Building a Backyard Family Area
Posted by Kryssie on Sep 22, 2008
How often have we all seen in magazines, on TV or in movies families
enjoying their backyard family areas? Perhaps it was a picnic table, a
swing set and sandbox for the children; and we thought, “Gee, it must
be nice.” Well, that fictional portrayal of a lovely family
get-together can realistically exist in your own backyard?
You could build a wooden swing set or take advantage of a tree with
an overhanging branch from which a home made swing, either with a
wooden seat or a tire, could be hung. Believe it or not, swings don’t
require chains. There was a time when swings were hung with ropes and
almost every family in the neighborhood with children had one. With its
simplicity, there is no reason why you could not bring this old trend
back to life.
Another idea is to take four long boards of the desired size nailed
together to make a great sandbox. There is probably a construction
company not too far away that would be happy to sell you enough sand to
fill a child’s sandbox. Add an old sifter, some containers and spoons
or shovels, as well as possibly toy cars and dump trucks, and your
child has one of the best outdoor activities in the neighborhood.
Don’t forget the older kids. How about a fun game of horseshoes?
Who says there has to be a certain amount of feet from which you stand
from the stake? The point of the game is to have fun, isn’t it? As long
as the distance is the same for everyone, with a possible exception
made for the littlest ones, the challenge is the same.
Some other easy and popular games might include adding a basketball
hoop with a homemade backstop, fastened to the side of the house or to
a tree. Or how about badminton or croquet? These things don’t have to
stay up all the time. It only takes moments to put one up and your
family can have as much fun as the millionaire with his tennis courts.
A picnic table can be easily made with two wooden saw horses as a
foundation and a piece of compressed plywood of the desired size.
What we desire when we see the backyard family areas on television
or elsewhere isn’t the things that they have; but rather, the
togetherness time they seem to be having. A small budget coupled
together with some ingenuity can allow that togetherness time to belong
to you and your family.
Other Interesting Articles
|
|