Soooo...is it done yet, Chevy? :-D J/K, of course. But I don't think I'm the only one eager to see your playground garden evolve. I was taking a mental inventory of my vintage outdoor-able toys, and am sad to say I think I sold my little red trike last summer. :( But I do have a rusty red wagon and a mini wheelbarrow, and who knows what else. I have a couple of big old metal toy trucks, but they're in really good shape so they'll probably stay inside. In December I display them under the Christmas tree along with a metal erector set box, old skates, and some other odds & ends. I am overjoyed to finally find a place where other people think like I do. My family and friends roll their eyes at me and my hobbies, you know. HMPH!

When was the last time you added chips - that is, how aged are they? If it's been a couple of years and there aren't too many, till them in as Mike suggested. If there are still a fair amount there or they are fresher, rake them off and stockpile them in a heap in a back corner or in a couple of trash cans, or use them as mulch under existing shrubs. Too many wood chips trying to rot in your soil will reduce available nitrogen in the short term, though wood chips on the surface aren't an issue since the roots are lower down. You can use the chips to cover paths in the veggie garden to reduce weeds once it is created. The soil is probably better under the play area than it started out since wood chips have been breaking down and adding organic matter for years. I'd till in well rotted manure if it's available along with leftover wood chips and then plant. You also might want to get a soil test done if the soils in your area are really acidic (here I need to add lime or wood ash) or basic since veggies are happiest closer to the middle of the pH scale. The main potential problem I can see is that you don't want to be tilling and walking on your beds when the soil is wet in the spring, so wait until the soil is slightly damp as opposed to really wet before tilling or turning with a spading fork. I usually do all my soil prep in the fall when it's drier and then plant directly into the beds in the spring once they have dried out some. Whether you do raised beds or in-ground beds depends on your preferences; I don't anticipate any issues with the soil under your playground. In-ground beds will need to be edged along any shared borders with the lawn to keep grass out. This can be a cut edge (V shaped in cross section) or a buried edging. Raised beds will need to be created. Raised beds will drain better and warm sooner in spring. In ground beds will be warmer in winter for crops like garlic or rhubarb, though that may not be an issue in zone 6. IMO raised beds need less bending and squatting, but are easier to turn soil in than raised beds, but that's just my opinion. From past experience, I wouldn't make beds more than 4' wide at the most since that will allow your arms to reach the bed's center without having to step into the bed. This forum is fine, and there is also a vegetable garden forum if you don't get enough info here.

Good Idea! I'd watch for pressure treated lumber though.

Roxanne, I didn't know what 'engineered wood mulch" meant so I Googled it came up with this: "The technique for stabilizing wood chips, called engineered wood fiber, with a polyurethane or latex binder was developed by FPL researchers to provide an affordable method for making recreational and playground facilities accessible to people using wheelchairs or other mobility aids." Is this the "engineered wood mulch" you are considering? I'm sorry I can't answer your question. Hopefully someone on this forum knows more about it. More here: Here is a link that might be useful: engineered wood fiber