If your kids are anything like mine, they love to be outside. They also love balls, cars, and of course, water! After visiting a children’s museum several years ago and watching the kids play for hours with plastic tubes they could roll balls through, I made a request of my husband to make us a Rain Gutter Play Wall. The outcome was perfect and has been very well loved for many years! In fact, I used to provide child care in my home, so many kids of all ages have enjoyed this fun activity that takes up NO space in the yard!
What you need:
- Vinyl rain gutters (we found them in 10-foot lengths for about $7 each)
- Gutter end caps
- Tools and hardware to bolt to fence
- Saw to cut vinyl gutters
What you do:
- Cut 3 or 4 rain gutters into a few different lengths. Your local hardware store will probably cut them for free when you purchase from them ... just ask. As you can see in the photo, we kept several pretty long and cut some shorter pieces. Add end caps where appropriate.
- Decide where you want each one to go and then use screws to attach them to the fence at varied angles. While my husband was mounting them, he tried out a few angles with balls before attaching each one.
- Once they are mounted, enjoy the fun! When I did child care, I kept a bin of fun nearby: smaller balls, little cars, and watering cans. The kids played for hours and hours together or even solo with this activity. Even today my 7- and 9-year-olds still enjoy it.
