A-Frame Playground Nook

So I went through a phase where I pretty much became OBSESSED with rehabilitating a playground at the school I worked at.... This was a particularly challenging playground because the entire thing was built on a hill, so there were a whole lot of playground regulations that prevented quite a few typical playground equipment such as most slides and climbers. Plus, every time it rained, there was a new river of mud and runoff created. The first thing I really did for the playground was an awesome DIY mud kitchen which you can read about here. That one was done with basically all free materials and just in my own free time. The next one I did I first submitted a project proposal to the PTA and actually got a bit of funding for it! So I was able to do something a bit bigger.....

The process for this was a ton of fun but also tricky because of limited flat areas on the playground as well as state guidelines for playground equipment, especially when it comes to something kids will be walking under or on.

The planning process was definitely the most important part for this one! Making sure I knew EXACTLY what materials I needed, coming up with a definite plan (which if you know me, you probably know I like to go with flow when I'm creating things and just see what happens), and making sure my plan was actually structurally safe and strong. So I watched lots of DIY videos, looked up tons of different plans other people have used for things like this, and finally was able to come up with something I was happy with! I had to keep in mind the budget provided, as well as making sure it wouldn't impact supervision on the playground. I personally also wanted to create a space that blended in with the natural environment and would provide opportunities for the kids to use their imagination as well as have opportunities for learning. All of that is what led me to the see through walls, but I'll write more about that in a bit!

To start out, I needed to make sure I was building the frame on a level surface to ensure stability, so the first steps I did on the hardtop. Got the classic A-frame put together with supports on the sides and bottom! After that I was able to (with the help of one other person) carry over to its permanent spot on the playground.

After adding in the additional support beam on the top, I started working on the floor boards! Underneath the top set of floor boards was another row of boards going in the opposite direction as, I just didn't manage to get pictures of that part I guess! I wanted to make sure that little platform inside was strong enough to withstand wild kiddos jumping around inside! The entire building process I kept running over all the possible horrible scenarios that could've potentially gone wrong if this wasn't built right.... like someone's foot breaking through the floor boards and getting stuck! Or one of the older kids trying to climb the beams on the inside and dangle from them like a monkey..... I tried making sure none of those things would be possible as I was putting all this together!

The other playground structures were all a natural looking brown color, so I wanted this to match those, and having it tucked in with the trees would also help it feel like a natural little hideaway spot.

The picture was only after one coat of the paint, I did end up doing more so it looked nice and even by the end.

Up next (and probably my favorite part) was adding on the transparent side walls! I used polycarbonate roof panels from Lowe's. During the planning process, I went to Lowe's to see what all my options were for transparent walls. They did have totally flat panels that were crystal clear, as well as some different tinted ones, but I didn't want color tinted walls, and for a playground setting I liked the look of the wavy ones better than the flat ones!

I went around and secured the panels on every bit of wood that I could, I didn't want any spots where little hands could poke through and get stuck!

I also decided to add a couple other fun elements like a water gauge and some logs around the border!

I also added some roofing pieces on the top but didn't really get pictures of those.

Once it was actually being used, we would bring out some mats sometimes so that it could be a cozy reading nook! Other times the kids also pretended it was a space shuttle where they would have to hide from space monsters chasing them..... So pretty versatile I'd say!

Eventually I also had one group of schoolers help add some decorative features to it as well! First, they came up with a name for it, "Leafwing Cabin" based on a series of dragon books they LOVED.... one of the types of dragons is called a Leafwing, so it was the perfect name for it!

They decorated some wooden letters and actually got to nail them onto wood boards that I later added on to the top of the cabin! It was such a fun way to get them involved in part of the building process as well as getting to allow them to learn and practice some tool safety! Later on, I also ended up adding a little thermometer to the inside of the cabin but I don't think I got a picture of that either! When one of the kids saw it for the first time while standing in the cabin she asked if it was a scale telling her how much she weighed! If only I could've managed that feature!