By Amy Hillard
With summer in full swing, Debbie and Mark Jerman can fully enjoy their backyard as the source of creative fun for their two kids and other Upper Arlington neighborhood children.
When the Jerman children – Jason, 6 and Taylor, 9 – want to have an adventure, they simply open their backdoor and step outside to their personal playground.
The Jerman’s play set includes a wooden clubhouse tower and wave slide adjacent to a swing set, rock climbing wall, gymnastics bar and small basketball hoop.
The neighborhood children feel welcomed when they enter the Jermans’ imagination-inducing backyard, bringing toys and other props for whatever make-believe journey they decide to take.
Jason says he enjoys everything about his play set, and can rattle off a full list of games that he and his friends play.
“Sometimes we play shark killers or pirate ships. We go fishing off the top, or when we play army, we use the fort as a tank. We also like playing vampires and Star Wars,” he says.
The Jerman family’s playground originally began about five years ago, as a Teeny Step2 bought from the Recreations Unlimited Outlet in Columbus.
“As the children grew, the system became more elaborate, adding swings, a climbing wall, gymnastics bar and fort. Our most recent edition is a putting green to make their play set a safer environment for our kids and other neighborhood children that come here to play,” Debbie says.
When the Jermans decide to add to their play set, they take Jason and Taylor to the Recreations Unlimited Outlet, where their children can test equipment. They also attend various boat and RV shows throughout the year that include play set models on display. This way they know what will definitely be used in the backyard.
Because Upper Arlington is a landlocked community, the Jermans say thy have had to be more creative with the space they have in their backyard.
“We always keep the space we have in mind while looking for new pieces to add on to our set. Most of what we like seems to work well within our backyard and, if not, we rearrange a few things to make room,” Debbie says.
Jason and Taylor aren’t the only ones enjoying the backyard amenities.
“(The play set) has really allowed us to fully use and enjoy our yard,” Debbie says. “We still go to the park, but there are some nights when the kids can stay out later than if we went elsewhere. This play set also allows them to have a meeting place that they wouldn’t necessarily have at a park.”
Debbie adds it also allows her to interact with her children outside and gives her the opportunity to make lasting memories with her family. For example, although Taylor is 9, she still sometimes asks her mother to push her on the swings.
“Just knowing that’s something they still want to do with us is awesome,” Debbie says.
Additionally, the adventure-filled backyard has become a magnet for many children of similar ages in the neighborhood.
“There are many kids and they really enjoy playing with each other. As a mother, you want your house to be the play place,” Debbie says. “With windows overlooking the backyard, I can look out and see them anytime I want while still giving them the space they need to grow as creative thinkers.”
Amy Hillard is a contributing writer for Upper Arlington Magazine.