Top 5 Homemade Garden Toys
We’ve had one hell of a summer this year so I’ve made the most of it and been out and about with the little one as much as we can. She loves a park but we finally have a garden and now that the weather is starting to turn, I’d rather stay closer to home in case we need to dash out of the rain. However, as its the first time we’ve had outdoor space our garden barely has grass, never mind anything as existing as a playground so I had my work cut out creating a child friendly area without it being a clutter of plastic toys.
I’m going to share with you my top 5 ideas for simple garden ideas that will keep your child entertained for hours!
Mud Kitchen
I thought I’d go for the most obvious first - mud kitchen have been a huge craze and a must have garden item for the last couple of years. This can be as simple as some pots and pans in the garden to a fully decked out kitchen with more utensils than you have in your own. I love this one from Adventure in a Box because not only does it look phenomenal but it’s relatively simple to put together. You never know, you might inspire the next Jamie Oliver, even if it does mean trying mud souffle.
Pebble Tic Tac Toe
This is a simple game which can be played indoors or out AND the kids can help make them. You can go on a nice beach walk to collect your pebbles, then have an arts and crafts afternoon designing the 2 types of counters. Chicken Scratch NY have done a super cute version with bees & ladybirds. Her wood round board is also stunning but you could just draw out your board in chalk on a path
Roads & Construction Areas
Cars are normally a big hit in the house but why not take them outdoors and build some fun construction areas to keep them busy for ages. I love the thought of digging out some proper roads in our garden like Shelveit, and planting my very own roundabout display (I’m the kind of geek that would make a “sponsored by” sign to stick in the middle). However, for this year I think I might stick with the simpler pallet version by Buggy & Buddy. I like the fact that you can just stack up the road and hide it away when you don’t want the garden toys out. Another fab addition would be a construction area with gravel or sand for the digger toys to sit in. The version by The Imagination Tree is brilliant as it’s easy to do and the bricks/wood help stop the gravel going everywhere.
Music Wall
This is one of my favourite garden ideas and I already had a go at making one myself this summer. Our daughter loves bashing away and the neighbours haven’t complained yet so it seems to be a winner all round. Creating a whole orchestra from simple household objects, you can make a sensory tool which will last them for years. Below is a shameless plug for my own tutorial on Crafta La Vista but you could attach all these instruments to your garden fence, rather than making a stand alone frame.
Fairy Garden
My daughter and nephew love make believe. I really want to create them a magical place they can take their small figures to and act out their own wee stories. There are some really stunning examples of what you can do with this idea and I think the tutorial by My Frugal Adventures is beautiful without being overly complicated. Crafts by Amanda have also made adorable fairy houses to put inside your tiny garden, if you want to take the project to the next level.
Hope a few of these entice you to start your own handmade haven in the garden but I’ll also be adding more ideas to my garden fun Pinterest board so keep and eye on it for even more inspiration
Happy crafting,
Nicole from Crafta La Vista
Credits:
4. Shelveit
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