Swings, Pool, and Sandbox: What to Include in a Homemade Playground

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I managed to build a children's playground for 43,515 Rubles and I consider it a bargain.

In 2018, I purchased a private house in Cherepovets, but the plot lacked any amenities for children. I immediately started building a children's playground that turned out to be no less impressive than a good children's complex in a courtyard.

In this article, I'll share where I managed to save money and why I had to redo the roof of the baby stroller several times.

The appearance of the plot at the time of purchase

Our six-hundred-square-meter plot initially had almost nothing on it. There were three apple seedlings in front of the house, which a dog soon gnawed, and the rest of the space was vacant.

We have two daughters - six and two years old. When we bought the house, the youngest was not yet born, but we were already planning a second child, so we immediately thought about how to arrange a playground for two children. It was necessary to take into account the age difference and make universal play equipment that would interest both daughters.

We also had to solve the issue of storing strollers and other children's transport. We have little space in the corridor - in addition to shoes and clothes, there is also a boiler and pipes from the well. In the summer, we also kept scooters and bicycles here.

We didn't have a budget for the playground and other work because all the money went to buying and renovating the house. We decided to start with what can be done with our own hands: swings and a sandbox, and factory items - a pool and a trampoline - to buy later.

 

 

 

Swing

My wife asked me to make a swing for two seats: one - a regular wooden seat, and the second - a round "nest" of strong ropes, which we planned to order from an online store. Both swings need one support. This was in the summer of 2018.

I bought for $17 several bars 100 by 100 mm and sanded them with a bolgar with a special wheel until the surface became smooth. This was necessary so the kids wouldn't accidentally plant a splinter.

I sawed out the supports and fastened them in the form of a triangle, because such a construction is more stable than a U-shaped base. This way the swing will not tumble forward or backward over time. Then I dug holes with a shovel, buried the supports and leveled everything according to the level. The only possible problem was that the supports could fall on their sides, but I planned to concrete them.

On the finished supports I planned to put the cross beam to which the seats are attached.

 

The triangular supports are the most reliable. In three years, the swing has not swayed and is standing upright

At the same time I was building a boiler house, and we ordered a mixer with concrete for its foundation. I poured the leftover concrete from the mixer into an ordinary garden wheelbarrow. It was just enough to concrete the supports for the swing set. That way I didn't have to mess around and mix the mortar.

Then I put the cross beam - the same 100 × 100 mm timber. I drilled holes in the beam and put threaded metal spokes through them. To the spokes I fastened eye-nuts - heavy-duty steel rings with threads. Seats are usually suspended on ropes, cables or chains. I attached chains to the rings and hung carabiners on them. I don't remember how much the eye-nuts cost, but the chains were in my garage a long time ago.

 

I chose chains over ropes for their reliability and easy height adjustment by attaching different links to the carabiner.

I constructed a flat seat from two boards: I sanded them, secured them with metal plates, created fasteners for carabiners, and adjusted the height.

My wife purchased a "nest" for $60, which came with ropes for hanging. In 15 minutes, we had the entire structure securely assembled.

When our second daughter was born, my wife added a third, plastic seat with sides to the swing. This design ensures the baby will not fall out. It cost 300 ₽ and was placed between the wooden seat and the "nest", using the existing fasteners.

We made an error in painting the swing with the cheapest PF enamel. We bought two cans for 180 ₽, enough for the entire structure. However, after the first winter, the paint began to peel. Following a sunny summer, the surface started to resemble the weathered wooden facades of old rustic houses. I used a bolt cutter to remove the peeling paint cleanly in two hours. We now plan to repaint the swing with Finnish paint.

Building the swing took me two weekends, partly because I was also constructing a boiler house at the same time.

 

This is what the swing looks like now. The beam on the grass serves as a bench for one of the parents when the young daughter needs to be rocked on the plastic seat with sides

Sandbox

The next season, summer 2019, we made a sandbox. On the Internet looked at different options, but all the designs were the same: small sandboxes 1 × 1 m with lids to cover the sand from cats and dogs.

We decided to make a large sandbox, almost three meters long, so that two children could play freely. It was difficult to make a lid for such a structure, and it would have been even harder to handle, so we gave up on it.

The front of the work looked like this:

1. Prepare the base in the place where the sandbox will stand.
2. Make a wooden frame.
3. Trim and paint everything.
4. Fill with sand.

 

This is one of the sandbox options we saw on the internet. But I didn't like it, so we made up our own

Frame. I was in the mood to saw wood, not to dig the ground for the base, so I started with the frame. I took the remains of a board 150 × 25 mm, which I used for insulation of the facade, sawed to the required dimensions and fastened with self-tapping screws into a rectangle. As a bundle I used a 50 × 50 mm bar.

I treated the frame with a protective-decorative impregnation to prevent rot, as the structure will stand on the ground. I managed to save money on impregnation: once I left a request for testing a new composition on the forum "Forumhouse", and they just sent me a jar to try. I poured the impregnation into the sprayer, so I had enough for several layers.

 

This is the sandbox before treatment with impregnation and painting. I rounded all the corners and ends of the boards with a lobed disk of a Bulgarian drill, so that the children would not be hurt if they hit it

 

I received the impregnation for free in exchange for posting a review. I reported that it was effective and colorless, aligning with the manufacturer's claims.

Foundation. I started by digging a small hole where I planned to place the sandbox. I lined it with geotextile, a material that prevents grass from sprouting and sand from being absorbed into the ground. I had leftover geotextile from previous foundation work.

Painting. Based on our experience with the swings, we decided to use high-quality paint for the sandbox. The paint has held up well for two years. We used leftover paint from my mother-in-law's house painting project.

Sand was generously given to us by a neighbor who had leftover from construction. I transported it over a few days using a garden wheelbarrow.

However, we encountered a problem with a cat using the sandbox as a toilet and ants being attracted to the sand. My wife suggested covering the sandbox with an old advertising banner when not in use. I found a used banner seller on "Avito" and chose a "Pyaterochka" advertisement banner for $9 in their garage.

By covering the sandbox regularly, the cat lost interest. I also relocated a nearby anthill, which resolved the ant issue.

Building the sandbox took me one weekend day.

 

We often forget to cover the sandbox with a tarp, but the cat has adapted and no longer goes there.

Trampoline

My eldest daughter received a trampoline as a gift from her mother-in-law for her birthday in 2019. The trampoline, costing $160, took about an hour to assemble.

The trampoline has become the favorite play equipment, especially when friends visit with their children.

Trampoline's Cost in 2019

The trampoline cost $160 in 2019.

Initially, we were concerned about the safety of multiple children on the trampoline, particularly with our two-year-old daughter. However, she quickly learned to jump without bumping into anyone. Thankfully, no child has been bruised or injured on our trampoline in the past two years.

During winter, we disassemble the trampoline and store it in the garage. We then set it back up in the spring.

 

Our lot is on a slope, and to level the trampoline, I put a board under one of the supports

 

I was always afraid that strong winds would overturn the trampoline or, even worse, send it crashing into the fence. In July 2021, during a storm, it happened. Neither the trampoline nor the fence was damaged. Some neighbors weren't as lucky; their trampolines were broken with the metal arcs bent and the plastic ones cracked.

Pool

Due to the hot summers, we decided to get a pool. We tried several cheap inflatable children's pools, but they had many disadvantages.

Inflation took a long time. Inflating the pool took an entire hour and was exhausting. I used a car compressor, connecting it directly to the battery. It was still inconvenient as we had to bring the pool to the car, connect the compressor and constantly monitor the pressure to avoid tearing the pool's coating.

Limited space. The models we tried could barely fit two children and the water only reached the older one's waist.

Durability issues. Some models kept deflating for no apparent reason. Another pool was damaged by a branch that flew off while I was trimming the grass.

We decided to buy a frame pool. The dense base is stretched over a metal frame, creating a large basin. Another advantage is that a frame pool doesn't need to be inflated.

We bought a "Intex" model, sized 1600 × 2600 mm. It comfortably fits an adult, holds 2.2 m³ of water and cost 57$. The same model now costs nearly 70$.

Assembling a frame pool was easy, but preparing a spot for it was challenging. Our site was sloped, so I dug a trough for the pool to stand flat. However, the metal supports either rested on bumps or sunk into the ground under the weight of the water. I tried several times, even using boards under the metal legs, but nothing worked. I had to accept it.

Due to the pool being directly on the ground, two other problems arose.

Draining and cleaning was inconvenient. We needed to do this every two or three weeks due to the water becoming cloudy after rains and debris getting into it. The drain valve was located 10 cm above the bottom on the side, making it impossible to drain all the water. We had to disassemble one side of the supports and lift the other side to drain the water.

After draining, the pool had to be cleaned. My wife and I did this together: I lifted the pool, and she washed the inside with a garden hose and mop. The process took about half an hour. The pool's bottom was always dirty since it sat directly on the bare ground. I always ended up covered in dirt after cleaning. Although we could have placed a tarp under the pool, we haven't done so yet.

 

You can see from the water level that the pool is standing unevenly. But we decided to ignore it

  

I use a trimmer and am always afraid to work near the pool because the fishing line can puncture the rubber. Because of this, there is always overgrowth around the pool.

I was planning to make a platform for the pool out of planks, and in turn set it on bricks. I was thinking of using the natural slope and pulling out the bricks on the underside when cleaning is needed: the valve will drop down and you can drain almost all the water. It would also be safe to mow the grass.

In 2020, I estimated that the material for such a platform would cost me $80. According to my calculations, a dozen six-meter boards were required. However, in the summer of 2021 they already cost 140$. In the end, I gave up on this idea.

 

Stroller Room

Previously, we stored our children's bicycles and scooters in the hallway. As our collection of vehicles grew, including a tricycle and a stroller with pedals for our youngest daughter, along with our adult bicycles, we needed a new solution. We often left them outside, but they would be wet in the morning if it rained overnight. This was problematic, especially when I used my bike to commute to work. Furthermore, the bike shop informed us that the rain had washed all the grease off the chain. That's when we thought of creating a parking area.

In 2020, I decided to use an empty corner of the house for covered parking for strollers and bikes. The idea was to build a simple canopy to protect our vehicles from rain.

Foundation. I used bricks and stones to create a foundation and laid roofing felt on top. This ensured that the wood wouldn't come into contact with the foundation, preventing moisture absorption and decay. Then, I treated the profiled timber with an antiseptic and placed it on the roofing felt. This process took one evening.

Frame. I purchased a dozen three-meter-long bars of 40 × 40 mm for $7 and constructed the frame of the stroller room. The bars were attached with a metal corner. Rather than constructing a solid wall on the street side, I decided to create blinds with gaps. This was a cost-effective solution, and it allows us to easily see our bikes.

I bought 50 × 10 mm laths from a construction store for $8 and nailed them at equal intervals to create louvers. The entire structure was then treated with antiseptic, and my wife painted the laths white.

Flooring. I used 200 × 25 mm boards, which were previously used to temporarily cover the house corners. This took one weekend.

Roof. I ordered metal tiles from a metal depot for $20. However, I made a mistake with the roof's slope, which was too gentle, causing snow to accumulate in winter. I had to disassemble the roof, adjust the frame, and redo everything.

Another issue arose a year later when my wife noticed that the strollers and bicycles were occasionally wet due to leakage. After some investigation, I realized that the moisture was condensing on the inside of the roof because I hadn't installed a moisture barrier film.

To fix this, I removed the roof again and installed OSB sheets, which I managed to buy before a significant price increase for $6. On top of the OSB, I added damp-proofing film before reinstalling the metal roofing. This solved the problem. It took three hours to reconstruct the roof.

Currently, there isn't any lighting in the stroller room. I plan to install a waterproof light fixture and a ramp to make rolling strollers and bicycles easier. 

Before we built the stroller room, we didn't use the space in this corner of the house in any way: grass was growing here

 

This is the first version of the stroller room. I don't drink, but for some reason the roof is almost horizontal

The second version of the stroller room. The angle of the roof is sharper. Under the metal tile you can see OSB sheets, on them I put a film. The floor on the photo is not finished yet

 

In winter, we keep sleds and shovels in the stroller room. Snow still accumulates on the roof, but not much. I periodically climb onto the snowdrift and shovel the snow off just in case

A Place for Mommy

When our youngest daughter turned two, my wife went out for a half-day remote job. Outside, we had a garden swing, on which my wife worked on her laptop for the first time. But the swing was on an open porch, and you can't always see the kids from there.

To make it comfortable for my wife to work while the kids are playing on the playground, I bought a plastic table and chair from Leroy Merlin. The table cost $28 and the chair cost $14.

I didn't make the outdoor furniture myself because it would have taken a lot of time. We also thought that factory plastic furniture would be easier to take apart and put away for the winter than homemade wooden furniture.

$42 worth of outdoor workspace was needed

So far we haven't solved the sun issue: wherever you put the desk, the laptop screen on it glares from the sunlight. We have a small umbrella that sticks into the ground, but it's not much use. Perhaps in time I will come up with some sort of awning over the veranda, for now it is open.

 

The garden swings are sideways to the playground and the children are not always visible from here

 

The store table and chair proved to be convenient because they are easily movable. They can be placed by the trampoline or pool, ensuring children that their mother isn't far away.

Results and Plans

Over three years, organizing the playground cost $420. The bulk of this expense was on building materials and factory-made products, such as a swimming pool, which were impossible to make ourselves. Fortunately, we saved a considerable amount by utilizing leftover materials from house construction and renovations.

During winter, we store the trampoline and pool in the garage. Sometimes, we also store the sandbox's banner in the garage, but occasionally leave it outside. For preservation, I winterize the outdoor water supply by cutting off the line with a faucet in the sub-floor and draining the water through a specially made pipe to prevent pipe bursts.

Beside the sandbox, I create a snow slide in the winter, which we water from buckets for children to enjoy.

I also planned to build a small frame playhouse for year-round use. I've already made a simple pole foundation from four gas blocks and began building a frame from leftover boards.

The plan was to cover the cabin walls with OSB sheets. However, the cost of one OSB sheet in our city has increased from $6 to $25 in 2021. Prices for metal, which I intended for the roof, and boards for the floor, have also risen. As a result, I've paused this project, but the foundation remains.

Regardless, I still hope to complete the playhouse. I may use different building materials, like second-grade lumber for the paneling. With careful selection at the sawmill, it's possible to find worthwhile material.

 

The gas blocks were given to me by a neighbor, and the timber was left over from the construction of the house. I didn't bother too much with fasteners: I didn't saw bowls in the timber, but just put them in place. After all, I was making a children's summer house, not a full-fledged house

 

While the Future Playhouse Grows Overgrown with Grass

What I've Learned

1. Saving money doesn't only involve doing everything yourself. By maximizing the use of leftover building materials, some elements of the site will essentially be free. For example, the sandbox didn't cost me anything if you don't count the banner.
2. If you have a sandbox in the yard, consider adding a hand basin. This way, children can wash their hands and feet before going inside.
3. It's essential to have not only a playground but also a space for adults. Plan in advance where parents can rest or work while supervising their children on the playground.
4. If you don't have a garage, a small annex to the house can store strollers, bicycles, scooters, and sleds. Building a full-fledged shed can be expensive, but a simple frame and roof will protect children's transportation from rain.
5. The playground shouldn't consume all the free space in the yard. Instead, place playground equipment closer to each other to leave room for other activities, like running or playing ball.