- [Lucy] Lockdowns, homeschooling, childcare restrictions, playground closures,
and working from home, these are just some of the wonderful things that
parents have had to juggle these past two years.
So, we thought it was about time that we provided parents with a survival guide
by creating the ultimate kids' backyard.
So, stick around to see how we go from this to this.
Hi, Kate.
- [Kate] Hey, how are you doing?
- Oh, very well.
This is a fantastic space.
- It is.
- Now, first things first, you are a mum.
- I am, I am.
- So, how old are your kids?
- I've got Mason who's two and Cooper who is three.
- So, you're a busy lady?
- Yeah, yep.
- What are their hobbies?
- Well, yeah, Mason's really into imaginary play.
So, you give him a carrot or a tomato and he's obsessed with selling it to you.
Both of them are into dinosaurs.
Cooper is really into movies.
So, he's happy to just sit down on the couch.
- I love that.
Well, look, that gives me a few ideas already just thinking about some of the things they enjoy.
I love that idea of imaginary play.
So, I'd want to play with that and really create some stations for their imagination to run wild,
maybe something to climb on.
I reckon we can do better than this mound.
- Oh, I think so.
- So, let's put some climbing equipment just to tire them out.
- Yeah, that sounds amazing.
- That would be fantastic.
- Sounds amazing.
- I love this idea of Mason's sort of store idea and maybe a cinema or maybe some cubbies or something
like that if they love their movies.
- Yeah, that sounds great.
- And look, I think the only other thing we might want to think about is some shelter.
So, putting up maybe a shade so that they can play comfortably out here, especially in the warmer months.
So, how does that sound?
- Sounds amazing.
- So, the next thing I need to do is talk with the clients.
I need to talk with your kids.
- Yeah, I can introduce you to them.
Sure.
- All right, let's go.
Not too sure it was the best idea to bring a two- and three-year-old into a design consult,
as they have given me some very clear but, in part, slightly ambitious requests.
But it's all about keeping the client happy.
So, here we go.
To begin with, we'll utilize the back of the house and turn it into a giant movie screen with an attached
cubby village to encourage creative play.
A big trampoline and climbing equipment will keep these kids physical while a wooden boat will help them
navigate the imaginary high seas.
A shade sail will provide protection, playground mulch will cushion this entire space.
Oh, and did I mention?
They want a train full of vegetables.
So, there you have it, the ultimate kids' backyard plan.
I just hope we can live up to these kids' expectations.
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The first thing to do is to tackle the flat pack instructions and assemble the play equipment.
Our first piece is a raised play space.
It's got all the fun stuff to keep the kids busy.
The next bit of assembly is the cubbies.
We're putting two of these natural timber cubbies together and customizing them to be a grocery store
and a cafe.
Cubbies are a great way to encourage imaginative play and will let the kids have lots of fun.
We want the kids to play all year round, which is why it's important to put up a shade sail
above your equipment.
But before we go ahead and do that, there's a few steps we need to conquer first.
Hey Chris.
- [Chris] Hey, Kate.
- How are you doing?
- How are you?
- Good.
Do you need some help putting up the shade stuff?
- Sure do.
- Any particular hole?
Just go for it?
♪ [music] ♪
- So, our cubby houses have been assembled and they are a great timber finish,
which gives us a nice blank canvas to work with.
Kate was really keen to encourage creative play with the boys.
So, we're actually going to turn this into a mini village.
This one here is going to become a general store so Mason can, you know,
still grab his vegetables and sell them, hopefully, for profit.
And the one behind me is going to turn into a cafe.
And I like the idea of playing around with maybe some signage, putting some awnings out,
maybe some planter boxes, and the boys can then maybe grab some popcorn ready for movie night
which is going to be projected up here on the wall.
How are we gonna do it all?
Well, paint, paint, paint.
♪ [music] ♪
- [Catch] Voila.
Awning.
- [Julie] Looks amazing.
- Thanks.
It looks even better with some ivy.
Thank you.
♪ [music] ♪
- Day one has been a big one.
The play equipment is assembled and our freshly painted posts for the shade sail will set overnight.
Our cubby and movie zone is nearing completion and our backyard is coming to life.
♪ [music] ♪
It wouldn't be a "Make It Happen" episode without a little rain and day two has not disappointed.
We got a lot done yesterday, but we've got a few more projects to do before
this becomes the ultimate kids' backyard.
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- [Woman] So, Kate, I hear you're into gardening with your boys.
- Yeah, yeah, we give it a go.
We're not exactly that great, but we'll work on it.
- Oh, hey, practice makes perfect.
- Yeah, exactly.
- What we're doing is creating a veggie train.
So, you're going to have your veggies in here.
We're going to have the train head up the front.
So, obviously, they can sit there, pretend to drive it, it won't go anywhere.
But that's okay.
We'll let their little imaginations take control of that.
So, what kind of veggies do your boys like?
- They enjoy all the good stuff.
So, they love their peas, carrots, broccoli, all that kind of stuff.
Love a bit of lettuce on their sandwich, that's for sure.
- Oh, great, well, we've got some there, which is absolutely awesome.
Nothing better than homegrown veggies, eh?
Grab some hessian and we're going to line the boxes.
- Why are we doing that?
- So, we're doing this pretty much just to keep all the soil inside.
- Okay, cool
- We don't want any of that falling out.
- Just like that?
- Yeah, no, that's completely fine.
You think the boys are going to like this?
- Yeah, they're going to love it.
- Awesome.
That's always great to hear.
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- I will have to get some recipe books and see what I can figure out.
♪ [music] ♪
- So, when I sat down with the kids, I got creative.
And I mean really creative.
We are talking elves, dinosaurs, car racing tracks.
So, I've got some supplies and I've rallied the troops.
And now we just have to find a way to bring it all together.
♪ [music] ♪
- Hey, Mark What are you building over there?
- [Mark] Putting the base down for the race car track.
- Oh, cool.
Vroom, vroom.
Julie, what are you making over there?
- Hey, I'm just actually finishing off the riverbed for my elf garden.
- Wow.
I like the logs at the back.
- They're just what I found laying around the garden.
We've also used old broken pots that we had and then just new pots and I've just got a little bit of
some moss here that I found also and that's just going to go up on top and be the roof.
- I like it.
So cute.
When are the elves going to move in?
- Well, hopefully, in the next 24 hours once it's all done.
- Excellent.
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- Catch, I'm so excited to paint this mural.
What do we need to know if you are a newbie to this?
- Well, the first thing you want to do when you decide on a theme is map it out with chalk to get
the scale right.
- So, if you make a mistake, you can always go back.
Look, it is a dark theme.
So, I thought, maybe we play with this and go a night time theme.
So, I'm thinking some waves.
It could be like a stormy sea, some stars, moon.
What do you reckon?
- I think that sounds fabulous.
I'm going to get started.
- Awesome.
I'll leave you to it, van Gogh.
I'll check on you later.
♪ [music] ♪
While our mural is drying, we've set to work building a boat to put in front of it.
♪ [music] ♪
The last-minute touches are being done and everything is being moved into its final place.
So, the plan with this backyard was all about encouraging imaginative and physical play.
And we wanted to do these three sensory and immersive experiences and we have not disappointed.
What I love most about this are these timber cubbies.
So, these were just identical plain timber cubbies which we've been able to personalize.
I love this little awning here.
This is on our grocery store.
So, obviously, the boys can buy and sell their wares.
And over here, we've got our cafe.
Again, we've just had fun with the accessories.
So, have some fun, play around with your kids.
We've got the bell here and the signage.
And look, I just absolutely love this.
I can imagine the boys spending nearly all day in there.
I might drop by later and see if they can make me a flat white.
And our movies.
I love it.
This is our cinema.
Think about those indoor activities that you can bring outside.
Super simple to do.
Hang an old sheet up and take it down when you don't need it.
We've put our beanbags and cushions out here and it very much becomes the focal point of this backyard.
♪ [music] ♪
Our playground here is absolutely a statement piece of this backyard.
I love it and I think the boys will, too.
Hopefully, it will tire them out.
We've also personalized these.
So, that's how we've been able to tie a lot of these elements together by giving them this consistent
lick of paint.
So, we've gone with a base of white and then we also have some accentuated pops of yellow and blue.
What I also really like as well, it comes with its own shade sail,
so, very important, especially on a sunny day like today.
But I've got to show you over here because I am obsessed with this veggie train.
So simple.
We've got five crates, some paint, and some plastic saucers and a couple of veggies.
And this way, the boys get to learn about where their food comes from.
It's a great intro to gardening.
We've got some corn in here, some beans, we've got some tomatoes.
So, now Mason can stop stealing the tomatoes from inside.
He can grow his own and then take them over to the grocery store to turn a profit.
We've got our elf garden over here and our custom-built sandpit which also has a lid so it can double as a
stage or a dance hall and Kate can sit here and enjoy the show plus our mural.
We've got our stormy seas over there.
What does everyone need to sail the seas?
A trusty boat.
And over here, in our grass area, we've got car racing tracks.
We've got dinosaurs, a trampoline, and hopscotch.
It was a very full and creative brief.
Hopefully, we've nailed it.
♪ [music] ♪
Okay, guys, come on in.
- Go, go, go.
- What do you think?
Where are you off to?
- Wow, it's incredible.
- You love it?
- Yeah.
- Well, you helped.
You can tell everybody that you actually did this.
- Yeah.
- With a little help from friends, obviously.
- A hundred per cent.
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Can you see the train?
Wow.
Mase, look at the diggers.
Where are you going, Mase?
♪ [music] ♪
- Yeah, we're open.
Now, can you make me a flat white, please?
Thank you.
Oh, Cooper, welcome to your cafe.
It's open, Do you want to go in?
- Amazing. They love it.
♪ [music] ♪
- What do you reckon, Kate?
What's the biggest hit in here, do you think?
- I'm going to have to say it's the cafe
- The cafe for the win?
- Mason is loving the cafe.
- Cooper's loving the playground, though.
- He is.
- Well, I also love this, the veggie train.
I think that's special.
So, instead of stealing all of your veggies and fruit from the fridge...
- They can look after their own.
- All right guys, you have fun.
♪ [music] ♪
We've loved putting this together for Cooper and Mason.
Whilst you don't have to completely overhaul your own backyard, hopefully,
you've found pockets of inspiration in this space that you can implement in your own home.
♪ [music] ♪