Playground Rest Area — Shaded Picnic Deck
A cool, shaded spot beside the playground for snack time, lunch, and catching your breath.
BeforeAfterDrag to compare today vs. the rendering
Right by the playground, under a canopy of mature trees, is the perfect spot for a gathering place — it's just sitting empty (and a little cluttered) right now. The vision is a low wooden deck with picnic tables: a shaded, sturdy place for kids to eat lunch, for classes to gather outdoors, and for families to sit during events. It's the kind of project that becomes part of daily life at the school for years — and a deck a family builds with their own hands is something their kids will point to long after.
Clearing the old debris from the site, laying a gravel base, and building a ground-level wooden deck (about 16×20 ft) with three picnic tables. This one needs a leader who's built a deck before — but with a skilled hand directing, the rest is a great all-hands project. A contractor, deck builder, or lumber yard would be an ideal partner.
- Pressure-treated framing lumber (ground-contact): beams, joists, rim joists
- Pressure-treated deck boards (~320 sq ft + ~10% waste)
- Deck footings — precast concrete deck blocks or poured footings
- Gravel base + landscape fabric
- Structural deck screws, joist hangers, hanger nails, framing connectors
- Exterior deck stain/sealer
- 3 picnic tables (pre-built or built on-site from PT lumber)
- Site cleanup supplies: heavy-duty contractor bags, gloves
- Optional: a single low step/platform edge
- Circular saw
- Cordless drill/impact driver
- Level (4 ft + line level)
- Tape measure
- Speed square
- String line + stakes
- Post-hole digger or tamper
- Shovel
- Rake
- Wheelbarrow
- Hand tamper
- Socket set
- Safety gear (glasses, gloves)
- Optional: miter saw + second drill
| Item | Store | Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Pressure-treated framing lumber (ground-contact) | Lowe's | $500–$900 |
| PT deck boards (~320 sq ft + waste) | Lowe's | $700–$1,400 |
| Deck footings / concrete deck blocks or gravel pad base | Lowe's | $150–$400 |
| Structural screws, joist hangers, hardware | Lowe's | $150–$300 |
| Gravel + landscape fabric under deck | Lowe's | $80–$180 |
| Deck stain/sealer | Lowe's | $80–$160 |
| 3 picnic tables (pre-built or PT lumber build) | Lowe's/retail | $300–$600 |
| Debris hauling / dumpster bags | Lowe's | $40–$120 |
This is a real deck build — get someone who's built one. Proper joist spacing (16" on center), ground-contact-rated lumber for anything near soil, and a level base are what keep it from sagging or rotting. A floating/ground-level deck on concrete deck blocks avoids the complexity of poured footings and is the right call here.\n\nDrainage first: clear the debris, check that the spot doesn't hold water, and put down gravel + fabric under the deck. A deck over a wet low spot rots fast.\n\nKeep it ground-level (one low step). Near a playground, a low platform needs no railings and has no fall-height concern. If it ends up more than ~30" off grade anywhere, railings become a code issue — keep it low to avoid that.\n\nPermit check: freestanding ground-level decks under a certain size often don't need a permit, but confirm with the local AHJ since this is on a school/institutional property.\n\nLumber pricing is volatile — the range reflects that. Get a current Lowe's takeoff once the size is final. A lumber-yard sponsor could cut this cost dramatically.\n\nSite cleanup is step one: the old tire, tarp, PVC/metal pipe, and scrap wood pile all need hauling before anything gets built. Check the pipes aren't an active utility line before removing.\n\nExisting playground equipment, trees, and the building all stay as-is. The trees are the shade — protect their root zones during the build; don't compact or pave over them.
A family with a DIY/construction-handy lead, or a local deck builder, contractor, or lumber yard as a business sponsor (materials donation or skilled lead). Great project for a dad-and-kids crew or a men's group from a partner church — the build is satisfying and the result is permanent.
This project's a bigger lift — team up with 1 or 2 other families to make it happen.
Covers the full project
Team up with one other family
Join 2 other families
Be the first to chip in toward this project's $3,800 goal.
Your family covers the materials and completes the build.
Chip in money — another family handles the work.