Children's playground near the house. DIY sports complex at the dacha

What to give a 4 year old child? Our grandparents decided not to waste time on trifles and build a sports complex at their dacha. Fortunately, our grandfather can do carpentry work with his own hands. I (Lena Pavlova) got involved as a designer, drawing on the experience of the complex that Oleg Skripalev built two years ago at our home. Well, we had to do some supply work: we collected cuttings from shovels for the wall bars and monkey bars from stores all over the area. We found a metal rolling stock to buy galvanized steel for crossbars and poles. Neighbor Volodya helped weld the crossbars. Later, we waited for Oleg Skripalev himself to visit us in order to properly “equip” our frame with shells and create “multiple climbing routes.” So we built our structure “from scratch.” Here's what we got:

Friends, this post aroused so many responses that in 2019 we made a separate website dedicated to the Skripalev sports complexes https://kids-complex.ru/ where we posted a lot of materials about this sports complex, which we called the Chistov-Pavlov complex and others like it, as well as history of complexes and sports corners, individual equipment and a more detailed overview of ready-made solutions on the market. Now this site has become official for Skripalev’s sports complexes. There you can order a sports complex based on an individual project for your home or cottage, or buy individual equipment to independently build a complex similar to ours.

Why weren’t standard sports complexes suitable for us?

The very first question that arises is: why didn’t we just buy a ready-made one? Below is a picture of a typical representative of finished structures. The only advantage (in my opinion) of such (not cheap) complexes is their declared safety. The fastenings are hidden, the corners are smoothed, the tops are inaccessible - you can't fall too far.


It’s cool, of course, the manufacturer won’t have to sue the parents, but the child is unlikely to learn to climb here, there’s nowhere to climb. The shells are inconvenient. A climbing frame with a slope, minimal height and uninteresting (monotonous), a gladiator net - similar. Rings are not useful to any gymnast in any gym - they are small in diameter and plastic (and this is not the worst option seen in our yards). The rocker is also not inspiring - it is not stable for little ones, and not interesting for big ones. There are no questions only about the sailor's ladder - in itself it is normal, but for some reason it does not lead anywhere. It is not clear whether it is possible to move from it diagonally to the house, but since it rests on the climbing wall, you cannot swing on it. It seems that the option of “swinging on a sailor’s ladder” has been excluded by the manufacturer for safety reasons: it is fixed with a support at the bottom (this is often done with ropes). The small (about 5 steps) Swedish ladder leading to the house (at the back) is inclined and insufficient for full climbing. Again, it’s not the worst - usually the rungs of such ladders are so thick that it’s uncomfortable for a child’s hand to grasp, and they are made with such a large step that you can’t really climb on them - only up or down. The house could have been a springboard for climbing if it had been made of pipes rather than timber (of course, then it would not have been made of wood and the complex would have dropped in price by four times). And for a house where you can sit and hide, it is too “lighty”. Everything was done for the control of the security service, and not for real children, not on the street, not seriously. This is interesting only to a three-year-old. And our daughter is already 4 years old. Where will it develop here?

Here is another typical representative, which has an almost convenient wall bars and a set of shells lined up in a row. This complex is far from so bad in terms of its shells (the hammock was not tested, but the rest, except for the rings, looks quite usable). Linear design problem is fundamental: this is a set of projectiles, they are not in the system, they practically do not allow routes (in in this case except for the trajectory: wall bars - crossbars on it back side- rings). This is one standard route. Even a rat gets tired of running in a circle with three stopping points, but a child has a more complex brain. The child needs to invent, experiment, implement.


What to do? Should we abandon the line and build a square or other structure that will allow transitions from projectile to projectile? Make the shells “real”? Add heights?
If you are ready to give your child such a complication of his “climbing life”, then welcome to our club - “With Your Own Hands”. You will not find a satisfactory ready-made analogue. The aforementioned Oleg Skripalev will make you an excellent design for your house (ours, about 3 meters by 3 meters, cost us about 80 thousand in 2015 - we will write about it separately, when the summer season ends, we love it and it helps us out a lot on long winter evenings). For the house, the price tag suited us: the complex is practically eternal, in the sense that it will withstand the childhood of all our existing and potential children. But such a price tag for the street (where the shells and frame are destroyed faster) “bites” (a self-assembled analogue cost us about 20 thousand in 2017 with all the shells). That is, you should come to us again: “With your own hands.”

Specifics of the street (dacha): what will the frame be made of?

There are no walls on the street (although of course you can “attach” to the house, but for the street this is a limitation, not a benefit. At home we are forced to “cling” to the walls. Here the wall is an extra shadow (we have so little sun) and an opportunity ( unnecessary) to “smudge” into the house when rocking. An empty frame is much more practical. Then what should the frame be made of? Wood or metal? Well, here, of course, “all markers have different tastes and colors.” The tree is warm and alive. Equipment that cannot be tied on (for example, holds for a climbing wall) can be easily attached to it. It is easier to assemble a wall bars or monkey bars from wood with your own hands. Metal has an amazing advantage - it itself “works” like a crossbar, so the frame is built into the system of projectiles, and it will be possible to directly make transitions (climb) on it. A metal frame will not be expensive if you buy regular (not galvanized) pipes, sand them and paint them. We didn't bother with the price (we don't have many metal fragments) and bought galvanized pipes, which we also had to sand (but didn't have to paint). Compared to wood, metal is more convenient to use: it does not rot, is unpretentious and durable. But you need a person with a welding machine. In our case, this turned out to be a neighbor. If you don't have one, it will be more difficult. But there is always a third, in our opinion, optimal option - combined. Some are made of metal, some are made of wood. Then it is potentially possible to do without welding at all ("metal to wood" and "wood to wood" fastenings will be sufficient). The structure will be “living”, but will be enriched with unique equipment that only metal can fully provide - all kinds of crossbars for climbing.

Separate question: how to strengthen the frame so that it does not wobble. For the corner elements, we took a 100 by 100 beam and dug it in about 1 meter (with a complex height of about 2.5 meters). To make the structure “sit” more firmly, 70 cm transverse beams (cruciform in the direction of the main verticals) and additional diagonal “slopes” were dug into the ground for each support. This entire foundation structure is not visible in our photographs; it is hidden underground. Above the ground, the structure is additionally “connected” by a wall bars and two metal poles vertically and three boards horizontally (from above). In general, the design turned out to be reliably “connected”, but when used by an adult it gives a slight wobble: apparently, the second time we will prefer to do it on screw piles so that it fits like a glove. We estimate the “potential” of our complex at 10 years (then the timber may begin to be pushed out by the earth), while we believe that this is enough, but again, screw piles increase the cost of the structure slightly - so, as they say, there is no limit to perfection. The main thing is to try.

Selection of shells

In their book “We, Our Children and Our Grandchildren,” the Nikitins talk about three crossbars (they called them “horizontal bars”), which became the first apparatus installed in the courtyard of their house, when their eldest child was one or two years old. The Nikitin horizontal bar system was simple and ingenious: the lower horizontal bar is according to the height of a 2-year-old child, the upper one is for an adult (the child will not practice unless he is shown an example), the middle one is between them. Then a child of any age chooses a horizontal bar according to his strength, and if the structure is connected by a pole, then he climbs a higher and more complex one in order to be “like dad.” We immediately decided that we definitely needed this. The height of the lower horizontal bar was measured for Fun, but it was made not for hanging, but for somersaults (for hanging and “standing up” it would be just right for a child of one and a half years old).


We made the height of the upper horizontal bar maximum for the complex (here one of our adult friends is showing the children a master class on it).

We modified the middle horizontal bar to suit the carpet exhaust system of my childhood: we added another high crossbar at a height of 2.4 meters above the crossbar at a height of 1.30 meters, so that there was an additional hook on top - as a transition to the monkey bars and as a support for mastering the “perch” , into which the crossbar at medium height has turned. Looking ahead, I will say that this projectile immediately became one of the most used for Fun and guests. Built into a large number of transitions (wall bars, monkey bars, poles, ropes, trapeze, rings and climbing handholds), it has become an invariable component of many routes.


Fun later insisted that Grandfather add another “middle” bar to the pole that had previously stood idle (this improvement can be seen on the right in the picture with the three children). It was difficult for her to climb onto the pole, but the crossbar made the pole accessible and loved. I felt a little sorry for “spoiling” the pole, but I reassured myself that I knew the address of the metal rolling base and it was still possible to “repeat”.


According to the diameter of the crossbars (horizontal bars) and poles: we made them different. For crossbars (horizontal bars) we bought pipes with an internal diameter of 25 mm (external - about 28 mm), for poles - with an internal diameter of 28 mm (external - about 32 mm). It was determined by hand fitting: the horizontal bar should be grippy and it should definitely be thinner than what is on most playgrounds (those horizontal bars are thick even for adults). The pole, on the contrary, should be thicker (32 mm is enough) to make it easier to master and more convenient to grip on the ascent and descent. A couple of months after the installation of the complex, we were surprised: such a “simple” (in manufacturing and installation) set of shells as a set of horizontal bars turned out to be truly the most “favorite” for our daughter and all her guests (if love is considered the incredible amount of time that they were ready to spend hanging on it upside down and doing all the possible tricks they themselves invented). We also made sure that we definitely got it right with the diameter of the crossbars - this size turned out to be convenient for both adults and children. It’s surprising that there are so few horizontal bars of a convenient diameter in our yards and none at all in children’s play complexes (where they are much thicker).

These are two shells that we made with our own hands. Why? Again, as a child, I had a wall bars, made by my dad’s hands from the cuttings of shovels. And (for some reason) I have never had anything more convenient. Even in gyms, not to mention street structures. And I did enough sports.
What was so good about her? The "correct" diameter of the bars (32 mm, maximum 34 mm) for a child's hand. Not 40 mm, as in most street structures. The “correct” (not greedy) distance between the crossbars (180-200 mm). In most street designs they are made much further apart. You can climb (up and down) on any, but you can also climb on thicker and farther ones. And for oval ones, which are now very fashionable (and which are used in Belgorod wall bars of excellent quality - we have them at home). But hanging in all sorts of positions... Climbing over one, two or three bars (what a challenge!). Use them for stretching or abdominal exercises. No. So, for my taste, purchased wall bars and monkey bars are inferior (in design, not only in price). Therefore, Zabava’s grandfather (my dad who already did this once) remembered the old days and in one day, together with his neighbor Volodya, assembled both structures. In the left picture below, the same Volodya shows Zabava the “horizons” on the monkey bars, while simultaneously testing its reliability on himself.


For the monkey bars, we took treated (painted) shovel cuttings, and for the wall bars - ordinary ones. Why? We decided to try how to survive the winter. The usual ones, of course, were coated with a protective varnish. And one more important thing: we build all our complexes (both home and country houses) for growth. That is, we didn’t even think that Zabava would master the monkey bars this year. But we are sure that she will easily master it in the next one. She has strong arms (due to the lower apparatus), and older children who come to visit show what and how.

Another everyone’s favorite equipment, without which not a single sports complex can do. You can mock the long-suffering rings in different ways - make them plastic, ribbed, excessively thick or thin, and also “soldered” with an intermediate crossbar into a rigid coupling. You can see all this in our yards. It seemed to me that making an apparatus of normal quality on any site could not be easier - this is an Olympic apparatus and for it there are years-tested standards for gyms for children and adults. But for some reason, it is rings that still receive miracles of ingenuity from manufacturers of all stripes. I was lucky again as a child ( sports dad). I had standard gymnastic rings hanging on belts at home. They hung high (you have to get from the crossbar, you won’t jump), as it should be. They were very popular, not only for hanging, but also for all possible climbing (climbing into them with your feet, standing up, climbing from them to the ceiling on a crossbar, tumbling, etc., etc.) Of course, for Fun I wanted the same. I looked at the manufacturers - no problem, you can buy it. I looked at Zabavi’s hand, I honestly looked like that. And I realized that we would have time with the gymnastics adults.


And I also realized that children love simple non-sports entertainment: hanging from rings (they should hang so that the child barely touches the ground), spinning as hard as possible, tucking their legs in or even throwing them up and... well, in general, to promoted. The exercise, in my opinion, is amazing how useful it is in 4 summer age(and older ones too). The child hangs for a long time, his arms become stronger, the vestibular system is trained. Why not? Why take away such joy? In short, I decided that this year is enough, next year we will hang two pairs of rings. Some are high (full-fledged), some are low (children's). Some are on the correct fastenings (belts + slings), others are on ropes (let them spin, like on a swing). On this we calmed down. This year, Fun doesn't pass by little children's rings. For the future, we made a crossbar in a good place, where there is room for the second pair of rings - the “adult” one.

Sailor ladders and expanding ladder (Skripalev ladder)

The sailor's ladder in the sports complex is an ingenious projectile. It costs three kopecks. Replaces a swing. Can be a projectile for lifting to a height (for example, into a “nest” or to another projectile suspended above). And it serves as a support (ha ha, it’s hard for an adult to see it as a “support”) for moving to any projectile suspended within a meter radius.


Plus, the swing on the sailor’s ladder does have some kind of direction (more back and forth than sideways), so you can swing on it both in the middle of the complex and next to the pole (unlike a rope or disk swing, which work 360 degrees - suspension in the center is desirable). Actually, in the first summer we had two such ladders, and in 2018 we added a third (expanding) one - the Skripalev ladder. A sailor's ladder firmly suspended horizontally from both sides at a height can become a "dynamic monkey bars", and fixed vertically - a "dynamic wall bars". Having seen how deftly Zabava climbs the sailor’s ladders vertically, we decided not to attach any of ours. Fathers of smaller children who come to visit us simply “secure” it with their feet for a while to allow the child to climb comfortably. - a completely unique projectile, one of our daughter’s favorites, no matter how it was hung.

This (expanding) ladder is attached from below and from above. In our case, it is attached to the bottom crossbar of the wall bars with a small rope loop through a carabiner, although we tried at least five different suspensions for this ladder and they were all quite successful before choosing the current one. It is difficult to climb, because at the bottom the ladder is quite unstable and it shakes a lot, but stability increases upward. My daughter loves not only to climb up and down on it and use it for transitions, but also to hang and tumble on its individual rungs (photos are below).

A complex and interesting projectile (rubber strand with reinforcement inside, resistant to outdoors and stretching, springy). Unfortunately, it is very little widespread (you will be tired of searching for it on Google), so we are sending everything to the same Oleg Skripalev (the link to his website was above). It costs a little over a thousand. The vine is hung so that the child can barely reach it with his hands. Next are the jumping options: holding with a wide grip with your hands, armpits, sitting. We have two of these at home (thicker and thinner, for adults and children), but they work worse because they are suspended somehow separately from other equipment (there will be a reason to rethink this when we return from the dacha). At the dacha, we hung only one vine, but provided an accessible “approach” to it (from a sailor’s ladder). The child cannot sit on a vine from the ground on his own (if you hang it so low, then when it swings, he will sit with his butt on the ground), but jumping while sitting is the most interesting thing. The child tries to get on it: or asks an adult (we usually don’t fall for it, why - read below). Or climbs over from somewhere.


The entire design is dynamic and requires dexterity. It can spring up and “slam” the body if you get awkward (this is upsetting, but not dangerous). But the “bonus” for successful climbing is the monkey effect. In general, the 4-year-old mastered this apparatus in 2-3 days with minimal insurance, learned to climb onto it without insurance, and learned to spend some time on it, jumping, swinging and inspiring other children. For guests, the apparatus turned out to be difficult: obviously, in order to get the hang of climbing on it, a little practice was required, and climbing in guest mode with the whole company diverted attention to the apparatus, where it was possible to “depict” something right away.

Another dynamic apparatus that can be used both as a horizontal bar (in case of hanging) and as a swing (if you sit on top of it). This projectile costs literally three kopecks and can be used several times in combination (we are planning to add one more). The trapezoid allows you to “fly” from projectile to projectile and is therefore valuable for inclusion in complex climbing routes. There will be no repetition, if you hang the trapezoids at different heights, the trapezoids will then “work” differently. We hung the trapeze so that Zabava could not reach it from the ground, but could easily jump from the trapeze to the ground.


In our complex, the trapeze is accessible from the sailor ladder, horizontal bar and wall bars, as well as from one of the upper monkey bars, and a disc swing is also available from the trapeze. Older children try to swing harder on the trapeze to reach the rings with their feet. It must be said that the suspension of the shells depends on height and, of course, we made it for our child. Observing children of different heights (the way they use our equipment), we admire their imagination: if something that is difficult for Fun turns out to be too simple for them, then they find some other way to use the equipment and the task as a whole does not become easier for them.

The rope in the complex is used in two three main ways: as a swing (for this you need to tie a loop at the bottom of the rope), as a way up or down (to a monkey bars or a nest and, accordingly, a way to quickly “slide” down from them) or as an intermediate projectile for moving along horizontally (for example, from the rings to the sailor’s ladder). Initially, the rope is difficult for a child. Even a child can climb up a pole only when he has already “gained” some dexterity and hand strength, and the rope, unlike a pole, is also dynamic.


Whether the rope will be used and loved by a child depends on several parameters. Firstly, the material from which the rope is made. In most outdoor playgrounds, the ropes are synthetic - they are not very pleasant for the hands and are not very grippy (slip). Like sailor's ladders, ropes have their roots in ship's rigging, where they were made from hemp. In construction stores we were able to find hemp rope of large diameter - it is rigid, but does not slip and is quite grippy. In our complex, we used two ropes made from large-diameter cotton rope, also purchased at a hardware store. The price to finished rope ratio is approximately 1:4 (the rope is obviously cheaper than the finished product). Ready-made rope for children's complexes exists in our diameter (about 30 mm), it can be thicker (32-34 mm) and, in our opinion, thicker would be better. But, knowing that our “homemade” ready-made rope is still poorly used, we decided to experiment. We tied one of the ropes at the end with a loop like a swing, the other with knots along the length for climbing. I myself am against knots, it seems to me that they are more likely to get in the way (after all, a special pleasure in using a rope is sliding down it), but the men of our family convinced me. Another important parameter: where exactly the rope is suspended. From my point of view, since the projectile is complex (requires mastery), its place should be indispensable. That is, it should be included in some route where its use provides many advantages, and not using it creates difficulties (forces you to take a detour). The logic is obvious: if there is something to replace the rope, then it will be replaced. This is what happened with one of the ropes. It hung on one side of the middle crossbar as a "way down" and as such was regularly used. But as soon as we made an alternative path on a nearby beam - climbing holds - the rope stopped being used. Going down the holds may not be easier, but it is more interesting. Older children began to use this rope as a support for jumping down. It was scary for a child about a meter tall to jump from a 1.30 meter crossbar, but when he picked up the rope, he did it easily. Finally, with regard to the rope as a swing, everything is even more obvious. Such a rope should hang away from the support poles, then its main advantage - the ability to swing all 360 degrees - will be used to the maximum.

At the top of our entire structure there is a nesting net, which we also received to order from Oleg Skripalev (to our sizes). The source of the idea was a small net stretched at our house (there it is the size of a hammock, here it is about 1.30 meters by 2.50 meters). The home nest has become our favorite: the children (Fun with Guests) carry toys into it, and Sasha watches movies in it. At the dacha, the idea was similar, but we implemented it, as they say, fundamentally “for growth.”


The fundamental purpose of this net, suspended at a height of about 2.5 meters, is obvious: it is the destination of high-altitude projectiles. You can get into the nest through the side of the wall bars (the path for adults) or into one of the two openings of the manholes from some high-altitude equipment: both sailor ladders, a short auxiliary monkey bars (made specifically to complicate possible paths), climbing holds on poles. Potentially, a gladiator net and an expanding rope ladder will be added, we are waiting for them. In general, so that there is a reason to climb up. The second purpose is also clear. The net is large (several children or an adult with a child can climb in), you can sit in it (grab a blanket and pillow) and read a book or play. At the height, observing the surroundings and the garden. This, of course, is not a “tree house” (we are going to have one), but nevertheless, it is quite a comfortable nest in which you can relax and retire. At the age of 4, we did not provoke Zabava to climb there, at that time her tier was middle and lower. She is careful and neat with us, and we appreciate that. Some children are put online by their parents, but we were in no hurry. But at the age of 5 she began to climb into the nest with everyone accessible ways(from all the rope ladders, nets and wall bars), even those that already seem inaccessible to us (adults).

Climbing holds

The idea of ​​the “inappropriate” use of climbing holds came to the mind of my mother (Zabava’s grandmother) when she watched Zabava holding on to a pole while standing on the crossbar and trying to reach the rope: if only she had something extra to cling to... How What's this for? There are special things for this, resistant to moisture, winter, weather changes, made to be used anywhere, including outdoors. We were stunned and decided to implement the idea.


We bought about 20 hooks and placed them on the posts: here and there. Somewhere to help, somewhere to complicate the route. We looked at where our daughter was trying to push off the posts with her feet or hold on to them with her hands: on the way to the rope, nest or pole. Around a pillar near the wall bars, which she tried to “peel off” in order to find herself in another plane. At the rings, in order to hold on to them, move your feet along the post, lift your legs onto the crossbar, as an alternative “path” to the middle crossbar. In general, we experimented. So far, the shells have “won” in a simpler way, but here and there, now one child, then another, will grab onto these hooks. In general, having studied the market for holds, we realized that for a price close to our complex (about 20 thousand in today’s times) you can make an excellent country climbing wall with your own hands, using an empty wall of the house (naturally, a street one). The topic is cool, and manufacturers of holds provide advice on creating your own climbing walls, and not just sell ready-made ones (the price of a ready-made and your own climbing wall will be comparable, but it’s more fun to make your own). We decided that this is our perspective for a couple of years in the future, when Zabava will develop his body and master his sports complex to perfection.

Does a sports complex even need swings (as such)? The question is controversial, because any child over two years old will be inclined to use anything that can swing as a swing. The favorite “swings” of our sports complex are sailor ladders, vines, a rope with a tied loop and even rings. Anything, anything that is dynamically suspended. Children love to swing: we have hammocks hung all over the garden; a magnificent swing-plate with a diameter of about a meter, which we bought at IKEA a long time ago, never sits idle on the veranda (it entertains our daughter when the adults sit too long at lunch or tea , she wants to be close, but she doesn’t want to sit still) and, of course, there is something to swing on on each floor of our house (in case bad weather). Key point: all this (for swinging) hangs separately: at home or in the garden. Why sculpt a swing into a complex if they can be used perfectly separately (by themselves), but it is difficult to integrate them into climbing routes? We decided to leave only two swings in the complex, mercilessly throwing away the excess. We left a regular wooden swing for the “little ones” and a disc swing. For what?


The purpose of the “baby” swing is obvious: it is mostly needed for babies (and ours hangs very low, so that a child of Funny height (93-94 cm) can climb on it and swing, pushing off the ground with his feet). The argument is clear: many of our guests come with several children, and while those who are already able to climb are climbing on the top of the complex, the kids need to be occupied with something nearby and below. Separate, so to speak, different children into different zones. With a disc swing the situation is different.


The disc swing is an extremely simple and cheap projectile to manufacture. It's just a disc on a string. The disc is not very large (although my adult butt fits on it quite well and I was even surprised that it was quite comfortable). On a rope that is not very thick (it should not replace a rope). Swinging on such a swing turned out to be like nothing else. Firstly, the disc is not stable - you can fall off it, although the height is such that there will be no harm from falling, that is, you need to balance and hold it with your buttocks (in general, not only the vestibular area develops, but the legs and butt). Secondly, like a rope with a loop, this thing has a swing range of 360 degrees - complete freedom to fly. And thirdly, the projectile is so minimalistic and hangs so low that it does not intersect almost anything in its path: having crashed into a hanging rope, you simply deflect it, do not hit, and the disk remains below the point of collision. Hanging a disc swing in a house or on a tree is more difficult: it is necessary that the trajectory does not intersect with either walls or the trunk. It is clear that the place for such a swing is somewhere in the center of the complex. Can it fit into climbing routes? It's difficult, but most likely yes. It’s not that it’s comfortable to climb onto, but the kids are constantly trying – it’s a challenge.

Difficult climbing routes

We have already written so much here about difficult routes that I think everything has become clear. Let's just summarize. The complex will live every day and not get boring if it provides high variability of climbing. Not only equipment for arms and legs, but also “food for the brain.” When the child comes up with a plan (“Mom, come watch me climb from the ladder onto the trapeze, spin there, and then, like a monkey, climb onto the horizontal bar” - this is a level of planning that is already accessible to a 3-year-old). Such small victories, small connections and elements of routes add up over time into an integral system; if you provide 3-4 possible transitions from each projectile, then such a system remains “open” - infinitely variable, not closed. Then you don’t get tired of climbing, even if the child is alone at the complex. As the child grows (and the complex, with modifications of the apparatus, the height and distance of their suspension, can remain relevant until adolescence), the routes, of course, will change, providing the necessary challenge. Oleg Skripalev talked about the great “Magellan Journey” of his childhood: when he had to go around all the projectiles of the complex in a circle, without ever descending to the ground. All these tasks that the child sets for himself become more and more complex. This is the development of the level of aspirations and the development of dexterity and strength. In general, in order to create such a system, you need to think about it, and when the child uses it, he will develop not only muscles, but also thinking, as well as planning and setting adequate tasks. Needless to say, the attempt to simply hang the apparatus in a row is a systemic mistake in this regard: it simplifies the whole idea, reducing it to the level of simple repetitions and motor skills. What attracts us most about the performances of gymnasts and circus performers? Of course, the flow of movements, their connection into a single number, the flow of some elements into others. It's like a dance! I always admire the work of the one who invented this “dance”. Where do such inventors appear? This ability to make a single integral “flow” from elements of movements is not given from birth, it also needs to be developed. Of course, in an environment that allows for variability.

Security at the complex

1. When to start? Many parents are afraid of falls and keep young children away from projectiles. In the picture below, a 2-year-old girl is hanging on our rings; no one hung her there. She came up herself, took out the rings herself (standing on her tiptoes from the ground), hung herself, raised her legs to the rings herself, hung and lowered her legs down herself, safely descending from the apparatus. She repeated this cycle dozens of times. This girl’s mother allowed her to climb as early as she wanted, and since she is growing up with a 4-year-old brother, she had someone to “trace” behind. If they ask me: who has a higher chance of injury (not only on equipment, but also in life), this girl or those whose mothers do not allow them to climb on their own, then the answer is obvious: this girl is remarkably dexterous, knows her strengths, knows how to do it correctly fall.


Pseudo-logical judgments of mothers of 2-year-olds: “Oh, there’s a swing here, it’s just for us, the rest is too early for us!”, “Why does this swing hang so low? Is the child clinging with his feet?”, “My daughter is too heavy.” for this lasagna (about a massive child)." There are hidden contradictions in these judgments. First, if it is too early, how will she know that the time has come if the baby does not develop gradually? It’s easier to start at 2 years old than at 6 (it’s easy to fall lower). Secondly, if a child is always only pushed on a swing, then how can he learn to swing on his own? Of course, a child can and should be pushed higher on a swing. For this purpose, we have hammocks in which it is convenient to swing on your own and swing from outside. But the skill of swinging, pushing off the ground, is difficult to obtain on a yard playground, because the swing must be adjusted to the height of a particular child. Children just have to learn to swing by moving the center of gravity (which is great in summer conditions, but difficult to do in bulky winter clothes). Thirdly, if a child is loose and (or) heavy, then he just needs to climb (and move more), otherwise how will he become more balanced and stronger? It will be difficult to make him move at 3-4 years old, but at 1.5-2 years old, when he is interested in everything, he is a little upset by falls (from the height of his height, of course) and his natural curiosity has not yet been repulsed; he perceives his (possibly excessive ) weight as a given and tries to cope with it. If you give him this opportunity, then by the age of 3-4 years there will be no excess weight and looseness left, or, if the constitution is such, it will be balanced by the gained strength of the arms and legs. Manufacturers of Early Start complexes suggest starting at 7 months. We bought an “early start” at 8 months and realized that they were right (it could have been earlier), despite the fact that we did not rush our daughter to walk early, there were simply some equipment (for example, a slide) that she really loved crawl, and my arms were well trained on the first horizontal bars. The question is that by the age of 2 she had outgrown this complex. In less than 2 years (approximately 1 year 8 months) we made a full-height (ceiling-length) complex in our apartment. Of course, it began to be fully used by the age of three (Zabava had no accelerating provocations), but by this time she had already mastered the lower tier well: her hands were strong and her brains were careful. So, we believe that we need to start early.

2. Less provocation from adults and more good examples of your own.
The second fundamental question: does the child need help at the complex? The answer to this is very subtle. You can help a little, but you just need to try not to provoke the child to do something for which he is not yet mentally and physically ready, and you shouldn’t relieve him of responsibility for his safety. A good example: children were shown how to hang from a bar upside down, holding on with their hands.


The result was the complete mastery of this technique by Zabava and her guests, repeatedly shown above in the section on horizontal bars. A bad example: with the same hanging, they provoked the child to let go of his hands ahead of time (until he himself realized that this was possible and did not understand how to fix his legs). The result was a fall when trying to let go of them on their own (well, if the child is trained, then he manages to twist out of this fall and land on his haunches, and not on his back or head). To avoid such “unpreparedness” and “provoked falls,” I generally avoid helping the child physically. As a last resort (in the case of a direct insistent request from a child who himself came up with this element in advance), I stand and belay nearby (without touching the child) or substitute my shoulder or arm as additional support, without taking on the child’s center of gravity (weight). The best way to show a new technique is actually to do it yourself - as in the example with the three Nikitin horizontal bars (or for older children to do the technique). Children pick up techniques from each other very quickly, but when they do it themselves (without provocation), they usually feel their limitations and capabilities. More precisely, initially children are able to sense them, if this sense is not disrupted.

How can you knock down this natural sense of your strengths and capabilities? Elementary. We all constantly see mothers on the playgrounds lifting their one-year-old son up a two-meter slide in their arms, and then catching him at the bottom with hooting. This is accepted everywhere. When a child is lifted, rolled and caught like a thing, he gets used to the fact that he will always be caught, the instinct of self-preservation breaks down. If a child a year learns to slowly climb the steps of this same slide on his own (two steps up - one down, often he just climbs up and down endlessly), then at every moment he feels what is available to him. Thus, the fun of riding from high slides came at the age of 2, and I never pushed her up, I waited until the ascent and descent from the stairs became accessible to her and when she wanted to slide down herself. Several times I caught myself with envy when I saw that Zabavina, who was the same age, was boldly climbing somewhere up. And she immediately realized her mistake when the same girl the same age fell from a height on the descent and, for example, twisted her leg. Then I was glad that my daughter was not “without brakes,” although her brakes were internal: we not only did not provoke her to climb to heights, but also did not “cut us off” when she finally decided to do so.


Thus, we did not relieve our daughter of responsibility for safety. Now she is more careful than most children; for example, in our complex she does not climb into the nest or on the monkey bars. We don’t provoke: when the time comes, she will climb on her own, let her first train on the bottom.

This principle would seem obvious. The swing should not crash into anything hard. If possible, several swinging projectiles should be allowed to be used at the same time. Apparently those who designed linear complexes thought about this (children will not crash), but they underestimated the needs of the child and the capabilities of the complexes. There is no need to try to ensure that the trajectories of the projectiles never intersect; you need to think about where 3-4 children can climb or swing at the same time without crashing into each other, while other projectiles (requiring space) wait their turn.


Many things, for example, whether the trajectory of a swinging vine will intersect with a sailor's ladder suspended diagonally, are visible better in place than in the sketch. Our design was a three-stage process: sketch, implementation (checking), adjustment. Several shells were moved by us as we used them.

All this concerns, of course, more shoes than clothes; children's country clothes are usually quite comfortable. Above there are photos of Zabava swinging on a disc swing in rubber boots. This is definitely an exception. It was a rainy day and Fun just swayed as it passed by. On a home complex, the principle of “climbing barefoot” is obvious. In 99% of cases, we adhere to this principle at the dacha. If children come in sandals with thick straps, this is still acceptable, but, of course, no rubber slippers like Crocs or flip-flops. By the way, there is almost never a need to talk about this: as a rule, children themselves take off their slippers and run to climb. It is more difficult for them if the weather outside is cold and rainy and they are still wearing socks and tights under their boots. In this case, of course, better sneakers or boots than rubber boots (we cut the grass below the complex lower). The child should feel his feet well and the shoes should not slip on the apparatus. Well, on a normal warm summer day, comfortable clothing at the country sports complex is minimal. As our Zabava says: “Today the circus performer forgot to put on her costume, but that’s okay, the performance will still take place!”

6. If whims begin, it is better to change your occupation. All parents know that sometimes children play, and sometimes they flirt. This is especially noticeable when several children are playing at the same time. Any parent feels that the happy screams have given way to hysterical ones: just a little more and they will start to hurt themselves and each other. At this moment, children need to be distracted from the complex and switched to another activity, this is obvious to us.

7. Learning to fall. The Nikitins wrote about this so well that I don’t even want to repeat it. When is a child best adapted to falling (from their own height)? Oddly enough, at the age of about a year, when he learns to walk. His body is set up for the fact that he will have to fall many times every day and endures falls without injury, his psyche is also set up for this, he hardly gets upset, he just gets up and moves on. Similarly with low implements, such as low horizontal bars or low-hanging rings: when a child is 1.5-2 years old and he does only what he can do, he will fall, but will not be injured (I do not consider cases when the child “flies away” "from the slide that his mother put him on 80% of the time). The child will gradually discover heights on his own and gradually train in the correct falls. If my daughter falls off the horizontal bar at 4 years old (from an average age, she doesn’t climb high ones), then she bends in the air and lands like a cat. This may be followed by tears, but these are tears of annoyance, not pain: she doesn’t like it when something doesn’t work out for her (of course, 3-4 year olds are already very suspicious in this regard). Similar to heights, speeds increase very slowly and gradually. When a child learns to fall, he only walks, when he jumps, rushes and runs, his falls, as a rule, are already physiological. Moreover, jumping from heights, which older children love so much. We cannot isolate, protect or prohibit (some parents can - we cannot, I would be scared, then he will not be prepared for the amplitudes of adult movements and falls from adult height). But we can allow you to train from scratch. Is it obvious? Unfortunately no. Otherwise, we would not see children on playgrounds who are led by the hood (so as not to fall) or constantly pulled by the hand (it is not the child who holds his mother’s hand or finger, but the mother who holds him tightly with her girth so that he does not stumble or slip). The Nikitins (“We, our children and grandchildren”) also have a lot about this, but all of this was clear to us even without the Nikitins. Do you need a soft mat in a sports complex? Controversial question, but the answer is similar: “As a rule, no.” The ideal surface for country sports complexes and their “working radius” is grass or sand. Naturally, this is not stone, crushed stone or concrete. A coating that you won’t get caught on and won’t scratch. The covering of urban playgrounds does not seem ideal to us for a summer residence: in the city it performs other functions; there it is necessary to maintain an oasis of cleanliness during the dirty and slushy season. The summer season, as a rule, ends long before the autumn dirt and winter slush. We chose grass.

Kindergarten in our dacha

Of course, the complex attracted neighbors and friends to our dacha. " Kindergarten“In our case, the concept is figurative, because schoolchildren also climb with great pleasure at the sports complex, thus expanding the social environment of our Fun.


As for me, it seems to me that dacha children rushing around the territory and from site to site: here is a sandbox, there is a “climbing room” (that’s what they themselves call the sports complex), here is a house, there is a pond or a trampoline - this is childhood . So come, friends, before the warm summer days are over, we’ll show you, tell you, just relax together and let the kids climb! Fun and I will be delighted!

Sports complex at the dacha: second season (continued, summer 2018)

A year has passed. The shells, packed in a container for the winter, were again taken out and hung on the sports complex. We also bought a trapeze, rings, an expanding ladder and a gladiator net. Optimized suspension. We added a parent hammock to the side (not inside the structure) to spend time nearby while the children climbed.


As a result, we have a design for at least 24 projectiles (if we count the climbing holds scattered across the supports as one projectile, and each crossbeam or pole separately). So now we have: five crossbars, two poles, two monkey bars, one gladiator net, one wall bars, two monkey bars, two ropes, two trapezes, two rings, two swings, one expanding ladder, one large nest net, at least 20 climbing holds and on the side hammock. Our daughter turned five and a son was born. The games have also become more complex. Today, my daughter has mastered all the apparatus and the full height of the complex, with the exception of the monkey bars (she hangs on them, but is still afraid to go through the monkey bars, although she has already begun to pass the monkey bars on playgrounds - she has enough arm strength, but ours hangs higher and she is cautious).

We now have two favorite “long-playing” games:
1. Voyage of Magellan. Alone and in company. This is a “round-the-world trip” during which you need to go through all the shells without ever descending to the ground. The difficulty lies in the fact that the complex is, in principle, better passable for a child whose height is suitable for the projectiles, while it is difficult for taller children to pass the rings, for example, which are suspended lower and “provoke” them to touch the ground. That is, Zabava easily copes with this task (but only after she was able to rise to the maximum height of other projectiles), and older children actually get pierced in the same way, although some other projectiles are easier for them to pass. The solution is to either hang the projectiles at a compromise height, or to end with a low-pass projectile. You can complicate the problem endlessly, for example, by introducing conditions that a projectile cannot be reused more than twice, or no more than 5 projectiles can be reused, or nothing can be reused. Or that you need to leave each shell not the same way you came. Perhaps in some of these types the problem will turn out to be unsolvable, but children will find their own loopholes or optimize its rules.
2. Circus. You can play alone with spectators. Tickets are being sold, seats and desserts are being prepared. We sit and watch our daughter climb, who must hold out for a certain time without falling to the ground or stopping. For some reason she likes the hour time. Surprisingly, for her this hour passes quite unnoticed, and we have time to calmly drink tea nearby if we have stocked it in advance. The daughter has her favorite paths and has new numbers (calls), which she is not too lazy to shout about in advance in order to attract our attention. If I need to “add some courage,” then I turn on the commentator mode (as in Magellan’s Voyage). Instead of a “commentator,” you can turn on music for motor improvisation; this goes well with us after dance classes. Overall, there is a feeling that the daughter has made a dramatic leap in her agility and climbing ability and that there is still a lot of room for improvement. And, so that she has room to grow endlessly, from time to time we go to a real circus and show her real gymnasts and acrobats.

Links

1. Skripalev V.S. Our family stadium
2. Pavlova E.N. Do-it-yourself home sports complex or to order
3. Skripalev sports complexes. Sports complexes based on individual projects. Do-it-yourself and to order

Individual consultations

Step-by-step photo instructions: how to make a playground with your own hands. Tips, drawings, videos.

You can make a full-fledged children's playground with a slide, stairs, balcony, rope, manhole and swing with your own hands. The following guide will help you with this. It contains many detailed photos, so there will be no problems with the manufacture of structural elements and their installation.

Getting ready for work

To begin with, we purchase the material we need - boards 15x2 cm and 5x2 cm and timber with sections 10x5 cm, 10x10 cm and 5x5 cm.

We prepare the following tools:

• electric drill;
• electric jigsaw;
• grinder;
• hammer;
• roulette;
• level.

During the work process, you may need some additional small things like a screwdriver, knife, etc.

Making supports

Pre-prepare a project for the future complex. On the drawing, indicate the desired overall dimensions of each element of the system. Consider the size of the existing construction site.

• we cut the timber into pieces for arranging support posts and crossbars;
• sanding wooden elements;
• saturate the sanded wood.

Average length supports – 900-1150 mm. About 80-100 cm of each support will be dug into the ground, about 10-15 cm will remain above the ground.

We lay out the supporting elements on the site in accordance with the project and form a frame - two side parts of our future complex. For connection we use screws with a diameter of 8-10 mm. We embed them into the wood. We close the holes with plugs.

Sandbox prices

sandbox

We place the sides on supports, fixing them in pre-prepared recesses. At this stage, we enlist the help of 1-3 people. We set the sides according to the level. It is recommended to first lay bricks under the bottom of each support for better stability of the site. We fill the installed supports with 10-15 cm of crushed stone and fill them with concrete mixture.

We connect the exposed supports with transverse beams. We leave the fill to gain strength.

Making a staircase

While the concrete hardens, we are constructing the stairs. Cut the timber to the required length. The design of the staircase is extremely simple: 2 stringers and steps. We make the steps not too high - the playground is still for children.

We tighten the stringers using hairpins. We fasten the steps into the recesses and additionally fix them with self-tapping screws.

We dig in support pillars for the future staircase. We maintain the required slope. Let's make it not too cool. The procedure for arranging the supports remains the same as in the previous section.

Let's try on the stairs. We level it, attach it to the base and fill the supports with concrete. Painting the stairs.

Next we make the railings. To do this, we set up vertical posts made of timber, attach them to the stairs, and then secure the handrails. We make the top handrail from a board and fasten it at a height of about 90 cm; we fix the second handrail approximately in the middle between the top railing and the stairs. To make it, we can use timber 5x5 cm, 5x2 cm or another similar section.

Making a slide

What is a children's playground without a slide? Let's do that too! We won’t spend money on a ready-made plastic trigger. We won’t bother with metal either. Let's make a slide out of wood!

First we will assemble the slide and then attach it to the base. Recommendations for laying the floor will be given below.

To make the structure we will need the following material:

• timber measuring 70x10x5 cm - 2 pieces;
• boards 220x15x2 cm - 5 pieces;
• timber 45x10x5 cm – 5 pieces.

We will use three boards to make a base for the descent. We plan the boards to the same thickness and sand them thoroughly. After this, we fasten the boards with bars directly along the surface. We fasten it from above - this way we can pull the boards to the beam as efficiently as possible. We recess the fasteners into the wood. We cover the recesses for wood processing. Let it dry, and then carefully sand the entire slide again - it should be as smooth as possible.

The base is done. Let's start making the side parts. Determine the angle of descent. The top floor of our play complex will be at a height of 130 cm. Therefore, the angle of descent will be about 55 degrees.

Prices for children's slides

children's slide

We sand the sides, getting rid of sharp corners. Additionally, we round the boards along the length so that it is more convenient for children to hold on to the sides while going down the slide.

All that remains is to paint the product. You can cover it with stain and then varnish.

Now we need to install the finished slide. To do this, we concrete the timber supports in pre-dug holes. Suitable material with dimensions of 70x10x5 cm. Pre-impregnate the wood with an antiseptic.

We connect the base of the slide with the support posts and the play complex using screws.

Making the floor and railings

The floor of our play complex is laid out from 15x2.5 cm boards. The total length of the floor is approximately 2.5 m. Before laying the floor, we attach stiffeners to the frame of the complex. A 5x10 cm beam is suitable for their manufacture.

At the same stage, we construct a vertical ladder from the end. To assemble it, we use 2x5 cm planks. At the end of the work, we will hang a rope near this ladder. Recommendations for arranging railings have already been given earlier. We follow them. On the side of the steps, instead of railings from boards, we install 5x10 beams to create a manhole.

At this stage, we will assemble and install the support structure for the swing and arrange the access hole. We make the support for the upper beam crosswise - it’s more stable. We first make a selection for convenient joining of the beams and additionally tighten them with bolts. We lay a cross beam on top of the supports and press it with a clamp. We screw it to the support.

Digging holes for racks. We install supports in them, carefully checking each level. At the same stage, we screw spacers to the posts - they will prevent the supports from moving during the concrete hardening process. We fill the holes with the posts with a small layer of crushed stone and concrete them.

Pits for racks

While the concrete pour is gaining strength, we make a manhole. We make the slope almost vertical. We arrange steps and cutouts at our discretion. We cut out the holes using a jigsaw. We make the hole itself from OSB and attach it to a frame made of 5x5 cm timber and 5x2 cm crossbars.

We are installing a balcony on the top floor. To do this, we lay and secure the crossbars, lay the floor and erect a roof the length of the stairs. On the side of the slide we attach a wall made of OSB sheet. To make it more beautiful, we cut out a small window in it. We make railings on the balcony.

We sand all the wooden elements installed at this stage. We round off sharp corners and ends. We cover everything with varnish.

So that children at the dacha or near the house do not explore the beds or other places where they should not be, they need a corner that is interesting to them. As a rule, parents come to the idea of ​​​​the need to create a playground or a sports corner - it depends on the age and desires of the children. A self-made playground is good because during its construction you can provide for the possibility of its gradual transformation. After all, what suits 2-3 year olds no longer appeals to 5-6 year olds, and even more so to older children. And besides, a do-it-yourself playground is often built not so much for reasons of economy, but rather out of a desire to please the child: who knows better than the parents what your child likes... Some people need a pirate ship, and others need their own, real house with a porch, a door and all the necessary attributes.

DIY Danish playground - a place for your favorite offspring to play in the country or in the yard

Choosing a location

It will be a difficult task to solve. Firstly, it is desirable that the playground be viewed from the house, and from the room in which someone is located most of the time. Ideal if the site is visible from several rooms or points. Secondly, it should be located away from outbuildings with “aromas”, if there are any. Thirdly, it is advisable to take into account the fertility of the soil: an infertile area or one with complex geology can be allocated for the gaming complex: there is no need to dig into the ground too much, maximum - bury the pillars 30-40 cm deep.

When choosing a location, it’s a good idea to place a children’s play corner near a wall or a permanent fence. These zones can be fully used, and in this case they can be used for games. For example, make a mini-climbing wall on the wall, attach rope ladders, a slate board and other devices no less interesting for children. You probably know what your children like, and if you don’t know, you can find out: there are enough fences and walls, place different devices in different areas and observe where your child lingers longer. So, find out which games he is more drawn to, and you will know in which direction to move next.

A slate board on a fence is fun for children and develops fine motor skills.

Lighting also needs to be taken into account. The place where children play should not be constantly in the shade, but the sun is also not needed. Approximately 2/3 of the area should be in the shade (, swing), and 1/3 in the sun - if there is a zone active games. If there is no shade on the site, you will have to come up with a canopy or put up a large umbrella.

At the same time, please ensure that there is no constant draft in the area of ​​the proposed site. Children, of course, need to be hardened, but not in this way. Even when choosing a place for a nursery play area, pay attention to the fact that there are no electrical appliances or any switchboards, machines or other similar devices located nearby. Children are curious and inventive, so it's best not to take risks.

What area is needed

A little about the area that needs to be allocated for a children's playground. Small children don't need much space - a sandbox, a few very simple equipment, a small pool if you think it's possible. It's nice to have a lawn or a flat, smooth piece of land with some suitable covering where you can lie around to your heart's content. That's all. An area of ​​4-5 square meters is enough for all this. meters.

For small children, it is advisable to fence off the area. This will give you the opportunity not to be constantly nearby, but to do your own thing nearby: your children will be visible and safe. The fence can be anything - it’s a matter of your imagination, desire and capabilities. The main requirement is that it must be safe and durable or completely inaccessible to children. For example, like the chain-link mesh you see in the photo above. It comes with a plastic coating in bright colors and does not look as harsh as the usual one.

Chain-link mesh with PVC coating is a good option for fencing playgrounds

If for some reason you don’t like this option, you can put up a picket fence that will be about the height of the children’s shoulders; the distance between adjacent planks should be such that their heads cannot fit through it. Pickets can be painted with different colors.

Picket fence - a familiar fence in an unusual design

Just make sure that the tops are rounded and do not have sharp corners, and that they are well processed: splinters are very frustrating for children. The picket fence must be secured firmly. With the expectation that children will definitely hang on them and jump.

Rope fencing is rarely used, but it looks good and performs its functions perfectly: durable, safe, and aesthetically attractive.

Rope fence for a playground - durable, inexpensive, reliable and safe

For older children, the fence is a relic. For them, the field of activity is the entire site, and only something truly interesting can distract them. More space is also needed here. If possible, give children under 7 years old 8-9 m2, from 7 to 12 years old - up to 12 m2. There is already a more serious set of shells, which is why larger areas are required.

Playground covering

This is a complex topic with very difficult choices. While children are small, it is perfect for them (there is a special composition of herbs with high abrasion resistance). He is not so attractive in appearance, but he is able to endure little mischief-makers with almost no damage. The disadvantage of lawns is the need for regular maintenance: watering, mowing, etc.

For small children, the ideal surface for the playground is lawn grass.

The lawn can no longer cope with the load from the games of older children. Especially in the area of ​​active games: near slides, swings. These are the most problematic areas. If you leave these areas “as they are,” then when it rains, a puddle will form under them, and after a couple of “rides,” it will turn into a swamp. There is a good solution: make a drainage pad out of crushed stone, and pour sand on top of it or lay a rubber covering like what is used in stadiums. It is durable and strong.

To remove moisture from the playground area, remove the soil to a depth of 15-20 cm, fill and compact crushed stone, pour sand on top and also compact it. Both layers are approximately 10-15 cm each. During construction, you can stop there: landing on such a site is already good. But the sand is gradually being pulled away and will have to be renewed periodically. You can lay out a rubber mat. This is more serious, you just need to make a slight slope so that the water rolls off it during rain. Some people simply install rubber mats, which are replaced as they wear out.

Another solution is to fill the entire area with fine, sifted sand. It will need to be leveled and topped up periodically, but this is perhaps the most practical solution.

Sand playground covering is “quick and hassle-free”

Another option is to add crushed bark. Another question is that not everyone has the opportunity to take this bark. But if there is, try it. The coating is soft and non-traumatic. You just need to chop it well and remove any chips that may be there.

The more technologically advanced ones include the following:

• Regupol. Factory rubber coating, laid on a flat concrete or asphalt base. Cost - $25-70 per square meter.
• Rubber crumb coating with added binder. It is poured onto a prepared leveled area (you can use compacted sand laid on top of crushed stone). Price - $25-80 per square meter.
• Modular high density PVC systems. Plates that are connected like puzzles. The price per square is $50-70.
• Artificial grass. It is laid on a prepared base of quartz sand and rubber crumbs and requires water drainage. Depending on the height of the pile, it costs from $40 to $80.

It's hard to choose. There are too many mutually exclusive demands and desires, but you have to choose something. The most common option is lawn, the second most popular is sand. The remaining coatings are applied only in places - in the most “loaded” parts.

Choosing equipment for the playground

It is best to plan elements of a playground with children. After all, it is for them that you are going to build a play area, and it is their desires that you need to listen to. Often we try to reproduce what in our understanding should be interesting for them, and then we are surprised that the children play anywhere, but not on the playground that was built with such love. All because you have fulfilled your desires and expectations, not children’s. Listen to what the child wants, visit guests who already have similar facilities, see where the child spends more time. On this basis it is already possible to build something.

For children, the playground must have a sandbox. This develops their coordination and allows them to develop faster. The usual design - four boards - is not a problem to knock down, but I want it to be beautiful as well. A sandbox machine will be interesting for boys. It is made of moisture-resistant laminated plywood painted in two colors.

Under the hood is a toy box. Inside the cabin, there is also an “entrance” to this box.

In general, wooden cars are great fun for boys. They are busy there enthusiastically. another option from an old barrel.

By the way, you can also arrange a sandbox in the back...

Another interesting idea is how to make a shadow over the playing area: fix a rod at a height, throw an awning over it, making a kind of tent. It’s not hot, and there’s shade.

Almost a ship...

Children's houses

The most popular part of a play corner among children is their own house, where they can hide from the all-seeing eye of adults and set their own rules. For children, it doesn’t matter what their house is built from. They play well in a tent made of fabric, a hut made of branches. There are many designs that are quickly and easily “built”. Moreover, even the little ones can be involved in this construction: it will be even more interesting to play in a house built with your own hands.

For example, a hut. Watch children playing. This is exactly the building that they erect most often. In different regions they call it differently: some as their “headquarters”, others as their “home”, hut, hut. They usually use sticks, blankets, and other available materials. The following several designs of houses for children were made based on this “house construction”.

The cheapest way to build a summer children's house: put several poles in a hut, plant bindweed around it and wait a couple of weeks for them to grow. This living hut can have any shape: in the form of a cone, as in the photo, a traditional hut, more like a house, etc. Tie the poles together with twine, plastic clamps or something similar. It is only important to ensure a sufficiently stable frame, otherwise naughty children may topple the structure.

In general, there is no need to wait until the plants grow. You can sew a fabric cover, make an entrance like in a wigwam... There are a lot of possibilities for using your imagination.

Fast and absolutely safe way to build a children's hut - fasten panels of fabric to a hoop. Hang this structure, for example, on a tree. Lay out the mats under it and attach the panels to the edges. It will turn out to be an excellent summer house in which children will feel cool and comfortable.

A hut made of hoop and fabric - fast, cheap, safe

Moreover, this design is suitable not only for girls. Hang camouflage netting or camouflage fabric on the hoop. The boys will definitely set up their headquarters in it.

If your child dreams of a house like yours, there are even more options. It is usually built using frame technology: pillars are buried in the corners, and the lower and upper frames are attached to them. The lower frame is the base for the floor, the top one is the base for the ceiling. If the house is planned to be high, a sandbox is often placed below. The house located on top protects it from rain and sun.

If the house is planned at ground level, construction can be started differently. Place the blocks on which it will stand level, lay timber on them (80*80 mm or 100*100 mm), connect it into a rectangle, fasten the corners with metal overlay plates. Then attach the racks to the bottom frame in the corners, which will become a support for the walls and roof.

Some children like to have a house, just like adults: with a porch, a real door and window, a sofa... Parents have also done this more than once. The basis is the same: timber from which the frame of the building is assembled, and it is sheathed depending on desire. It’s faster to work with sheet material, such as waterproof plywood, longer with boards or clapboard.

A house like from a fairy tale - carved, on a stump

Slides for children

Slides are no less popular with kids. The fast descent is a lot of fun. This is where difficulties arise for parents. What to make a children's slide from? The traditional coating - a sheet of stainless steel - has now become very expensive, and leaving it on the street unattended is dangerous - it will be carried away. Ordinary steel will not work - it rusts very quickly, so you have to look for a replacement. There are several options:

Moreover, they very rarely make a slide at the dacha or near the house. Usually this is only part of the play complex, which includes various equipment: rope and ordinary ladders with different angles of inclination, hanging paths, nets, swings on chains or ropes, poles with crossbars and, in general, everything you can think of. You will find some ideas below in the photo gallery.

Wooden slide - only part play corner for children at the dacha Set of stairs, swings with a children's slide

Swing

Hanging ones are popular not only among children, but also among adults. There are quite a few different options- from models for babies to older children. You saw some of them in the photo above. To create such entertainment, you do not need many materials: chains or ropes on which the seat will be attached.

If you use ropes, you need to regularly check their condition: they become less durable from exposure to the sun and can fray. Chains are more reliable in this regard: they can withstand heavy loads, but they pose another danger: when the chain links move, they can pinch the skin. It is very painful and results in large bruises. But there is a way out. In order to hold on safely, hoses are put on the chain in those places where they are grasped with hands. Their shell protects the hands of children and adults who swing the swing (or ride themselves).

The only problem is that curious kids love to pick at the pipes, so look at them periodically. Sometimes covers made of very dense fabric such as tarpaulin are used as a protective layer.

Questions often arise about how to attach chains or ropes to the crossbar. The most popular solution is carabiners. But they have two drawbacks: when rocking, they creak quite a lot, and they gradually wear out. The rate of wear depends on the mass of swinging children (they do not always sit on the swing alone) and on the intensity of use. Both problems can be partially solved by periodic lubrication, but only partially. The second option is to use bearings, but you can’t do without welding. See the photo below for several options on how to attach a swing to a crossbar.

Where can I get such devices? In stores selling rigging. Perhaps you will find other ideas there.

The question often arises: how and from what to make a seat. Yes, from anything. Even from a tire or from a piece of tarpaulin, an old chair - wooden or plastic, just a piece of board. Craftsmen manage to use an old chair.

A circle tied with ropes is a great option

An old chair on a swing - why not?

Having slightly modified them and hung them only slightly above the ground, we teach not a swing, but a simulator for developing balance. The option with a skateboard will be especially interesting for boys. And on the wide platform you can swing while sitting...

Stairs and walkways

Stairs are one of the key elements that connects all the disparate parts into a single whole, allowing you to move from one projectile to another. They are made from well-treated wood. The steps should be round (at least 5 cm in diameter so that they are easy to grasp with your hands) and straight. You can make rope steps: they are harder to climb, but they develop coordination well.

Rope climb - difficult, but very interesting to overcome

Hang a rope net on one side and make a rope ladder. It’s not for nothing that rope projectiles are present in all extreme shows. They are safe, but require well-developed coordination and dexterity. At first it’s hard for the kids, but it’s precisely these “projectiles” that they are drawn to.

A rope wall and ladder are a great way to make your play area more interesting.

Here is the basic set of elements from which children's playgrounds are assembled. For older boys, you can add a horizontal bar and rings. They already need to develop not only coordination, but also muscular strength. In general, there can be a lot of ideas. Some of them are in the photo below. We hope that the playground made by your efforts will bring joy to the children and pleasure to you: it’s always nice to look at something you’ve made with your own hands.

Photos of playgrounds and elements

A water mattress in the heat is the best place to relax

Descending from a platform made of ropes - for coordination of movements

Children's playground with a house on high legs - drawing with dimensions

One of the options for a children's house with a sandbox under one roof

Hemp is a convenient projectile

Children's corner - pirate ship

Metal complex - for those who know how to weld metal

To prevent children from digging around in beds, flower beds and other places where they are not supposed to be during a country holiday, you need to have a special corner on the territory of the dacha that would be interesting to them. In most cases, such a corner becomes a small children's playground. It can also be an open-air sports corner. Much depends on the wishes of the children themselves and their age. A self-created children's playground at the dacha is distinguished by the fact that during its operation there is the possibility of its gradual transformation. Agree that games that 2-3 year olds liked are no longer suitable for 5-6 year olds. In addition, playgrounds, as a rule, are built with their own hands not in order to save money, but in order to please their child, because no one except the parent knows what is best for his child! For some, it is better to build a simple house with a porch, for others, a “castle” is needed, and for others, you can only please with a platform in the form of a pirate ship with the appropriate attributes.

During construction children's corner There is more than one difficult problem to solve:

• The first step is to ensure that the playground remains visible from the house, and from the room where any of the adults will be for a long time. The ideal option is when the site is visible from several rooms at once;
• In addition, the playroom should be located away from utility buildings, if any, on the site;
• It is important to take into account the fertility and landscape of the land where construction is planned: for a children’s playground it is worth allocating an area with poor geology and infertile soil.

When building swings and other play structures, you do not need to dig deep into the ground; it will be enough to dig a trench 30-40 centimeters deep to install the pillars.

When determining a location, it would be a good idea to place the site near a permanent fence or near a wall. For example, it will look great here, besides, the listed areas are rarely fully used, remaining, as a rule, unused.

Alternatively, you can create a kind of design on the wall mini climbing wall, installing for children, for example, a slate board, various rope ladders and other interesting items for games.

You probably know what exactly your child likes most, and if not, you can always find out! At the same time, there are usually enough walls and fences on the territory, so install other interesting devices at the dacha, observing exactly where your child will spend more time. This will allow you to find out what specific games your child is passionate about, giving the right direction for the further development of the playground.

An important point is lighting level play area - children should not be in a poorly lit place or in the shade. At the same time, you shouldn’t leave them in an open area where the sun shines for a long time! Alternatively, you can place one third of the site in the sun, for example, an active games area or a swimming pool, and the remaining part in the shade, where a swing or sandbox will be located.

If it so happens that summer cottage If there is no shade, then you will have to take additional care of creating a large umbrella or canopy.

Don’t forget about drafts, which should not exist on the playground. Of course, children should harden themselves, but drafts will only cause frequent colds.

In addition to outbuildings, it is prohibited for slot machines, electrical appliances and other similar devices to be located near the children's play area. Don't forget that children are extremely inventive and curious!

What should a playground be like?

A few words about the place where the children's playground will be located. Children do not need a large space to play - just a few simple shells with a sandbox are enough. If you wish, you can. It would not be a bad idea to have some flat area or lawn with a clean surface on the territory, where, if desired, you can always just lie down on a warm summer day. For all of the above, an area of ​​4-5 square meters is quite enough.

In the case of small children, it is recommended to fence the area! This approach will save you from the need to constantly be present with your child, because the baby will already remain safe and visible. As for the fence itself, it can be made of any materials. The same applies to appearance. Here the matter is limited only by your capabilities, desire and imagination.

The main requirement for fencing a children's area is inaccessibility for children, strength and safety. Based on this, you can use mesh which is shown in the photo below. It is equipped with a special multi-colored plastic coating, making the fence look less harsh than usual.

If chain-link mesh isn't your style, a picket fence might work. At the same time, the gaps between them should remain small so that the child cannot stick his head through the fence. In terms of height, the distance to the child’s shoulders will be sufficient. The finished design can be decorated with various designs and colors.

Important point! Be sure to round off the tops of the picket fence. In addition, the material should be carefully processed so that the baby does not get splinters while playing. The installation of the fence must be done conscientiously, taking into account that children can jump and hang on them.

Fences made of ropes look attractive. This element meets all the requirements: it is attractive, reliable, and most importantly safe.

Examples of playgrounds using ropes:

For older guys, the fence is a relic of the past. Children can play both throughout the suburban area and beyond, and therefore, to keep the child, you will have to come up with something truly interesting. The dimensions will also have to be increased. For 7-year-olds, it is worth allocating at least 8-9 square meters for games; 12-year-olds will already need about 12 meters. In the latter case, the shells will also be more serious!

Choice of coverage

This point is one of the most difficult, since the modern variety of materials can confuse many buyers. As long as the children remain small, it is considered an excellent choice lawn covering. In this case, the choice should fall on the sports version, and not the ceremonial one. In the first case, the composition will be characterized by greater abrasion resistance. Of course, such a lawn will not be the most attractive in the eyes of guests, but it will be able to withstand almost all impacts from your children.

The main disadvantage of lawn coverage was and remains that it needs to be looked after: trimmed, watered, etc.

This option is perfect until the kids grow up! With age, the impact on the grass layer will increase, especially in places of active games, be it a swing or a slide. As practice shows, these places are considered the most problematic. Leave them as is, and after the rain you will find puddles there, which after several “races” will quickly develop into a swampy mixture.

Alternatively, it can be done on site drainage crushed stone cushion, placing a rubber coating or sand on top. Everyone is familiar with rubber coverings from stadiums - they are very durable and, most importantly, durable!

You can rid the playground of moisture if you remove a 15-20 cm layer of soil in advance and place compacted crushed stone and sand in its place. Moreover, both materials should be placed equally, 10-15 centimeters thick. When constructing and arranging a suburban area, this will be enough. The only thing is that over time, the sand is carried away from the playground throughout the dacha area, so it will have to be renewed.

Another solution is rubber mat. This method is considered more serious.

Advice! When using a rubber mat, be sure to set a slight slope so that when it rains, water does not accumulate on the surface.

You can also limit yourself to small rubber mats, which are simply replaced during use as needed.

Some summer residents choose fine sand to fill the playground, which is sifted throughout the entire territory. It is worth noting that with this approach, sand will have to be added and leveled from time to time. However, despite this, this method is perhaps the most practical today.

A good solution may be to implement an embankment of crushed bark. Of course, not everyone can get bark, but if you are lucky, then feel free to use this opportunity - the finished coating is considered safe and soft.

When choosing crushed bark, you should make sure that there are no slivers left in the composition!

Among the more technological solutions:

• Artificial grass . It spreads on a pre-prepared base made of rubberized crumbs and quartz sand. The coating needs to drain water. Based on the height of the pile, the cost can fluctuate around $40-80 per square meter;
• Regupol . It is a factory-type rubber coating that is placed on top of a flat surface of asphalt or concrete. The issue price is limited to $25-70 per square;
• Dense PVC systems of modular type . Made like slabs, held together like a puzzle. Cost per square meter – 50-70 dollars;
• Covering made of rubber crumb and binder . The composition is poured over a flat prepared area, for example, made of crushed stone and sand. Price per square is about 25-80 dollars.

Of course, making a choice among the presented options is not easy - there are too many mutually exclusive desires and requirements. However, you still have to make a choice. Often the playground is equipped with lawn grass. In second place is sand. The remaining coatings, as a rule, are used by summer residents only in the most “loaded” areas.

Playground equipment

It is best to plan a playground together with children, since they are the ones who will frolic there. Based on this, you should listen carefully to their wishes. Often, parents try to do what they think will be the most interesting and exciting for the child, after which they wonder why their child spends time and plays everywhere except the playground you built with love. And the answer is that your wishes turned out to be realized, not your children’s!

Before building a play area, it is recommended to first visit friends and guests who already have similar buildings in their yard, and observe what structures your child is playing near. Only then can you plan and create your own solution!

Slide at the dacha

The slides have always been of great interest to children. You yourself remember how a quick descent down gave you a lot of pleasure. This is where the first difficulties begin, affecting the features of the choice of material. The traditional one is, of course, stainless steel, which today has become not the cheapest material. In addition, there is always a risk that such a slide will simply be carried away. Ordinary steel is also not suitable, as it will soon begin to rust.

Available options include:

• Any with a smooth surface, covered with a layer of acrylic on top. The idea is apparently experimental, but could pay off;
• Ready-made plastic tray . Disadvantage - you will have to create a slide based on the existing dimensions;
• Make a slide with your own hands made of wood , polishing all surfaces well. Of course, this kind of design will not be able to provide children with a high-speed descent, but it is absolutely safe. Also, when choosing, it is worth considering that older children are unlikely to find such a slide very interesting;
• Alternatively, you can try cover the wood frame with slippery material , For example, . For this purpose, trimmings offered on the construction market are perfect. They will need to be well fixed on the sides of the building. The finished slide will last at least a year, it will be safe to ride on it, and the surface will remain smooth. Of course, the design of the slide can hardly be called presentable, but here everything depends on the skill of the owner.

As a rule, a slide in a dacha is extremely rarely performed as a separate element - it is usually implemented in conjunction with other playground equipment, be it pillars with crossbars, rope ladders, swings, paths, nets, etc. Weight interesting ideas will be offered at the end of the article in our photo selection.

Suspended walkways with stairs

Stairs have always been one of the most important components for a playground. This element, similarly, connects various parts and components into one whole, making it possible to quickly move between projectiles. The stairs are assembled from carefully processed wood.

As for the steps, they can be either straight or round, and in the latter case it is better to make the diameter at least 5 centimeters so that it is as comfortable as possible for children to grasp with their hands while playing. Nothing stops you from realizing it rope steps which will stimulate the development of coordination in children.

Place a rope ladder or net along one side. Remember how often similar elements can be seen in various extreme television shows. They develop dexterity and coordination while remaining as safe as possible. At first, it will not be easy for a child to climb the rope, but it is precisely these “projectiles” that children are most drawn to.

Sandbox

A modern children's playground simply cannot be imagined without a sandbox. This simple element of the landscape promotes faster development of the child, simultaneously training his coordination. The most simple option there will be a structure consisting of 4 boards, which will not be difficult to knock down even for a novice master. However, many will probably want to make something more beautiful and unique with their own hands. For example, it would be much more interesting for a boy to spend time in the yard in a sandbox in the shape of a car. Excellent as a material moisture resistant laminated plywood.

A great idea would be to place a toy box behind the hood of the “car”, accessible from inside the sandbox.

It would be a good idea to provide shade over the play area so that the child does not get too hot to play. To do this, you can fix a small rod at a height, and then throw an awning over it, thus creating a kind of tent.

DIY children's house

It's no secret that the playhouse is always the most popular on the playground. There, kids can always hide from the all-seeing adult eye. At the same time, as a rule, it does not matter to the baby what material the children's playhouse is made of. A simple hut made of branches, a fabric tent, or a full-fledged one will do for the game. Today there are many different structures that are erected as quickly and easily as possible. In some cases, building a house is possible even with the participation of little helpers.

Usually children build huts to play. Moreover, in different regions of our country they can be called completely differently: halabuda, headquarters, hut, house, etc. Ordinary sticks with blankets and other available materials are often used.

The most budget-friendly option would be to build a summer children's house with your own hands. To do this, it will be enough to lay out several poles in the hut and plant a loach near them. After just a few weeks, the loach will grow, creating an original shelter. As for the shape, it can be done in absolutely any way, from a small cone to a full-fledged structure.

Fix the poles together using a plastic clamp or twine. Be sure to make a strong frame, otherwise playful kids may topple the structure.

In general, it is not at all necessary to wait until the wigwam grows, because you can cover the poles with a fabric cover, thereby creating a kind of wigwam.

It will be even faster and easier to make a children’s playhouse on the playground if you fasten the fabric over the hoop, for example, on a tree. Below there will be mats where children will play. This will create a cozy and cool place.

For boys, instead of fabric, camouflage fabric or mesh that imitates headquarters is perfect.

If your child wants to get a house similar to yours, then there are even more options for construction! Typically, such structures are built frame: pillars are placed in the corners, where strapping is made at the top and bottom. The top one is for the ceiling, the bottom one is for the floor. When creating high house it makes sense to place a sandbox under it, which will be protected from the sun and precipitation by the upper component.

When deciding to build a house on the ground, you can go another way: place the blocks level, on top of which place a beam with a section of 100 by 100 or 80 by 80 millimeters. Make a rectangle, securing the corners overlaid metal plates. Finally, fix the posts at the bottom of the frame in the corners, thereby creating supports for the roof and walls.

Many children will love it if the playground at the dacha includes a house with a sofa, windows, doors and even a porch. Here the frame made of timber will serve as the basis. Sheathing is at your own discretion, but things will go much faster with sheet material, for example, plywood; you will have to work longer with clapboard and boards.

Swing

Hanging swings are very popular not only among children, adults also love to ride on them! There are many different options for the playground, from products for very young children to models for adults. Some possible options are presented in the photo below.

In general, for this kind of entertainment you will need very little material, just a rope or chain on which the seat will be placed.

When using a rope, it is worth considering that the rope becomes less durable over time when exposed to the sun. In addition, it can fray, so you will have to periodically check the reliability of the children's swing in the country.

Considering the above, many people prefer chain swing, because they are more reliable and durable. However, this choice has a different danger: the chain can move when rolling and pinch the skin of your hands! To avoid this, it is worth placing the hoses in places where your hands will come into contact with the chain. But don’t forget that kids love to pick at pipes, which is why the hoses will have to be examined after some time. Covers made of thick tarpaulin or fabric are also suitable for replacing the pipes.

Often, when creating a swing on a playground, a question arises related to the method of fixing the rope or chain to the crossbar. The most popular method was and remains the use carbines. However, they have a couple of disadvantages. Firstly, they are short-lived and wear out soon. Secondly, when rolling they squeak a lot, which is annoying. At the same time, the durability of carabiners often depends on the intensity of use and the weight of the child or children who do not like to ride alone. Both disadvantages are partially solved by lubrication. Alternatively, you can use bearings, but then you will have to tinker with welding.

You can find everything you need in stores that sell rigging.

The next question is the choice of material for the seat. You can do it yourself from any material, even from an old plastic or wooden chair, tire, board or tarpaulin. Some craftsmen even manage to use an entire chair for this.

By slightly modifying the original product and placing it slightly above ground level, we get a real simulator that allows us to develop balance. Boys will love the skateboard, on which they can swing while standing.

To sum it up

We have listed the main products that can be equipped with a children's playground in the country. For older children, place rings or a horizontal bar, because boys need to further develop their muscles. There can be many ideas for creating a play area with your own hands; some of them are presented in our photo gallery. We hope that in the end you will get a playground that will bring only joy and fun to your children, and as a result to you. Good luck!