulents.

If I were making the cubby area again though, I would think twice about the IKEA click together outdoor floor decking. To be honest, I love the look of this product but it does get hotter than I expected (a lighter colour probably wouldn’t have this issue) and it also shows dirt more than I thought too.

Sandpit

The next thing I constructed was the sandpit. I had grand ideas in my head of a sandpit that would resemble sand dunes — very abstract and blending down to the ground.

Unfortunately, I used the wrong kind of blocks to achieve this vision. I used Besser blocks when I should have used the much lighter-weight Hebel blocks, and didn’t discover my mistake until after they were cemented in place. Despite buying a special blade and attempting to use an angle grinder (most frightening power tool ever!), I realised I was never going to carve the blocks so I thought of a Plan B.

To achieve a sand dune look, I tinted tile glue (Ardex 52 if anyone wants to do the same) with ‘Sandstone’ coloured oxide and coated the blocks. I applied two coats and tried to smooth out corners to soften the appearance of the blocks. I also carried the sandstone product onto the floor — to help with the sand dune look and to hide all the sand that I knew Patrick would throw onto the ground.

You can buy bagged sand from the hardware store, just be sure to get the right type of sand for a kids sand pit. Any white washed sand is clean and soft, ideal for play areas. Avoid builders sand or unwashed river sand, as these can be too coarse or contain harmful contaminants.

Overall, I’m really happy with the sandpit and I think it may have been a blessing about using the wrong blocks as there are health warnings around Hebel blocks (causing respiratory issues when carved).

Mud kitchen

A really quick and easy DIY in this space is the mud kitchen. Patrick loves getting messy and was filling his cubby house with sand and mud so I created this easy Kmart hack mud kitchen by slightly changing the configuration of the timber storage bench.

Rather than putting the back panel on the bench, I placed it up higher and used L-shaped corner brackets from the hardware store to secure it. I also used a jigsaw to cut out two holes that can fit the silver bowls. A few hooks hold the stainless steel canister for utensils and I added a black basket on the side for other toys. I’ve seen some people add way more hooks, clocks, hanging pot plants and all sorts of other things so you could get a lot more creative!

While this exact bench seat isn’t available any more, Kmart have similar styles you could hack. Or you can find similar products at IKEA, Temple & Webster or Bunnings.

Blackboard and steering wheel

In an attempt to stop Patrick colouring on the walls in the house (and a habit his younger brother has just started!), I created this oversized blackboard, ha ha.

This giant blackboard is just a piece of Marine Plywood that I sealed and coated in two coats of blackboard paint. We screwed it into the side of the shed to secure it in place.

Once it was up, we also added a blue steering wheel. At playgrounds, Patrick always loves pretending to steer so I thought this would be a fun addition.

Water play table

The final thing in this outdoor play area is a bargain sand and water table from Kmart and this (rivalled with the sandpit) is his favourite part of the whole area.

Water tables are great for sensory learning and it comes with a bunch of accessories so he’s always finding something new about it.

Budget-friendly play area ideas

Overall, I tried to keep the costs of this play area down and spend money where it would have the best results. Several years on, I’m updating this article to share what was worth the cost and what I would do differently, as well as new affordable DIY play space ideas.

What was worth the cost?

The kids cubby house was the best investment! My children used it almost daily for 4 years — until they were too tall to comfortably fit in it! Once they outgrew it, I sold it for cheap on Facebook Marketplace so another child could enjoy it.

Another great investment was the sandpit I built. As my kids grew, they invented new games to play in the area. If I were building it again, I’d make it a little bit bigger. When they had friends come over to play, it was a bit of a squeeze to comfortably fit 3 or more kids.

What wasn’t worth the cost or I would do differently

The artificial flowers in the cubby planter boxes looked cute in photos but didn’t last long in the harsh sun. I bought them from Provincial and spent more than I care to admit. In hindsight, I would have bought inexpensive potted fresh flowers or herbs from the nursery so the kids could water them and learn basic plant care skills (while saving money!).

Flooring is important in play spaces. The IKEA click together flooring looked good but got very hot in summer. If I had my time again, I would have used artificial turf under the cubby as it provides cushioning and wouldn’t get as hot.

The blackboard looked good… for about a month! Over time, the chalk didn’t wash off and despite doing touch up painting, it didn’t hold up well.

Shade is an important design element that I always intended to add but never fully resolved. If I were designing another play area for a child, I would either find a more shady spot in the back garden to put it or add proper sun protection with a large shade cloth or pergola.

Other cheap backyard play area ideas

Shop second hand or upcycle old furniture

Buying everything new quickly adds up. You can often find great second hand items on Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree, such as swing sets, climbing frames and cubby houses. I suggest setting up alerts for the things you want to buy so you can snap them up quickly.

Alternatively, you may be able to upcycle old furniture. For example, rather than buying a new storage bench to hack into a mud kitchen, you may be able to find a bench second hand?

Build pallet play equipment

Another affordable material are pallets as many businesses offer these for free. Those made from hardwood (not pine) are ideal for outdoors and can be turned into anything from a cubby to mud kitchen, walking bridge or sandbox.

Create obstacles

As my children got older, they were much more interested in climbing and jumping than digging or play cooking. Things like homemade balance beams, climbing walls or monkey bars would have been great additions.

If you’re planning on creating an epic outdoor play area for your child, I hope you got some ideas from this one I created for Patrick. I’d love to see photos of your space by tagging @stylecuratorau when you share them online or email them to hello@stylecurator.com.au 🙂

Check out more Kmart hacks

Photography by Thorson Photography. This article was originally published in January 2018 and has been updated for relevance.