Many families make a special effort to create an outdoor play area for babies and toddlers to help keep them safe while spending time outside.
Having a designated area such as this also makes it easier for parents to keep an eye on a infants and toddlers.
Some parents simply take their indoor playpen outside and set it up in a convenient location while others purchase infant play yards with shade.
Many of these play yards offer extension pieces so that you can increase the size of the play area as your child grows.
Play areas for older children often spring up organically when parents purchase play forts and other playsets for their children.
Many playsets include swings, slides, climbing ladders or climbing walls, a built in fort on top and a sandbox all in a compact area.
This establishes a play area simply because there are lots of different activities that your child can do all in one place.