Toddler / Preschooler / Child Garden Play Spaces Tour 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026
- The Know & Play Space
- Mar 1
- 6 min read
Please check back later for all the updates!
Happy Knowing & Playing :) - Becca
2023 Garden - 1.5 years old
2023 was the year we moved into our new house. The garden when we moved in was totally unsuitable for a toddler, with broken greenhouse parts, old, rotting vegetable beds, flint rocks everywhere... so we knew we needed to work hard, smart and fast to make it a safe space to play in! We did everything ourselves and sourced as much for free/cheap from Facebook Marketplace to make it as low cost as possible.
The barked area at the back was where the old vegetable beds and green house were - full of rotten wood, screws, flint and goodness knows what else! We dug it all out, bordered the space with wooden gravel boards and then lay black weed suppressant membrane (both from B&Q). We then covered the area with play grade bark and slabbed an area for the playhouse to sit on.
The playhouse was kindly gifted by TP Toys - it's their Lavendar Cottage which we then painted in outdoor paint and put roof felting on the roof to protect it from the elements!
All of the other pieces were DIY-ed by us. We used a pallet to create the water wall, and wooden batons to create the water and sand tables - putting big plastic tubs inside them (much cheaper than buying shop made ones!).
Below are the DIY details for the sand and water table from a previous Instagram post.
We did the same with bark on the right hand side of the garden too, though used bricks rather than more gravel boards for the edging (as we got these free!) - then dug in large rocks and tyres (again free on Facebook marketplace!) to make a gross motor balancing area, as this whole area was just dead plants and grass wouldn't grow there.
We also added in some big trucks as these are great for gross motor development!
2024 - 2.5 years old
We extended, widened and boarded the barked area down the right hand side of the garden. Nothing can grow here due to the huge laurel bushes, so it made sense for it to remain barked rather than to try and lay grass. It also means that it gets lovely sunshine in the morning to dry off all the dew, but then is shadier for the rest of the day - making it a safer space to play in on those super hot summer days. We also then moved all our patio furniture onto the large barked area at the back, swapping it for the playhouse and mud kitchen - again because the patio gets more shade during the summer, but also means it's closer to the house for during the Autumn and Winter months.
Sand Area
We used a large (free!) cable reel as a stand for our tuff tray. It's a little taller than we'd have idealy liked for the moment, hence the step stool, but 1) it'll mean Mr 2.5 can grow into it in the future, and 2) he LOVES playing and doing things at a height away so it's been a big hit aleady! In this we try to keep the sand wetter for sand castle building, digging, driving trucks and making construction sites... however he wants to play with it.
We then have our DIY-ed sand tray (from 2023) which is perfect height for toddlers. This year we want to add another bar underneath the middle of the tubs (I'll do an updated DIY walkthrough on this soon) as his play is 'heavier' than as a 1 year old and therefore the tubs need a bit more support to prevent them breaking. In the low sand tray we try to keep the sand dry as this then provides a different sensory experience and opportunities for play... however this doesn't really happen with a toddler and is more of an adult idea than a reality!! I change up the enhancements in this tray - this week being a treasure chest and gold coins hidden in the sand for a treasure hunt.
LINKS:
Water Area
Our water table is another DIY-ed one from 2023, and we've added a plank across as a surface for pouring, tipping and mixing on! Adding another container of water onto the shelf has been great for exploration too. We've changed the pipes on the water wall to ones with a larger diameter which means they can be used for water, cars, sand or whatever else a toddler decides to investigae putting down them!! Inbetween both sand and water we've got a metal shelf unit which is super light, so can be picked up and popped in the sed during bath weather periods, but otherwise stays outside. Most of the stainless steel pots and utensils are from car boot sales, and then we have our rainbow jugs, funnels and buckets which are SO loved!
LINKS:
Jumbo Rainbow Pipettes Tickit Rainbow Jugs / Buckets / Funnels
Playhouse
Our playhouse is still the Lavendar Cottage from TP Toys (*gifted|brand ambassador), and it's perfect size for under 3s! This year I've added spare wallpaper onto the back wall for a bit of fun, and then popped a table (from a carboot sale!) and stools in there. The space isn't huge, so a lot of role play things isn't really possible, but I've added a phone and want to pop a tea set in there too over the next few weeks!
LINKS: Playhouse
Mud Kitchen & Digging Area
Our mud kitchen is in need of some TLC after a year outside, but it was made from free pallets, then painted in outdoor paint to help the wood withstand some of the weather! We added white hooks to tidy everything up and give it all a place to hang back up. I was tempted to add a 'sink' bowl to this... but at the same time love having the big surface area to work on!
Behind the mud kitchen is a flower bed that we built ourselves using gravel boards. We've made it a space where Mr 2.5 years is allowed to freely dig (and search for worms!), rather than him digging around the whole garden.
LINKS:
Stainless Steel Pots/Jugs (all from a carboot sale!)
Creative Area
Last year our outdoor easel in the creative area was on its own pallet, but wanting to maximise space in the garden this year, we decided to move it onto the side of the playhouse instead. I always make sure there are creative resources outside, whether it's paints, crayons, watercolours, pens... mark making doesn't have to be an indoor thing! The sliding pots are great as it means you can leave paint outside without it getting wet or dried out. The pots do have little clips at the back of them where they are meant for a peg board, but they easily bend off with a pair of pliers.
LINKS:
Gross Motor Space
Although wooden climbing frames look more pleasing than metal ones, we deliberately chose this one to begin with, due to its multiple opportunities for gross motor skill development. We swap out the swing attachment to sometimes be a bucket seat, and sometimes the trapeze bar. The frame itself then has multiple different ways to climb, including a cargo net on the other side, plus the monkey bar bridge attachment. There are so any different places to climb, hang and swing on! The trampoline we bring inside and outside as is a great thing to have indoors during the winter when it's harder and less appealing to get in the garden!
2025 Garden (3.5 years old)
(Though most of them are things that we already have, so have been linked above!)
HOW WE MADE OUR:
PLAY IN ACTION:
RESOURCE LINKS (that haven't been linked before above):
Clear Large Plastic Funnels
Large Tubes
Bendy Thin Tubes
Solar Fountain
TP Toys Mud Kitchen
IKEA Trofast Small Tubs
Wooden Playhouse Shelves (these are flimsy and cheap, but do a job for the space!)
Wooden Chutes
High Tuff Tray & Stand Low Tuff Tray & Stand
Plum Play Climbing Net & Disc Swing
The 2026 Garden (4.5 & 1.5 years old)
What's changed? What's new? And why!
This year, I've now got Mr 4.5 and Mr 1.5, both who absolutely love spending the majority of their days in the garden - particularly in the warmer weather. I also have lots of little learners who come and play and learn out here - as part of my Tutoring & Learning Classes (they range from 3-7 years).
RESOURCE LINKS (that haven't been linked before above):
Detailed breakdown of the Potions Space LINKED HERE
TP Toys Wooden Skywood Climbing Frame* (prev. partnership)
Storage Trolleys (these are not 'outdoor' trolleys, and have to be kept in the shed overnight)
Metal Vegetable Bed
Hopefully this has been helpful! If you have any questions or I've missed linking something you are after then do drop a comment below or send me a message on Instagram!
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