As parents, we love seeing our children enjoying the fresh air. But we don’t always have time to bring them to the nearest playground. With a little creativity and some materials you probably already have around your home, you can create your own outdoor playground and make it extra fun and engaging.
Summer is Made For Being in Outdoor Playgrounds
The summer months are undoubtedly the best time to play outdoors. But for many parents of young children, that also means coming up with outdoor play activities to keep their little ones entertained. Although public playgrounds are always a fail-safe option, they’re not always nearby or convenient, or suitable for your child’s particular developmental stage. Luckily, there are clever ways that you can turn your own backyard into a magical outdoor playground.
4 Outdoor Playground Ideas You Can Make Yourself
When it comes to playing outdoors, there are two factors you need to keep in mind: safety and entertainment. There is nothing worse than unforeseen incidents ruining a great day of fun in the sun. These hacks and outdoor playground ideas will make sure that nothing gets in the way of your children having fun this summer.
1. Build a DIY Sandbox
Not able to make it to the beach this summer? Why not bring the beach to your children instead? If you have the space in your backyard, make a DIY sandbox!
Constructing your DIY Sandbox is easy. Simply grab a shovel, sandbox sand, landscape fabric, pebbles, and rocks. Mark out where you would like your children’s sandbox to be. Using a shovel, dig out where the sandbox will be (aim for about 6 inches deep). Layout the landscape fabric to cover the area and add sand. Once the sand has been added, use pebbles or rocks to add a border to the sandbox, and voila…your children are ready to play.
2. Let Them Splash with Water Play
You can never go wrong with water play activities for young children during the warmer months. Allowing your child to play with water doesn’t just help them cool down (although that’s certainly a bonus), but it also helps them develop their motor skills, problem-solving skills, and language skills.
When thinking of outdoor play ideas, consider adding some of these games to your outdoor playground:
- Ocean sensory bin
- Color mixing water play
- Water balloon tennis (for older children only)
- DIY water slide
- Colorful foam bubble play
3. Make an Outdoor Obstacle Course
Put your children through their paces with their very own at-home outdoor playground obstacle course. An outdoor obstacle course is not only fun; outdoor kids activities can also help improve gross motor development without them even realizing it.
Your obstacle course should be age-appropriate: for a younger child, that might mean setting up small toys around your yard and asking them to walk, hop, skip or jump between them. For an older child, you can use lawn furniture, plastic slides, swingsets, hula hoops or other backyard toys. Make it even more exciting by providing rewards for the person who completes the obstacle course in the fastest time or the silliest way.
4. Create a Mud Kitchen
Looking for more great outdoor playground ideas? Making a mud kitchen should be on your list. Children love exploring nature during the summer months…and getting messy! To create a mud kitchen, you’ll need water, dirt, and various pots and pans. It’s that simple. Allow your children to get messy making mud pies and cakes.
A mud kitchen is a great sensory activity for infants and toddlers. It offers a space for imaginative and interactive play and encourages scientific inquiry.
At Vivvi, we believe that every summer should be full of fun and engaging activities that allow children to explore the world. Our early learning model encourages children to learn through indoor and outdoor play activities. Contact us today to learn more about how our early learning program helps your child reach those all-essential early learning milestones.