Four Ideas for a Children’s Garden Area for 2025

Instead of buying your children some conventional Christmas presents this year, why not go for something more active and create a dedicated area for them in the garden? Here Madingley Mulch, who can supply play sand and bark for customers in and around Cambridge, come up with some cheap and cheerful suggestions which needn’t cost the earth (even though one or two of them do involve soil!).

 

Obstacle Courses and Racetracks

Many children love an element of competition when it comes to outdoor play. You can collect a load of different equipment and supply some stop watches so they can set up their own obstacle course in your garden.

It needn’t be too expensive – root out any old tyres, skipping ropes, a football, a plank of wood to balance on and a net to scrabble under. This is also a great way to get some use out of old items, and you can always rearrange the course to mix up the fun.

Old pillowcases are ideal for sack races for younger children and almost anything can be balanced on a to spoon to add an additional element of risk

And if you do want to go down the traditional route of slides and swings, laying down some play area bark – which we can supply to customers in Essex, Suffolk and out home county of Cambridgeshire will ensure that your children won’t hurt themselves if they do take a tumble.

 

A Vegetable Patch

Why not try letting your children grow their own vegetables in a raised bed? By creating a separate area for their agricultural efforts, it won’t affect anything else in your garden and is a great opportunity for children to learn more about plants and how to look after them.

A good sunny spot will make the best home for your raised garden, meaning that the seedlings will have the best chance of sprouting. Prepare the surface underneath by clearing away debris and ensuring the ground is level. You can position garden beds on the lawn, soil and even concrete areas (although if you’re working on concrete, add some drainage with a layer of gravel before putting your bed into position).

Another great idea is to let your children add some character by painting the sleepers. Our softwood and sawn oak sleepers make for ideal raised beds and have a whole host of other uses too, including steps, terraces and decks.

To give their plants a helping hand, we exclusively stock Denise’s Delight, our specialist product which combines the benefits of soil and compost. Its mix of plant nutrients (including fen soil and horse manure) should give the seedlings every chance of success as it works particularly well in raised beds.

Also, they don’t have to grow fruit and veg – they could grow flowers as well, as pictured above. The Royal Horticultural Society recommends hardy annuals such as sunflowers, poppies and pot marigolds, as they all germinate quickly and are easy to grow from seed.

 

A Back Yard Beach

In the summertime, you don’t have to go all the way to the coast to have fun – play sand is a more than adequate substitute. Add in buckets and spades and some water to recreate the seaside experience at home! (Ice creams and fruit drinks are optional extras)

At Madingley Mulch, we can supply play sand which is free of stones and does not stain –  so you shouldn’t have to worry about your youngsters injuring themselves, or ruining their clothes.

 

Create a Wild Area

For a taste of the ‘wild’ in your play area, revive a neglected corner by letting everything grow naturally. You can also encourage your children to make their own bird feeders or set up a wormery.

Carefully-constructed piles of rocks, bricks, logs, twigs and leaves will attract beetles, spiders, and all sorts of other creatures which make a vital contribution to your garden’s eco-system – so you will again be teaching your children about the natural world with plenty of play.

 

Play Sand in Cambridge from Madingley Mulch

All these products and many more are available by clicking on this link and browsing our online shop.

If you have any questions about any of them, then feel free to call us on 01954 212144. If you can’t fit some of the bigger items into your car, don’t worry as we also offer a delivery service. It operates on a sliding scale so it’s cheaper the closer you live – for more details follow this link. The current lead time for deliveries is between 3-8 days from placing our order.

---

Back to blog