Create a fun and exciting backyard playground for your child or your daycare for free or for few dollars! You don’t need expensive toys and fancy equipment to have an outdoor play area that will thrill your kids. These inexpensive ideas for a backyard play space will make your yard the funnest place in the neighbourhood.
The far corner of the backyard draws the children in like a magnet. It’s the play area in our backyard that’s entirely dedicated to the daycare kids, and it’s where the most care-free and magical moments of our day take place.
The old-fashioned simplicity of our outdoor play area makes it an enchanting place for kids to play, explore and learn.
There’s our play-house, and sandbox, which are popular for sure, and there is a myriad of other inexpensive play features that entertain, challenge and engage the hooligans for hours every day, all year long. It’s these play features I’m going to tell you about today.
Having an extraordinary outdoor play space doesn’t have to cost a fortune.
You may be thinking “But, how much does it cost to create a backyard playground like this?”
Well, that’s the beautiful part!
Aside from the playhouse and sandbox, which my husband built, most of the play features in our backyard cost next-to-nothing. In most cases, I’ve used items from around the house, thrift-shop finds, and various bits and pieces from nature to create this outdoor play area for the hooligans.
Tight-ropes, pulleys, water walls, balance beams… all just pennies to make, provide countless hours of fun and learning.
They spark the imagination, challenge gross motor skills and co-ordination, and encourage critical thinking and creativity.
Be sure to grab our printable list of 100 Fun Things To Do At Home This Summer too! Your kids will never be bored again!
Ready to have the funnest backyard on the block?
For your convenience, this post contains affiliate links.
18 Genius, Free Things to Add to your Backyard Playground
Click the links or photos below for the full instructions for each play yard feature.
Mobile Mud Pit
Want a mud-pit without sacrificing your lawn? Click here to check out our mobile mud-pit! Easy set up, easy clean up, and you can tuck it away at the end of the day.
Alternatively, you can buy this mud pie kitchen on Amazon.
Play Logs
If you know anyone who’s having a tree cut down, see if you can score some play logs! They’re one of the most versatile and popular features in our backyard. Click here to see ours in action, and to find out more about them.
No space for logs? Check out these balancing buckets for indoor and outdoor use.
Pool Noodle Abacus
A backyard “abacus” is simple to make and provides lots of fun and learning. The toddlers love this one. Click here to learn more about our pool noodle abacus.
Re-purpose an old white board
Got a white board that’s too marked up to use anymore? Move it outdoors! The hooligans got a couple of seasons of outdoor art out of this white board that was headed for the trash. Here, we’re painting with mud on International Mud Day.
Backyard Balance Beam
A few scrap pieces of wood make a toddler balance beam for a budding, young gymnast. It provides hours of pretend play and exercise and I can tuck it out of the way at the end of the day. Click here to see more of our outdoor balancing activities for toddlers and preschoolers.
A Rope and a Bucket
Without question, this simple contracion is one of the best things I’ve ever added to our backyard play area. The hooligans play with it all year round. Not only is it great for strengthening muscles and co-ordination, it also fosters team work, critical thinking and co-operation. See how I rigged up our Bucket & Rope Contraption here.
Homemade Water Wall
I made this water wall out of recyclables 4 years ago, and the hooligans are still playing with it. It’s provided them with hours and hours of fun and learning over the years. See how I made our water wall here.
Tire Swing
Our tire swing is another one of the most loved features in our back yard. An old tire, hung horizontally is perfect for one or for a bunch of kids to gather on. If your vehicle is due for new tires – perfect! If not, check with a local garage or service station. They may happily donate one to your backyard project. (photo only/no link)
Kid’s Clothesline
I rigged up this simple toddler clothesline years ago. Secured tightly so it’s not a safety concern, it’s just at the right height for the hooligans to use.
Our clothesline provides lots of opportunity for pretend play, and it’s great for teaching life skills, and developing co-ordination and fine-motor skills. Read more about our clothesline activities here.
Rocks and Stones
We’ve picked up loads of rocks and stones and even pebbles at the beach over the years. The children always have access to the rocks and stones in the yard, and they play with them daily. They’re kind of our backyard version of the building block – completely open-ended, they can be whatever the hooligans want them to be. See 10 ways that we use our stones and rocks here.
Sand Wall
Much like the water wall, our sand wall is also made entirely out of scraps and recyclables. It’s positioned in our sandbox, and it’s provided loads of entertainment over the years. Read about our sandbox and sand wall here.
Artificial Flowers
Pick up a bunch of artificial flowers at the dollar store or at a thrift shop. Ours played with every single day. The kids hold “weddings”, they decorate the playhouse with them, they “plant” them in the sandbox. Not a day passes that these don’t get used in some creative manner. Check out one of my favourite artificial flower activities here.
DIY WATER TABLE/SENSORY TABLES
Water tables are awesome, but there was no way I was going to spend big money to get one when you can make your own so easily. I pull one of these together almost every day when the weather is nice. A storage bin set a top a bench or patio table or even an overturned (larger) storage container are all you need for all your water and sensory activities. If you don’t have storage containers, no worries – a child’s wagon also doubles as a water table for a group of kids to gather around. You can check out the way we use it for our water activities here.
Backyard Tight Rope
Best thing ever! This is right up there with the tire swing and the rope and bucket contraption. We’ve had our toddler tightrope set up in the yard for years. The hooligans use it every day, all year long even when the snow practically buries the bottom rope. It’s the best for co-ordination and gross-motor development. I’m not kidding when I say our tightrope has provided hundreds of hours of fun for kids from ages 1-7 over the years. Read all about it, and see how to make your own here.
Hoses and Funnels
A couple of old pool hoses (or vacuum hoses) pushed through a chain link fence provide hours of fun and learning. Pop a funnel (or the top section of a water bottle) into the top each hose, and little ones will be kept occupied and entertained for ages. Read all about our hose and funnel runs here.
Thrift Shop Coffee Table
One of the best but least expensive investments I ever made for my daycare was this thrift shop coffee table. I got it for 6 dollars at a second-hand shop a couple of years ago, and we use it every day. In summer, it’s our backyard activity table, in winter it’s our art table in the craft room. Big enough for a crowd to gather around and water and paint spills don’t matter at all. See it in action here.
DIY Water Slide
For the price of an inexpensive camping tarp, you can give your kids a whole day of wet, water, slippy-slidey fun! ! We’ve been doing this for years here in my daycare, and the kids never tire of it. See how to make your own waterside here.
Add “running water” to your outdoor play space
Lastly, my inexpensive trick for adding a source of running water to your child’s backyard play area. A camping jug! Theyr’e in abundance at the second hand-stores around here, so if you don’t have one of your own, you can probably scoop up a used one for a couple of bucks! See some of the ways we use ours here.
And there you have it!
18 inexpensive, super-fun, super-cool things you can add to your outdoor play space this summer! Your kids (and your neighbours’ kids) will love you for it!
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Jackie is a mom, wife, home daycare provider, and the creative spirit behind Happy Hooligans. She specializes in kids’ crafts and activities, easy recipes, and parenting. She began blogging in 2011, and today, Happy Hooligans inspires more than 2 million parents, caregivers and Early Years Professionals all over the globe.
Christine
I love the water and sand wall, I am going to make it for my son this this summer 🙂 thanks for the post, some great ideas!
Jean Alam
I love your running water idea. I actually did this for my daughter but used an empty bulk sized laundry detergent.
Sharon
How big is your backyard? I’m trying to figure how in the world I can fit even two of these.
happyhooligans
We have a good-sized yard, Sharon, but remember it’s my family’s home, so this stuff isn’t scattered all around the yard all the time. There are a few things like the tightrope, clothesline, bucket and tire swing that are permanently set up in the back corner of my yard. Everything else, like the wheelbarrow, whiteboard, tarp, water wall, balance beam etc. are brought out during play time, and tucked away at the end of the day. We don’t have all of it set up all of the time. Maybe the white board comes out once a week. Same with the water wall. Smaller items like the water jug and storage containers/water tables are kept in the shed, and brought on days when we’ll use them. The coffee table sits on my deck when it’s not in use.
Brent
Thanks for mentioning all of this….I know my last yard was only 80 by 125 and some of these could have been done in the fenced in patio area…but even with 5 acre lots now…most of these would have to be temporary, as the town does not allow most of these to even be in the yard overnight, let alone long term. Most areas have zoning laws about most of this being set up long term.
happyhooligans
Wow, that’s unfortunate. Where do you live? Jeepers, and they complain that kids don’t get enough fresh air and exercise anymore. I wonder why…
Theres Just One Mommy
We love our water wall and tree stumps! So many fun ideas!
Pinned and sending my sister this way to check out ideas for her little daycare group this year! So fun!
Ashlee
Seriously such a timely and excellent post for me! Thank you! Thank you! Genius, really!!!
happyhooligans
Oh good! I’m so glad it was perfect for you, Ashlee!
Linda
Great collection of outdoor activities, Jackie! I especially like the mobile mud pit and the tightrope – I think those may need added to our backyard soon:o) Sharing on FB and pinning!
vftmom247
Good ideas here – but since rainy, snowy winter is fast approaching, what kinds f activity things can move inside?
Cora
I have been trying for years to fine something different for my day care kids to do besides play and these are all awesome ideas. another thing i have thought about was hanging plexiglass on chains on the fence for the kids to paint on,but I love all your ideas have the yard and fence to try all..
happyhooligans
Yes! I would love to have a clear outdoor easel too!
Kisenok
What lovely wonderful ideas!!! Thank you so much for sharing these, we’ll surely will use a few in our garden! I found that your blog provides the most doable creative and fun ideas for building outside playground for little ones. So, thank you once again!
p.s. pls don’t take it the hard way but you seem to be very fond of the word “hooligans” calling your little
charges this .. i find that very few people really know the history of this word (and therefore the exact meaning of it) – that is a surname of some real but utterly despicable character that used to mug, cheat, kill and vandalize (not a naughty sweet kind of guy for sure). The guy built a gang whose doings got into newspapers and that was how his surname became first known and then turned into a namesake. Later on there was a comic series depicting another Hooligan family – a family of Irish immigrants represented in rather ridiculous and offensive light. For some reason this information is although existing but a bit ambiguous in English. In my native language (we also have this exact word) this is a fact solid enough to be found in etymological dictionary and backed up by the pictures of newspapers of that time..
happyhooligans
Hiya! So glad you’re enjoying our activities! I love sharing our ideas, and hearing back from followers who are inspired by what we do here! Thanks too for sharing your views on the name of my blog. I did actually have second thoughts about the name of my blog when I first launched it 4 years ago, and I wrote about it in this post: https://happyhooligans.ca/should-i-change-our-name/. The positive feedback that I received after publishing the post was such that I decided to stick with it, and I’m truly glad I did. I hope you read the post, and the comments that follow. You’ll see why I decided to keep it. 🙂
Beril
I totally agree with you. Hooligans are not a word I would use it for my day care/home kids or for any kids actually. Except the “hooligans ” I love love love what you shared on here. I’m bookmarking this and will be making some of this for my son (I don’t have a day home). Thank you. And please let me where you are located im looking for a day home for my son and yours seem to be perfect
Anya
Love the ideas on this post. Can you share how you ‘clean’ the kids when you transition inside? I love the idea of allowing kids to play with mud and sand and get messy, but I don’t want that all inside my house? Any tips you have would be great!
happyhooligans
Hi Anya. I always have a large bowl of soapy water on the deck for the kids to wash up in. That’s great for hands and arms. The garden hose takes care of legs and feet, and everyone always has a change of clothing here in case they need it. 🙂 The great thing about kids is they’re 100% washable. 🙂 Also, on days like this we only go inside for naps. Snack and lunch are eaten on the deck, or under the tree in our backyard. That keeps the indoor mess/traffic to a minimum as well. 🙂
Mathew Wright
Awesome ideas! There are so many ways to improve the experience of kids in backyard DIY playgrounds, and it doesn’t need to be expensive at all. Kids are increasingly getting so attached to their gizmos and gadgets that play times are fast vanishing. It is a great idea to incorporate a backyard playground, in order to encourage outdoor activities in children, which is necessary for their holistic development.