Make an Adventure Playground
Guide to Starting Your Own Adventure Playground in Your Backyard (or Community Space!)
Adventure playgrounds are dynamic, child-directed spaces filled with open-ended materials like loose parts, tools, and natural elements, giving kids the freedom to build, experiment, and play in ways that spark their creativity and problem-solving skills. Here's how to create your own, with special tips for community leaders, school facilitators, or those managing other youth spaces.
Step 1: Choose Your Space
Identify a safe, accessible spot where kids can move freely and explore. In a backyard, look for a patch of open ground, grassy area, or dirt that can accommodate loose parts and creative materials.
If You're a Community Leader: Consider public parks or vacant lots that could benefit from a children’s space. Get permission from local authorities or park managers, and ensure the area is accessible to everyone.
If You're a School Facilitator: Identify unused areas on school grounds (grassy fields, outdoor classrooms, or playgrounds). Collaborate with administrators to designate a space and discuss safety and supervision.
If You’re in Charge of Other Youth Spaces: Repurpose an underused area or lobby for an outdoor or flexible space to host the playground, ensuring that it meets any organizational guidelines.
Step 2: Gather Loose Parts
Adventure playgrounds thrive on loose parts, which can include materials that children can move, combine, transform, and manipulate as they see fit. Here are some ideas:
Natural Materials: Sticks, rocks, sand, leaves, tree stumps, dirt, and mud.
Reusable Household Items: Boxes, crates, old fabric, buckets, tarps, milk jugs, PVC pipes.
Construction Materials: Nails, wood scraps, hammers (with supervision!), ropes, tires, pallets, screws, and plastic tubing.
Upcycled Materials: Old pots and pans, gutters, chalkboards, rope ladders, and large cardboard tubes.
Tip: Reach out to local hardware stores, recycling centers, or lumberyards for donations. Upcycled items can often be sourced from community members.
Step 3: Designate Tool Areas and Safety Boundaries
Set clear boundaries and guidelines, especially if kids will use tools. For backyard or smaller settings, a simple tool bench with safe tools can encourage creative play while maintaining a controlled environment.
Basic Tools for Kids: Child-safe hammers, screwdrivers, gardening tools, hand saws (with close adult supervision).
Safety Gear: Gloves, protective eyewear, and sturdy footwear should be available to prevent accidents.
If You're a Community Leader: Establish protocols for tool check-out and designated adult supervision to ensure safety. Host regular tool-use workshops for children and caregivers to emphasize safe handling.
If You're a School Facilitator: Train teachers or support staff in tool safety, and consider holding weekly adventure playground sessions that incorporate safety lessons.
If You’re in Charge of Other Youth Spaces: Designate specific hours or days when tool use is supervised, and encourage parent or volunteer involvement for larger groups.
Step 4: Set Up Play Zones
Having a few designated “zones” can encourage a variety of play styles:
Building Zone: Include materials like wood scraps, nails, ropes, and boxes. This is where kids can build forts, structures, or small houses.
Nature Zone: Encourage sensory play with natural elements like sand, water, leaves, or mud. Kids can dig, plant, and create gardens or small habitats for insects.
Exploration Zone: Offer moveable parts like logs, rocks, or crates for kids to manipulate and rearrange. This zone fosters gross motor skills and problem-solving.
Optional: Add an art zone with paints, chalk, clay, and other creative supplies.
Step 5: Promote Open-Ended Play
Adventure playgrounds are child-directed spaces, which means the main rule is to let kids take the lead! Avoid overly structured instructions and instead encourage children to use materials however they see fit.
Observation, Not Direction: Watch for opportunities to support or guide without imposing. If a child is struggling with a build, ask questions like, “What do you think will work here?” to stimulate their problem-solving.
If You're a Community Leader: Encourage community engagement by organizing “play days” or “build days” to introduce kids and parents to the space and set expectations around unstructured play.
If You're a School Facilitator: Integrate this play with classroom learning. For example, after a playground session, students could write reflections, measure their builds, or discuss how they problem-solved.
If You’re in Charge of Other Youth Spaces: Communicate with staff, volunteers, or caregivers about the importance of child-directed play. Consider signage explaining that play is unstructured and aimed at fostering resilience and creativity.
Step 6: Ensure Ongoing Maintenance and Refresh Materials
Adventure playgrounds require upkeep to stay engaging and safe. Regularly inspect materials for wear and tear, and refresh or replace loose parts as needed.
Community Leaders: Establish a volunteer schedule for maintenance, or partner with local organizations to support cleanup days. Periodic fresh supplies or donated items can keep the space exciting.
School Facilitators: Check in monthly with teachers or maintenance staff to replace worn-out items, ensuring the playground stays safe. Rotate in new materials to keep it fresh for students.
Youth Space Managers: Incorporate maintenance into the staff’s routine to keep things organized and accessible. Add seasonal or holiday items (like leaves or snow-building materials) to keep it relevant year-round.
Step 7: Gather Feedback and Involve Kids in Future Design
Ask kids what they enjoy most and what they’d like to see added to the space. This feedback can inspire fresh ideas and help make the adventure playground truly kid-centered.
Community Leaders: Host regular feedback sessions with families and kids, using their suggestions to enhance the playground.
School Facilitators: Create a feedback wall where students can post ideas for future changes. Involving them in planning helps foster ownership and pride in the space.
Youth Space Managers: Have a suggestion box or host “design days” where youth participants can brainstorm or create new ideas for the space.
Final Thoughts
Creating an adventure playground is a wonderful way to nurture creativity, problem-solving, and resilience in children. By embracing unstructured, child-led play, you’re providing a space where kids feel empowered to explore and engage with the world around them.
Whether it’s a backyard setup or a community-wide project, adventure playgrounds cultivate a unique environment that encourages both individual growth and community connection. Happy playing!
