ElizabethB Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 I would like ideas for "centers" and activities for my backyard. Some were mentioned on the what do your kids do when they are in the backyard thread: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=250606 I have some of the same things going on here and was already planning on buying some things to make our backyard more fun. Fun games and smaller things would be appreciated, we move a lot. Also, the fence is really low, so any games where the ball tends to go up would not be good. Croquet type games are good, but not with hard balls, we need games with softer balls. I liked the shower curtain cape idea, outdoor dress up clothes sound fun! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 That was the thread that I posted.....I really like the idea of a dirt area with pails, shovels, cars, etc. I wonder how much it would be to bring in a small mound of dirt to put back in the corner of the yard? My girls would absolutely love that. I'm not sure that I would love little black children wanting to run through my back door, but I bet they'd have a lot of fun with that. It has all sorts of options....building roads and cities, digging holes, playing archaeologist/paleontologist, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annlaura Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Last summer I put a big, old, wooden easel outside with a small stepladder/stool. The easel has a narrow shelf and a hook, so I put a cheap watercolor set on the shelf and hung a small pail on the hook. A cheap roll of paper was kept in the garage. I did move the easel into the garage if it was raining most times. DS really liked it. Not sure about games for you. What about one of those beanbag toss games? DS has a plastic bowling set. And I believe there are soft versions of horseshoes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted March 3, 2011 Author Share Posted March 3, 2011 That was the thread that I posted.....I really like the idea of a dirt area with pails, shovels, cars, etc. I wonder how much it would be to bring in a small mound of dirt to put back in the corner of the yard? My girls would absolutely love that. I'm not sure that I would love little black children wanting to run through my back door, but I bet they'd have a lot of fun with that. It has all sorts of options....building roads and cities, digging holes, playing archaeologist/paleontologist, etc. Fun for the kids, yes. Me, not so much. We are renting and have white carpet! (It did come with a few spots, but nothing compared to what we would end up with if there was a big fun dirt pile out there!!) Last summer I put a big, old, wooden easel outside with a small stepladder/stool. The easel has a narrow shelf and a hook, so I put a cheap watercolor set on the shelf and hung a small pail on the hook. A cheap roll of paper was kept in the garage. I did move the easel into the garage if it was raining most times. DS really liked it. Not sure about games for you. What about one of those beanbag toss games? DS has a plastic bowling set. And I believe there are soft versions of horseshoes. Soft horseshoes sounds fun! They love to paint, too. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Hi, we're in a really tiny rental house :glare: and our kitchen opens up into the backyard. We actually do school out there sometimes. Just an example...on Wednesday, we had a rock station. The kids had collected some rocks and fossils. We put pots with soapy water in them, some towels and several magnifying glasses. The kids washed the rocks, dried them and looked at them with magnifiers. We ID'd some of the rocks and talked about how they could've gotten here. We've also had some bug-collecting activities with bug catchers, magnifiers and nets - but I'm sure everybody's done that already. :lol: Oh, we had a Cloud Identification Station one time. This sounds corny. We put a blanket on the ground and my daughter (the K-er) laid on the blanket and watched the clouds, tried to make shapes and we talked about the different kinds of clouds. I've also done read-alouds out there before. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristinaBreece Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 That was the thread that I posted.....I really like the idea of a dirt area with pails, shovels, cars, etc. I wonder how much it would be to bring in a small mound of dirt to put back in the corner of the yard? My girls would absolutely love that. I'm not sure that I would love little black children wanting to run through my back door, but I bet they'd have a lot of fun with that. It has all sorts of options....building roads and cities, digging holes, playing archaeologist/paleontologist, etc. I'm about half awake, and I just skimmed your post. What jumped out at me was the bolded part. I must have looked like this: :blink::huh::ohmy::svengo: Then I read it again.... lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalmia Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Imaginative play starts with loose pieces! That is: rocks, sticks, branches, leaves, tall grasses etc. Most of our yards are so over-manicured that there is nothing to do in them. Loved the rock pile and dirt/sand pile ideas. How about collecting sticks and cut saplings and branches from everyone you know who is clearing up their yard or cutting brush? (Avoid poison ivy vines.) Look for sticks in sizes that can be moved by the kids. Make a huge pile so they can make forts, huts and teepees out of them. If you bury the end of some of the sticks so they stand upright a few feet apart in a circle the kids can interlace longer saplings between them to make a sturdy wall for their hut or fort. The kids can complete their encampment with "fire" rings made from rocks. Firewood logs can be used as "seats" and "benches". Give them something to use as a kettle. There they can make leaf soups. They can braid tall grasses to make "rope." Dig a depression in the yard that will fill with water when it rains--instant mudpuddle fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annlaura Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 If your kids like to paint, my DS has really enjoyed paint & assemble kits. Favorites included a birdhouse and a wooden Tonka tow truck. If you have an outdoor table, a sheet can turn it into a great fort/house/castle/etc. We have a small tent that looks like a frog, but it is nylon and gets quite hot. The sheet is better in the heat, and easier to put away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted March 4, 2011 Author Share Posted March 4, 2011 If your kids like to paint, my DS has really enjoyed paint & assemble kits. Favorites included a birdhouse and a wooden Tonka tow truck. If you have an outdoor table, a sheet can turn it into a great fort/house/castle/etc. We have a small tent that looks like a frog, but it is nylon and gets quite hot. The sheet is better in the heat, and easier to put away. Those sound like great ideas. They love painting, assembling things, and making forts. I like the idea of sheets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nd293 Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 I have a stack of timber offcuts lying in the school room (it's too hot to work outside, and I'm wanting to build a shelf) - ds4 and his friend (a girl) were in there today and built a "fort" for their cars. So a pile of timber offcuts could be good for an outside area. The two of them also spend lots of time playing in the huge sandpit we have in our yard, and love playing with water. Mixing it with the sand is always popular, but any pouring or splashing is fun - I usually just fill a couple of big storage tubs - sometimes they get in them, sometimes they pour the water out, or use paintbrushes and paint the fence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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