Backyard Playscape

There's something about being outdoors that stimulates Colin's physical exercise. Whether it's the effect of the fresh air or the reaction to the sunlight (my child may be a human solar panel), I don't know. But take Colin outdoors, and he immediately starts to run, skip, climb and jump.

So I've decided that Colin needs a backyard playscape! The only problem is that we have a SMALL yard and a BIG project ahead. Did I mention that we have a berm in our backyard, a 25-year-old dilapidated fence, a mosquito problem and a jungle of overgrown trees? That said, I'm not afraid of projects - especially after remodeling our entire house. But this won't be as simple as buying a playscape at Toys R Us and putting it together. I will need to harness my creative side and start thinking like a toddler!

As usual, I found lots of great inspiration online. We don't have space for the usual "playground kit," so I'm thinking of hiring a carpenter to build a small rock wall, a slide, and a sand box. Hopefully all this research will help turn our backyard into a place where Colin can fight off villans, run from monsters, play tarzan and make mud pies. Check out this site where I did some of my research: http://www.bearsplaygrounds.com/access_freestanding_images/freestanding_components.html

If you have any ideas please let me know! I'm entertaining all ideas - even David's idea to turn the yard into a batting cage with fake grass and a rock wall in place of the siding. :)