A dry creek is just what its name suggests. It’s a simulation of a stream which has dried up, leaving stones and other mainly (but not always) natural materials for children to use in their play. I’ve seen lots of wonderful examples over the years. They are useful for considering what would work best in your own context if you don’t have access to a suitable nearby stream to use as part of play provision at any age. One primary school I worked in, had a stream running through its grounds that was much loved by the children and always well used at breaks and lunch times.

Dry streams or creeks offer a form of water exploration which cannot be experienced indoors, often on a large scale.

Dry streams offer an open-ended area for play where the only limits are the children’s creativity and imagination particularly when other materials and variables (loose parts) are added. The play can be solitary or social or a combination of both as they enable many children to be there. A supply of water is a bonus but not a necessity.

In the photo above you can see how some logs have been incorporated into the design as an invitation to explore and move them within this area. This is in the 2-3yr old zone at Kookaburra Korner Early Education Centre and were designed and installed by Inspired EC.

The dry creek above is much narrower and more defined in that the boundaries are fixed in concrete and not loose. By changing the width and depth of the creek, the speed of water flow will be altered. If you look at the photo, the dry creek is also a boundary feature, separating the sand from the path. This also allows children to add sand to the creek. There are also tough plants nearby which provide children with more materials for their investigations. I love how a little billabong has been created, to capture water on a temporary basis.

Next, the dry creek enters a “boulder run” before running into the sand pit. If you look in the photo about you can see that children have been creating water channels in the sand. This enables children to make connections in their play – water moves into the sand play and vice versa thereby increasing the play possibilities.

From this beginning, the water takes a main pathway which changes in texture as it travels along. The photo above shows the wide stream with the stoney bed.

Another key element often found over dry creeks are bridges. These can be simple affairs created by children such as putting a plank of wood across to formal structures. I rather like the re-purposing of old banister posts in the bridge below, by Inspired EC. Common sense says, watch out for trolls which like to live under bridges.

Dry creeks and streams can be part of a wider approach to water management

By increasing the amount of rainfall our site can hold through planting and using water storage features we lessen the impact of high rainfall and reduce flash flooding. The flow of stormwater can be part of a rainy play experience. With a group of children, it is worth looking at how water moves naturally through your outdoor space. Can your dry creek take account of this and become part of the water management system within your outdoor space.

For example: having a channel which follows the natural line of water means that when the rain pours, the creek is helping with the drainage of the space. If you look at the above photo, the borders of the channel have no stones or logs nearby which impede the surface flow. The angle of the surfaces gently lean so that the rain water flows into the channel.

• If there are natural puddles that form, could these become part of your dry creek. Likewise, if streams and rain paths always occur in particular parts of the grounds, then would it make sense to capitalise upon this natural flow of water?
• Guttering and downpipes can provide a source of water as it rains. You can even add these and rain chains to sheds so that it is easier for your children to see how rain moves on a roof. One advantage of this, is that children learn that water is only available when it rains. This can help change perception of rain as a bad thing but rather as a chance to play with the rain and water in ways which we can’t do when it’s not raining.
• Water butts and tanks can be attached to downpipes too, to hold water for use in play and gardening. In my experience if children are able to access these lots, then the risk of water stagnating is low and they only need the occasional clean out. A secure lid is also important to avoid debris landing inside the tank or butt. Some have mesh to prevent this.
• The soakaway area may be a wetland or bog garden which if planted with native plants will help increase the biodiversity of your site. Avoid a deep pond forming that could create a hazard unless you have adequate procedures and supervision levels to manage this effectively. You could also direct the dry stream towards a feature such as a drain that already exists. Alternatively it could be a place for mud play. At the Children’s Garden in Melbourne, the dry creek ends in a very shallow large pond. There’s also sand nearby that adds play value as the water and sand play merge

• Where the water ends up is part of the planning of a dry creak feature. In the 0-2yr old space at Kookaburra Korner (see below), the water from the dry stream ends up in a mud pit where it can drain into the ground. Small stones have been used to create the boundary and the rounded stones in the creek itself have been sunk into concrete rather than left loose.

The dry creek at Milford Lodge leads to a large concrete basin. An informal shallow paddling pool can be created. When not used to collect water, this area also doubles up as an extra space for wheeled toys. The pump enables children to add water to the dry creek. Learning how to work and use a pump is a good challenge for little children.

Sources of water for dry creeks

There are many options here:

Rainwater and guttering, rain chains and water butts to collect this off roofs which are great for those of us who get a lot of rainfall. See above for comments about water management in your outdoor space.

An outdoor tap can be another source. Many dry creeks work perfectly well where children transport water in whatever buckets they can find. Below are more creative and expensive options…

Pumps like the one above are popular with children. Unfortunately, I’ve come across too many that are broken or need constant fixing for me to be wholeheartedly convinced of their value. The Children’s Garden at Melbourne Botanic Garden has a huge semi-dry creek. I call it semi-dry as children are using it constantly so it tends to have water permanently flowing around the creek system!  The source is featured in the photo below. It is a fountain feature except when you press the button, you are never sure where the water may spout up! It’s deliberately designed to add in a little fun and naughtiness! It is at a height where toddlers can explore it as well as older children.

The playscape below designed and installed by Nature Play Solutions in Perth, Australia. The water source is a drinking fountain. So the amount of water entering the system is small, but sufficient to keep a wide age-range of children engaged. From the fountain, the water lands on the table and pours into the landscaped channel at ground level. You can see the water flow can be blocked with a gate.

The photo below is from an outdoor nursery in Sweden. Children sometimes fill this with water. Other times, it’s a place for small world play. It can be filled with sand, soil, gravel or any other loose material. A parent who was an engineer designed it so that water is recycled within the system. With these approaches, it’s important that you have systems in place to clean the filter and have approaches that enable the pump system can be turned off when needed to avoid an expensive breakdown.

Creating dry creeks

Get permission.

If you intend to install a dry creek it is important that you seek permission from the owner or manager of your establishment and if necessary discuss the matter with your local authority. The reason for this is that you do not inadvertently want to dig up a drain pipe, electrical cables or other things lurking below the surface. Furthermore there may be planning considerations around drainage and run-off which are affected by your plans. So ask first and get good advice.

The layout of the dry creek.

Think about a stream and its journey as it increases in size, becoming a river. As a generalisation, the hillsides are steep, the streams are small but fast flowing and then gradually become more gentle. The width and depth of the river tends to increase and often meanders are seen prior to the mouth of a river where it meets the sea.

The steepness of the incline will affect the speed of water flow. You may want this to be constant or seek variety. For example, in the photo below, the hillside is steep but the channels have been created in zigzags in parts to slow down the flow.

• The width of the stream matters. this can impact on the speed and depth of water flow
• Confluences: where two little streams meet a bigger one… or vice versa and a stream splits into two or more parts.
• Billabongs – little shallow pools of water
• Space for meandering streams: consider the pros (interactions with other things happening, as the meanders can wind around other features and cons (the amount of space needed)
• The height of the features. For example having a raised dry creek may enable some children who struggle to work at ground level. It also provide opportunities for water falls to occur when water is added.
• The edging – traditional soil banks can get washed away. At the Morton Aboretum Children’s Garden  I like the boulders at the edges, providing a place to sit and hang one’s feet in the water. If you look carefully you can see that the ground surface is very compact. This minimises the amount of surfacing which ends up in the dry creek. Water only flows through this creek when it’s been raining .

Needs and interests

What do your children need and what would most cate for their interests which may include investigations such as:

• Transporting water from one part of your playspace to another – the dry creek can be a handy place to deposit water
• Blocking the flow of water: what materials would help. For example, would a range of different sizes and shapes of stones? Some manufactured water play areas provide sluice gates and ways to manipulate the flow of water

Fixed or loose stones?

Do you need all the stones to be fixed in place or are you in a position to have loose stones available? Loose stones provide more play possibilities but check your owner/manager is okay with this. A lot depends on the age and maturity of your children as well as whether any out of hours visitors would want to use them.

Consider other nearby activities. These need to complement the dry stream and vice versa.

Think about the type of stone used.

• Common sense says that river stones which are smooth and rounded are a good choice.
• Will your dry creek be representative of your local landscape or provide a good contrast? Consider the environmental impact of ordering stones from the other side of your country or beyond! Use local suppliers where possible.
• What about the placement of special stones – those with an unusual shape, colour, form or texture which add interest.

Soft landscaping. Decide whether or not you need a planting scheme around your dry creek. Plants soften the landscape and provides more loose materials for floating, sinking, mixing and movement. However, it can also restrict access and end up being trampled by keen children wishing to move around the creek. Plants can sometimes be planted in the soak up or drainage area – take professional advice here as different countries, locations and climates have different plants which can do this job.

Get professional advice. A landscape architect, playground designer or other specialist will be able to advise you on costings, sourcing the material, risk benefit assessments,project management and advice about keeping the dry creek well-looked after.

If you can’t afford professional support, then it is still possible to make one. Squiggle Mum has a super post about how to make a dry creek. The same principles apply in the UK. Just choose native plants to border the stream.  Remember you do need a gentle incline and drainage or soak-up area.

Perhaps surprisingly I see very few dry streams in Scotland. Yet our climate is made for them! So any Scottish or UK examples are gratefully received. Feel free to add a comment below.