Basically, Japanese sentences are constructed like this. Subject + Objective + Verb ex 1) I like to play. → I + to play + like →Watashi wa + Asobukoto ga + Sukidesu →わたしは　あそぶことが　すきです。 In this sentence above, "I" is Subject, "to play" is Objective and "play" is Verb. When the sentence is complex, translate main sentence and inner sentence separatelly. ex 2) I think playing in the yard is fun First, translate "playing in the yard is fun". playing in the yard is fun →playing in the yard + fun + is →Niwa de Asobu koto ha + Tanoshii + Desu →にわで　あそぶことは　たのしい　です。 Next, go to the main sentence. I think (...) →I + (...) + think →Watashi wa + (...) to + Omou →わたしは　(...)　と　おもう。 Then, combine two parts. I think playing in the yard is fun →I + playing in the yard + fun + is + think →わたしは　にわで　あそぶことは　たのしい　と　おもう。 ex 3 ) I drive a blue car →I + a blue car + drive →Watashi wa + Aoi Kuruma wo + Untenshimasu →わたしは　あおい　くるまを　うんてんします。

I don't know this answer is useful for you or not. Anyway I send it to you. I like to play. 私は遊ぶのが好きです。　 ※はa particle to express a theme/topic. がhere is a case particle to express an object to like, dislike, be good at, not to be good at・・・. This が is different from nominative case particle が for example 私は足が速い I run fast. Case particles（が, が, を, に, へ, より, から, で, と, の・・・） work as connecters to combine a subject, object to like・・・, object, place, direction, criteria, starting point, means, opponent/partner, possessive・・・. はis used to describe the state has already existed. 私が日本人であるコト→ 私は日本人である／だ／です。I an a Japanese.　地球が回っているコト→ 地球は回っている。The earth turns around. When がis used as a subject of the main subject of a sentence, it describes a new state. 雨が降ってきたコト→あっ、雨が降ってきた！Oh, it rained! /Oh, it has begun to rain! I think playing in the yard is fun. 私は庭で遊ぶのはおもしろいと思います。 私が庭で遊ぶのが面白いと思うコト（a state has already existed）→ 私は庭で遊ぶのはおもしろいと思います。If you are asked "What do you think is interesting?", you should say "私は庭で遊ぶのがおもしろいと思います。I think 'playing in the yard' is. " This が is pronounced higher and louder to be emphasized. "～が" is a focused word（prominence）. I drive a blue car. 私は青い車を運転する／している。 私が青い車を運転する／しているコト（a state has already existed）→ 私は青い車を運転する／している。

Whereas the basic English sentence structure is subject + verb + object, the basic Japanese sentence structure is subject + object + verb. Note also that whereas we have "prepositions" in English, the Japanese have "particles" that go after the noun, so "in Japan" would be "Japan in" in Japanese. To illustrate using your examples: "I like to play" would be "(I) + play + like" in Japanese. （私は）遊ぶのが好きです。 "I think playing in the yard is fun" would be "(I) yard in play fun is think" in Japanese.　（私は）庭で遊ぶのが楽しいと思います。 "I drive a blue car" would be "(I) blue car drive" in Japanese.（私は）青い車を運転します。 I put the pronoun "I" in parentheses because you can often drop it when it is obvious that you are talking about yourself.

Japanese sentence structure is essentially: Verb. http://www.guidetojapanese.org/blog/2005/02/16/debunking-the-japanese-sentence-order-myth/

Japanese sentence structure is essentially: Verb. http://www.guidetojapanese.org/blog/2005/02/16/debunking-the-japanese-sentence-order-myth/