Home Should Be A Wonderland

When I was a child, I used to fantasize about having a home with a HUGE backyard so that I could have a park at my disposal at all times. I wanted tree forts, swing sets, slides, playhouses...basically I wanted every memorable piece of equipment from any park I had played at in my yard for me to enjoy all day long! Now that I am a mom, I daydream about creating just such a yard for my children. I want them to have places to explore and imagine in. Places to create memories that might even inspire them in playscapes for their own children when they become parents. I have been seeking inspiration from my imagination and from places we happen upon for simple yet fun outdoor kidscapes that work with the natural landscape to encourage kids to play with dirt as much as with swings or slides. At a local Waldorf inspired preschool I have found just such inspiration and I am excited at how simple building this play area will be! Soon my yard will be a wonderland for my children that will mesh smoothly with the garden and chickens in one natural beautiful place we call home!

 This is a spool stool surrounded by vines arched and tied together to create a little fairy bower.

Wonderful log seats surrounding a fire pit perfect for outdoor story times or marshmallow roasting.

 A hill created over a heavy duty piece of tubing for kids to be able to crawl through as well as watch water flow through. The stone path above creates a sense of whimsy and dimension.

 The little creek with the bridge leading to the play house gives it the feel of a seperate world. The cute yellow picket fence is the perfect accent! (Bodhi couldn't get enough of the fence and would run back and forth from the house to the gate just to latch and unlatch it.)

 The outdoor benches perfect for meals or activities and the little shelf with baskets waiting for collecting journeys through the woods or the park or just the yard.

This simple tree fort has pulleys for buckets or treasures and a slide (though it needs a telescope to watch for far off friends coming to play).

 The hammock beneath is perfect for adventures and relaxation for big and little people.

 A different view of the hill.

A little outdoor stage for performing some secret play or just to sit and watch the grass grow.

I am thrilled to my little toes and can't wait to get started on making our yard into a fantastical wonderland for our children to explore!