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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Placement of Play Equipment/Garden
Abigail 06:05 PM 05-25-2012
I am stressing out! I have to decide where in our backyard I want to place the play equipment because we're going to be placing a fall zone and sand this weekend. NONE of my friends are available now as they left town to give me their thoughts. In the future or soon I would love to learn how to plant a garden too so that is another thing I don't want to place in the wrong spot. Any ideas or websites to lead me to???
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itlw8 07:40 PM 05-25-2012
Do you have any shade? That is where a playground should go. afternoon shade is ideal.

A vegetable garden needs full sun and close to water.
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dEHmom 10:29 PM 05-25-2012
I second the pp on the shade. It's nice if you can place it near afternoon shade.


As for the garden, it's a good idea to build it in a space that suits your growing needs. Some veggies like full afternoon sun, while others much prefer morning sun and afternoon shade.

i find my garden is perfect facing south but with a lattuce on the south side to give it some shade. My cucumbers love it.



I also tend to keep things built around the edge of my yard. my playstructure is sort of T shaped (slide one way monkey bars opposite and the swings straight down the middle), i had a perfect space where i could have the monkey bars follow the L shaped fence.
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Abigail 08:56 AM 05-26-2012
Those are good suggestions. We only have one tree which provides very little shade and only in the morning. We actually spend our time outside between 10 and noon. Then we don't go out until 4 and are back inside before 5 for potty breaks and closing. I really need morning shade more.

We are going to be putting up a fence and purchasing trees this year but none of that will really give shade. I am thinking about making shade by having my dad install a few poles into the ground and draping fabric over it. We're tried umbrella shade but that constantly wants to blow away and it is ever hit a kid they'ld be hurt big time.

We're going to be making a rectangular area for the playground which currently consists of the Little Tikes 8 n 1 plastic climber/slide (without the climbing tube connecting so it's really two separate pieces) and one of those Little Tikes Alligator teeter-totters. Towards the end of the summer I'll buy a swingset on clearance. My kids are all young so no swing set is needed yet.

So really our entire yard is 90% sun. It comes down to how far back from the house we want it and whether we want it to be on the east side, central (next to the deck) or towards the west where the neighbors yard always smells like dog poo. I'm down to whether it should be way over next to the to 20 foot tree on the east for some morning shade or whether I should have it more central near the deck so I can use the lower level deck (3 steps up) to use as a framework to create shade with the fabric so less holes in the ground I guess.

Oh yeah, we're doing it rectangular because we're trying sand under outdoor carpeting. It's not so much of a fall zone than it is just a different floor covering. I wish I could afford the 2" foam mats that comfort for a 4-foot fall, but they're $200 or so for a 4 by 6 foot piece. Ultimately that is what I would want over mulch. I just don't want mulch or sand dragged into the yard. That is why we'll put down outdoor carpeting.
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dEHmom 07:18 AM 05-28-2012
have you seen those outdoor deck shaders??? I have no idea what they are called, but they are basically like this. Just slats of wood (i imagine lattuce would do the same thing) where it still allows sun through, but does provide shade so you can enjoy outside when it's really hot.
google patio shades, or gazebos


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Abigail 06:22 PM 05-28-2012
Originally Posted by dEHmom:
have you seen those outdoor deck shaders??? I have no idea what they are called, but they are basically like this. Just slats of wood (i imagine lattuce would do the same thing) where it still allows sun through, but does provide shade so you can enjoy outside when it's really hot.
google patio shades, or gazebos

That would be something, but I don't want the playground area to be a focal point in the yard.

Just an update......we are almost done installing our playground border after about 10 hours of work! It's made of brown/cedar composite fencing so it will last for years. Then we matched up the same material for a mower strip along the edge. The fence posts are 2 by 4 and that it the height of the edging 4 inches. It looks SO NICE right now. We have a heavy duty tarp laying under it so water will drain towards the back of the yard since it's on a slight slop and all the grass under it will eventually die. The total cost was about $250. The total size is 12 feet by 23 feet! We will soon be putting sand in and calling it good. I will see how the kids do with access to the sand or later down the road I can cover it with outdoor carpeting or replace with foam or rubber squares. The basic look is amazing though and really clearly identifies the play area.
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Tags:equipment placement, fall zone, garden, outdoor toys, sand, toys
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