Better a broken arm than a broken spirit.

One of the best parts of Spring Break was getting to build a natural playground in our background. We wanted a space close to our house where our kids (and the rest of the kids in the neighborhood) could create and play while they exercised their imaginations.

We already had a climbing tree and a trampoline, so we decided to connect them along with a new climbing structure that we were planning to build. Our neighbors were excited about the idea, and jumped in to help us. We got a bunch of stumps from a woodpile and cut the long ones in half with the dullest chainsaw in the world (seriously, it took a couple of minutes to make a cut) to use as part of a path from the trampoline over to another tree that would anchor the climbing ropes.

The best part is, it became a creative project that can keep on going. Several kids have dreamed up the next phases: plants growing on the teepee structures, a tree house that can be reached via a swinging bridge, a water feature, a toy car track, the list goes on and on!

Everybody helped!

The kids set up an art show for the neighbors.
They were selling their art so that they could save up for a rocket ship.

Art everywhere.

Ainsley tries out the noisemakers.

There's something about a path: potential.

A candle holding limb inspired by Maisha House.
Shells and coral from our trip to the coast over New Years, glass from Kittengela.

While Kirk worked on setting up the climbing ropes like the rigging on a ship (but in reverse, with the ropes closer at the bottom and wider at the top), the kids all painted and colored the stumps and the paver pieces which we used to make a winding path to the climbing tree. We also hung some plastic containers with beans, popcorn, and rice in them as noisemakers.

One of the best parts of building the play space was when other kids from the neighborhood showed up to help and contribute their own ideas.

The stump path, the noisemakers, and the climbing rigging.

Ainsley climbing

The path from the rigging through the banana plants to the trampoline.

Two paths come together: one from the rigging, one from the climbing tree.

Winding path to the climbing tree.

The teepees in the background are the next project...
planting morning glories and snap peas at their bases to create some shade.

In the climbing tree.