Disclaimer: How to “DIY a Kid’s Play Platform” probably seems a bit out of place, being that it’s currently below freezing and everything has a blanket of snow on it, but here’s the deal: I never shared this post this summer, and we’re in the midst of laying flooring in our house, which means the house is under a blanket of dust and is currently WAY to messy to photograph and share. So until I can share flooring pics… here’s our play platform!
When we moved to this house I convinced the boys that we should get rid of their little plastic play house with the promise of a new play fort. Nine months later we decided it was time to pay up on our deal. I recruited my dad to help with the project. We didn’t follow any specific plans, but I did loosely look at Ana White and The Handmade Home’s Ideas.
For this project we used treated wood so that it would withstand the North Dakota elements. We started with four 8′ 2″x10″‘s that we nailed together. Then we screwed in deck stringers every 16″. Next we set our four 4″x4″ posts in Quick-Crete using a level and our platform base as a guide.
Next we raised up and attached the platform to the posts with 4″ bolts.
The boys couldn’t wait to get up on their new platform even though it was far from finished.
Then we used 2″x10″‘s and installed them between the stringers. This picture sort of shows them from the bottom. Then we used deck boards across the top running perpendicular to the stringers. One thing I learned was to screw the decking onto every beam or else they warp… quickly!
Next we built a ladder out of leftover deck boards. We definitely figured this out as we went but we did do a few smart things:
#1- We put a piece across the bottom so that the ladder didn’t sink into the mud
#2- We extended the ladder beyond the top of the platform to create hand holds for climbing the ladder.
I appreciated that we used deck boards because they are smoother and have less slivers than regular boards. They are also rounded making the ladder look nicer than one made out of regular boards.
We’ve got big plans to build a house on top of this platform next summer, but until then we added these boards as temporary rails.
We also added this slide that I found on Wayfair’s summer play sale for $150. I didn’t take any pictures but we sealed the entire structure with a gallon of Thompson’s Water Seal in natural to help protect it.
Pretty quickly the kids converted into a water slide with a hose and kiddie pool!
To add some extra fun I surrounded the back side of the play platform with the leftover stumps from cutting down a tree in our front yard. I buried each one about 4 inches underground before surrounding them with wood chips.
These stumps have gotten a TON of use and the boys think they are awesome. I love that it was a free way to create some fun!
So far we’ve only built the platform, but I want to make their fort custom and unique! I’ve got some big ideas for building a house on top like this or this! I also want to add some swings off the one side. We’ll see how much my dad is willing to come back and tackle with me next summer!
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Beth says
March 15, 2016 at 1:51 pmHow many stringers are used?
BrightGreenDoor says
March 15, 2016 at 4:21 pmI’m sorry but I can’t remember if there were 4 or 5. Sadly we’ve moved away from that house.
Allison says
March 18, 2016 at 5:12 pmI just wanted to see how this slide held up because we were looking at getting one. Could an adult go down it?
BrightGreenDoor says
March 19, 2016 at 11:18 amIt’s probably a bit narrow for an adult. We only lived in the house for a year and a half, but it held up fine during that time. I’d definitely recommend it!
Jon says
April 10, 2016 at 7:54 amThis is exactly what I was looking for! Thank you, looks awesome. It’s always sad to leave the fun, work, and memories when you move. Also, I count 5 stringers in the one photo of the bottom you can see them.
BrightGreenDoor says
April 10, 2016 at 12:28 pmThanks so much for your comment, I think you’re right about the five stringers, but I couldn’t tell if there was one I couldn’t see in the picture. Yes it was so sad to leave this play platform behind. This summer we’re planning on building something similar but bigger!
K says
April 24, 2016 at 11:35 pmDo you remember your approximate cost for this project?
BrightGreenDoor says
April 25, 2016 at 6:57 amI’m sorry it was two years ago and I don’t really remember. I want to say around $50 for the 4×4’s, $100 for the decking, $60 for cement, hen the slide, the stain, and screws. Not super cheap, but not crazy either.
intotheislandwoods says
May 10, 2016 at 2:14 pmHow are your stumps holding up? I’m about to do something similar but our stumps seem to deteriorate quickly here (Charleston SC)!
BrightGreenDoor says
May 10, 2016 at 4:31 pmWe actually sold the house, but the new homeowner posted a picture on Facebook just last week of her kids enjoying them! So at least two years! They looked to be in good condition too!
Rowena Morrison says
December 6, 2016 at 7:05 pmHow long did it take to build?
BrightGreenDoor says
December 6, 2016 at 7:24 pmMy dad and I worked on it on and off throughout one week. You could build it in one full day with two people.
Josh says
January 23, 2017 at 11:42 pmHow deep did you bury the posts?
BrightGreenDoor says
January 24, 2017 at 9:36 pmAbout two feet deep. Thanks!
Michael says
May 22, 2017 at 11:53 pmHow tall was the deck hight?
BrightGreenDoor says
May 23, 2017 at 10:15 amI think it was around 5 ft.
Kellie says
November 12, 2018 at 10:32 amOnce you raised the frame onto the posts, did you cut the tops of the posts off level with the base frame? If so, what kind of saw did you use?
BrightGreenDoor says
November 13, 2018 at 10:41 amYES! We used sawzall, but you could use a handsaw as well, just a bit more work!
Jen says
February 10, 2019 at 2:16 pmWhat would you say was your total cost for this project?