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This element brings the garden to eye level for up close observation and full sensory play. Small children will love digging, planting, watering, bug catching, or building small worlds within the plants from leaves and twigs. It's great to include fragrant flowers and plants or ones with interesting textures, like sage or lamb's ears.The garden can also include edible plants, herbs and vegetables. Bite size vegetables, like snap peas or cherry tomatoes are good picks as they are plentiful and will grow back quickly.

Follow the link to get the step-by-step instructions for building your own “Sensory Garden."(Note: must create a free user account to see full instructions.)

Got an idea for a playground element?Join our community and submit your designs here.

The "Swing Truck Tire Hammock" is one of our tried and true, very favorite designs. It is perfect for preschool age children and is best placed in a quiet, shady area for daydreaming, gently swaying, napping, or chatting with friends. Placed near a book station, it would also work well as an outdoor reading spot. Here are a few of the "Swing Truck Tire Hammocks" we've built over the years:

Follow the link to get the step-by-step instructions for building your own “Swing Truck Tire Hammock."(Note: must create a free user account to see full instructions.)

Got an idea for a playground element?Join our community and submit your designs here.

The "Triple Shrimp" is a fun swirly-gig of tires kids will love leaping over, jumping off, or burrowing under. Check out this variationKathleen Paananen built during her Peace Corps term in Thailand.

Follow the link to get the step-by-step instructions for building your own “Triple Shrimp."(Note: must create a free user account to see full instructions.)

Got an idea for a playground element?Join our community and submit your designs here.

The "Concrete Cubby" first came to life during Playground Ideas' early years on the Thai/Burma border. In that area, pre-made concrete rings were available in every hardware district for next to nothing. This element was designed to make use of this resource by crafting a stacked ring cubby house topped by a timber platform.

If you're building in an area where concrete rings are cheap and accessible, this is a great element option. If, however, you are not, apply the same practice this element was inspired from. Wherever in the world you are building, spend some time exploring the industrial areas, scrap metal yards, and hardware shops. Poke around, ask questions, and inquire prices. You never know what treasure you might find or the play masterpiece it may inspire.

Follow the link to get the step-by-step instructions for building your own “Cubby House Concrete."(Note: must create a free user account to see full instructions.)

Got an idea for a playground element?Join our community and submit your designs here.