Outdoor Playground Ideas

Outdoor playground ideas should consider the age and ability levels of the children involved.  Beyond that, you want to find playground ideas that engage children in healthy physical exercise while giving them opportunities to explore their creativity in a safe playground environment.

• Build a musical tunnel for kids to run through.  By skillfully placing hollow PVC pipes in a tunnel, you can create a musical effect for children when they run through.  Another similar playground idea is to build a musical fence with solid rods of varying heights sticking up from the ground.  Children need to drag a stick across the rods when they walk by to create different melodies.


• Use chalk to create impromptu play spaces.  Chalk can be used to outline hopscotch grids or a ball court.  By setting aside some playground space, either a wall or an expanse of concrete on the ground, children can use the chalk to explore their creativity by doing art or playing games like tic-tac-toe where children have to toss things into the squares (like bean bags) to claim the square.


• For children who like to play make-believe, adults can construct a semi-permanent structure outside, like a gas station.  An old garden hose can be used for the gas hose, while other spare hoses can be used for the air and water hoses.  Toolboxes can be made out of spare boxes.  Many different types of scenarios can be improvised in the outdoor playground area depending on what the children's interests are.