With fresh air and room to run, romp, or just relax, there's no better place for fun than your own backyard. Here are 9 playful ideas sure to get your whole family outdoors.

Provide a Stage
Budding thespians, talent show contenders, and aspiring fashion models alike will be drawn to this portable platform. There'll be no stage fright when it comes to constructing it either. It comprises four identical sections that fit together to form a roughly 8-foot square -- just the right size for putting on a performance, pitching a tent, or establishing home base for a game of hide-and-seek. Rearrange the pieces into a walkway and you've got a ramp for a fashion show. For instructions on how to make the play stage, click here.

Create and Outdoor Art Studio
Consult a Star Chart
Pitch a Tent
Welcome Wildlife
Add Some Character
Build a Portable Golf Course
Cook Up Some Musical Sounds
Decorate With Strands of Light