Our Play Space: A Terabithia All of Our Own

ByChristie Burnett

A peek inside a reader’s play space…

We have a lovely big backyard with a swing set and lots of outdoor toys, but this photo is of the most treasured space of all.

When I was growing up there was a little treed area which made for the perfect hidey hole. My sisters and I called it Terabithia and it was a place we would retreat to for some quiet time, and where hours of imaginative play took place.

My kids grew up knowing my Terabithia, and when we moved to this house a couple of years ago the big two (now 6 and 7) immediately claimed the area pictured as their own Terabithia. We put down the mulch and put the trampoline in there at their request.

The compost bin shown is empty and clean, and serves as all kinds of inspiration for them. It is a cubby house, a rocket, a boat… you name it.

The sawn off tree stumps are seats and stools and steps. They spend hours out there in imaginative play together and we love that we can see them from the deck but not be in their faces. It is very much a grown-up free zone.

It may not look like much, but Terabithia is the first place my big boy goes when he needs to decompress a little.

They have picnics out on the trampoline, and play endless games of ‘Mums and Dads’ with the space serving as a home, a school, and any other place they can think of.

I love that they have a space to truly call their own, where they can safely explore and climb and just have fun.

Shared by Kate of Kate Says Stuff

July is ‘House or Home’ month at Childhood 101. Do you have a family or kids play space in your home that you love (indoors or outdoors)?  Submit your play space here and you too could be featured on Childhood 101.

Christie Burnett is a teacher, presenter, writer and the mother of two. She created Childhood 101 as a place for teachers and parents to access engaging, high quality learning ideas.

7 Comments

  1. Fabulous!! Love that area. We have a great backyard – wish my little pink people made better us of it. It a quater of an acre. There fav is the sandpit area. In my opinion sandbits are well worth their expense. Best used toy we have 🙂

  2. SquiggleMum says:

    Fabulous. I think it’s so important for kids to have play spaces where parents can “loosely supervise” but children are free to be, to explore, to imagine, and to get lost in their own world….

  3. This is just great, we’re actually moving house at the moment so that we can give the kids something like this.

  4. I don’t have a photo at hand but while I was laid up with 2 sprained ankles and fractured tibia at Easter my boys re-arranged all the junk under our house to create their own “club house”. Lots of compromising and cooperating went on and it is something they are really proud of

  5. Oh I love it. I think my girls would love it too 🙂

  6. This looks like a wonderful space for your kids to call their own. I love all the imaginative play that they conduct there.

  7. Love it, loved it the minute I saw it! 🙂 Would have loved to have had a place like that when I was younger …

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