Outdoor Equipment

[Pipsqueak]

Can anyone point me in the direction of outdoor play equipment sites please that are resonably priced and not aimed specifically at nursery settings (you know - packs that £250 and you buy xyz and you can buy this pack at £100).

I am looking for physical development toys rather than just ride on's and push alongs.

cheers

[Polly2]

Just been reading Helen Bilton 'Outdoor learning in the early years' fab book!

According to her children should be building dens with blankets and sleeping bags, playing with water by building their own water tracks with drain pipe, constructing with milk crates, bricks and wood blocks, playing with mud...

Sorry bit off topic - its just she has inspired me lol!! I would like one of those natural looking climbing frames though but they are so expensive!

[The Juggler]

have you tried b&q or argos?

[crazyhazy]

Maybe I'm being dim but surely all outdoor toys aid physical development, ride ons, scooters, space hoppers, trampolines, swings, slides, bikes?! We recently got a tp challenger climbing frame from here http://www.activitytoysdirect.com/ and the service was great, plus they price matched tesco who couldn't actually deliver for over a month but had a great deal on.

[manjay]

Just been reading Helen Bilton 'Outdoor learning in the early years' fab book!

According to her children should be building dens with blankets and sleeping bags, playing with water by building their own water tracks with drain pipe, constructing with milk crates, bricks and wood blocks, playing with mud...

Sorry bit off topic - its just she has inspired me lol!! I would like one of those natural looking climbing frames though but they are so expensive!

Sorry I am also off topic but I too am completely inspired by my outdoor environment research. I am in the process of trying to "de-plastic" my environment and fill it with open ended resources. My lo's are here right now trying to help each other build the tallest tower possible with a load of tesco delivery crates!!!

Sorry, not much help Pip:rolleyes:

[FussyElmo]

Just been reading Helen Bilton 'Outdoor learning in the early years' fab book!

According to her children should be building dens with blankets and sleeping bags, playing with water by building their own water tracks with drain pipe, constructing with milk crates, bricks and wood blocks, playing with mud...

Sorry bit off topic - its just she has inspired me lol!! I would like one of those natural looking climbing frames though but they are so expensive!

Fab book and it does really make you think about what equipment you do actually need. Saw her at a conference a months back and she was brilliant :clapping: :clapping: :clapping:

Sorry Pip thats no help

[Pipsqueak]

no its quite alright I already have the crates and planks and pallets and boxes, climbing and ride on's and so on.
What I wanted is those stepping stone thingys that helps with balance etc.
I saw (ages ago) some in wood but for the life of me cannot remember where I saw them - typically.

What I might do though is get Bri to saw me some tree trunks into rounds - iyswim.

[The Juggler]

no its quite alright I already have the crates and planks and pallets and boxes, climbing and ride on's and so on.
What I wanted is those stepping stone thingys that helps with balance etc.
I saw (ages ago) some in wood but for the life of me cannot remember where I saw them - typically.

What I might do though is get Bri to saw me some tree trunks into rounds - iyswim.

also someone told me kwikfit will let you have their old bald tyres- they'd be good stepping stones/balance aids.

[FussyElmo]

also someone told me kwikfit will let you have their old bald tyres- they'd be good stepping stones/balance aids.

A lot of places will as they get charged for disposing of them :thumbsup:

[TammyN]

ive been on mark making outdoors training today, it was fab :clapping:
have you looked at Little book of mark making, little book of outdoors and a book by Jan white, all have fab idea's in.

i liked the idea of ribbong, wind chimes, tyres, logs, willow weaving on fences with ribbon, etc.
im sure you could make stepping stones cheaper than purchasing from a catalogue and would be much more natural! ive decided to so my research project on Outdoor environment, i enjoyed the training:clapping: that much.
have you looked in to 'forest school' great idea's there for outdoors pip!

Tammy xx

[Polly2]

Sorry I am also off topic but I too am completely inspired by my outdoor environment research. I am in the process of trying to "de-plastic" my environment and fill it with open ended resources. My lo's are here right now trying to help each other build the tallest tower possible with a load of tesco delivery crates!!!

Sorry, not much help Pip:rolleyes:

How did you manage to get hold of crates hun? My tesco man wouldn't give me any? :(

[manjay]

How did you manage to get hold of crates hun? My tesco man wouldn't give me any? :(

One of my families live on a farm. They managed to aquire a pallet load from somewhere and donated some to me!

I had some training earlier in the week from Claire Warden and she is an inspirational speaker! I am now a woman on a mission:rolleyes:

[Polly2]

You lucky thing - not fair :crying:

[SYLVIA]

Sorry I am also off topic but I too am completely inspired by my outdoor environment research. I am in the process of trying to "de-plastic" my environment and fill it with open ended resources. My lo's are here right now trying to help each other build the tallest tower possible with a load of tesco delivery crates!!!

Sorry, not much help Pip:rolleyes:

I know its still plastic but i.ve got a quadro set that was my daughters. This has the LO's using their building skills and imagination. Last year their pirate ship led to a day spent on a dessert island. It has endless possibilities

[kindredspirits]

is quadro that stuff that is red tubes with black connectors?? i remember them from a kid but cant for the life of me find anything like that anymore - i love the idea of getting it for my son as he's a real builder!!

[SYLVIA]

is quadro that stuff that is red tubes with black connectors?? i remember them from a kid but cant for the life of me find anything like that anymore - i love the idea of getting it for my son as he's a real builder!!

Sorry for the delayed reply - yes thats it. Mine love it. There is a quadro website you can order from but not many stores still stock it. Im still using the kit thats now 20 years old and it's still strong

[Pipsqueak]

Right, I have found a 'giant' outdoor jenga for £18 plus P&P on ebay
yapped to Bri and he is going to sort me out some sawn up tree trunk stepping stones and 'balance beam' (handy having a woodman fella) - he is going to nip over to his brothers timber yard and permanantly borrow some offcuts:D

once I have planted the ideas in his head, he comes up with some wonderful ideas..... funny that he thinks the guttering on the fence idea is his!:D
oh and the bamboo cane weaving loom.......:rolleyes:

and i have finally talked him into moving the playhut and amazingly he is going to put some decking round it for the kids........:D

[Monkey1]

Photos please of when its done! :thumbsup:

[Playmate]

Right, I have found a 'giant' outdoor jenga for £18 plus P&P on ebay
yapped to Bri and he is going to sort me out some sawn up tree trunk stepping stones and 'balance beam' (handy having a woodman fella) - he is going to nip over to his brothers timber yard and permanantly borrow some offcuts:D

once I have planted the ideas in his head, he comes up with some wonderful ideas..... funny that he thinks the guttering on the fence idea is his!:D
oh and the bamboo cane weaving loom.......:rolleyes:

and i have finally talked him into moving the playhut and amazingly he is going to put some decking round it for the kids........:D

Right, I think when Brian has finished all your stuff, he definately needs a working holiday in Watford :D I need someone handy, I want some tree stumps and a balancing beam and a water thingy and and and.... I need someone handy :crying:
Ok I will stop now I know I'm very lucky to have a hubby that is good at reading stories, paperwork, washing and ironing, I suppose I can't have everything :D

[jumpinjen]

Right, I think when Brian has finished all your stuff, he definately needs a working holiday in Watford :D I need someone handy, I want some tree stumps and a balancing beam and a water thingy and and and.... I need someone handy :crying:
Ok I will stop now I know I'm very lucky to have a hubby that is good at reading stories, paperwork, washing and ironing, I suppose I can't have everything :D

You could try ringing a few wood yards and explain and ask if there are any off cuts you can have then sand them down yourself, sandpaper from poundshop is good!

Any parents got any handy skills that could help you do it.... you could do a make and play open morning on a saturday, explain the benefits for their children, get the eqiipment ready and let them at it, whilst you play witht he childrena nd provide coffee and cakes!!! Take loads of pics as evidence for ofsted of partnership with parents!! dont' ask don't get!!

jenni

[miss mopple]

Right, I'm feeling all fired up about my outdoors too thanks to this thread :thumbsup:

Bought guttering yesterday and have put a wanted on freecycle for crates/planks/ big pebbles etc- hopefully somebody will have some stuff to get rid of.

This blog has some lovely ideas in general but I love what they have done with wooden blocks so thought it was worth sharing here

http://www.filthwizardry.com/search?updated-max=2010-06-10T18%3A05%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=20

[The Juggler]

wow! i want some. might pop down to local timber merchants see if they have any cut off's they don't want. Thanks for sharing:D