Give me your outdoor inspiration for my new garden

[miss mopple]

Right, so I shared the playroom pics, now here's my new garden as requested by Jane5 . I need lots of inspiration to make it a great outdoor play space, with limited plastic stuff (dont want slides etc as also live next to a park so am keen to keep it natural as much as possible) so if it were yours what would you do with it?

The playroom opens onto this:



which leads to this:



and then this:



and this is from the very back looking towards the house



Our plan is to convert the gravelly area to a family garden and use the grassed and decked area nearer the house for minding as that way I'll be able to see the children from the entire downstairs, whether I am in the dining room, kitchen or play room

So all you wonderful childminders- inspire me!! What would you do with it if it was yours and you had pennies in your pocket to spend (not that I have yet but I can dream ).

[Nature'sKids!]

Well I wouldn't put a sandpit on the decking as you'll lose all the sand through the gaps!! Lol

Things I'd like are a waterwall, a willow den, a "cave", some outdoor instruments, mirrors, stepping stones and hopscotch, I'd love an outdoor carpet, a trampoline, if I'd have the space I'd landscape the garden to have a small hill with a tunnel through the middle of it, or a cave (saw that in kindergarten in Austria and te kids loved it!) I'd have a treehouse, an area fir attracting wildlife, and what I'd need is a million quid to do it all!! Lol

[Nature'sKids!]

Oh I'd also have a sensory footpath and a fort or pirate ship

[PixiePetal]

I have a big garden going right round the house. I have sectioned off half the bit at the back so I can see the children at all times. It is still huge with apple trees, plums and pears growing.

I would like a willow structure - my children are teens now so no more plastic for me - once what I have has died out, that will be it! Probably a wooden bench with something willow growing over it like a half dome - can't explain my idea well

A veg patch would be nice, chalkboards mounted on fences and I would like some sort of water structure with pipes along the fence too (something easily removable for when I am not working

[mushpea]

our water wall consists of half guttering pipes angled so that the water or balls or cars fall from one to the next,, cheap and easy to make. i have wooden blocks (cut off from trees) for the children to build with, crates for them to stack or sit in, pepples for cooking or decorating with, a tuff spot which has sand in at the moment with water from last nights rain which they had fun mixing and 'cooking' in the outside toy kitchen, I would love a willow tunnel or den but my garden is all block paved so no where to put one, I have some 4 fold airers which they use for den building with blankets and other material bits, we have some plastic ride on toys and a plastic house but when they die thats it for them.