With summer starting to properly kick in, parents around the country are breathing a sigh of relief that they can finally get the kids outdoors to burn off some energy.
But all that glitters in the summer sun isn’t gold, with the longest school holiday of the year falling right in the middle of it all – what can you do to keep the kids busy enough to retain a few slender threads of sanity yourself?
While it would be amazing, you can’t exactly recreate the multi-million dollar Margaret Mahy playground in your own backyard. But what if we told you that with materials from Musgroves, you could build your own Ultimate Kids Paradise: hideouts, climbing rigs, sandpits and pirate ships to keep them entertained?
We’ve put together three ideas that are both 100% fun, but also avoid garden carnage, so you can still keep up with the Joneses by keeping your lawn and plant life basically intact.
Slide & Climb
We stock a wide range of outdoor timber which would be very practical for decking purposes as well as a landing pad for the climbing rig and a launch pad for the slide.
Keep your backyard’s natural topography and place recycled items, such as pallets and tires, along hills and receding walls to create a safe environment.
Sandcastles
Save yourself a trip out to Sumner every other day this summer by bringing the beach home to you – build a tidy garden sandpit out of timber or pavers. Create a seamless finish with a lid to prevent the neighbour’s cat from adding your pit to his extensive litterbox portfolio!
You can also maximise the space around the sandpit by establishing raised garden beds; check out one of our most popular articles: ‘how to build your own planter boxes’.
Playhouses, Cubby Houses & Hideouts
Kids love a wee hideaway and it can be very fun and rewarding getting them involved in the building process.
Musgroves source heaps of recycled and unused building materials with DIY projects exactly like these in mind.
Building the ultimate playhouse could even keep the kids entertained for the better part of their childhood, so we see it as a good long-term investment.
If you have a project in mind then give us a call or come visit our yard, our friendly staff will be able to provide good advice and knowledge about the materials you’ll need to transform your garden this summer.