Building That Playground on a Budget

As a kid, I experienced a life full of adventure, amazement, and overall excitement. When it comes to being a kid, you usually want to spend your time bike riding, playing video-games, or visiting the local ice-cream shop for a delicious  milkshake. Now at 29 years old, with the thought of children on the horizon, what can I do to maximize my backyard for my future child? The answer is easy. Build a kid's playground on a budget with ease!

These are essential ways to build that perfect playground with little cost!

When it comes to building a playground, you do not have to build elaborate structures you see at government owned parks and recreational facilities. It's the simpler things in life that make a child enjoy it for what it is.

First thing is creating a sandbox. Get four pieces of lumber nailed together to form a box frame. Then take a piece of 10x10 plywood that goes underneath the square, and nail that in to your box frame as the base. Sand down the inner portion of the plywood to avoid splintering and rough spots. You can also place a blue or black piece of tarp inside the base for comfort. Fill the box with sand... and congratulations! You made your first ever sandbox! If you'd like to make the sandbox more appealing, paint the outer sides of the box frame with desired color.

Next is building a tire mountain obstacle course. Buy large amounts of mulch and re-purposed tires (around 15-20) -- preferably all shapes and sizes to make the obstacle course challenging. Paint each tire a different color. Once dried, add the mulch around and inside the tires to pack the them in. The mulch will add stability and solidification to your mountain. Once you layer each tire with mulch, give yourself a pat on the back, because you've created your a successful tire obstacle course.

Last is for those who have a trampoline in their backyard. The problem with an elevated trampoline is that many children have a hard time trying to climb on it (making it a safety concern for the parent). Here's an easy suggestion for this DIY project. Measure out the circumference of the trampoline. Once measured dig, the circumference of the measurements on an open area of your backyard. You'll want to dig until the legs of the trampoline are submerged underground and only the pad of the trampoline fits perfectly elevated with the lawn floor. Once all the measurements are right, you will have a trampoline bounce pad without any worry of trying to climb on it. 

Photo courtesy of Pinterest