Outdoor Fun When Time is Short

Summer is time for outdoor fun with your children. However, sometimes the days are long and your ideas are short. Here are some ideas to help you make sure your active ones are busy and getting lots of fresh air this summer. These activities are free, or close to it, and don’t cost a lot of time either! When you only have a few free moments, keep these activities in mind – it’s easy to grab your little ones and get outside for a few minutes of outdoor family fun.

Draw a Flat You

Lay on the sidewalk and take turns outlining each other. Decorate your flat selves by drawing clothing and funny faces. To make this project educational, you can read the book “Flat Stanley” as well.

REQUIRES: Chalk

Plant a Small Garden

Your child will learn science, responsibility and have fun by planting a garden and maintaining it. In fact, if you have the time or inclination, you can make the entire landscape edible. How fun would it be to wander around the yard snacking? Blueberry bushes, strawberries, herbs, and fruit trees are all easy to maintain. Some vegetables, like tomatoes require nothing but a lot of water and sunshine to grow like weeds. Start small and see what happens.

REQUIRES: Small plot of land or patio pots, soil, plants or seeds.

Do the Hoola Hoop

Has your child ever tried to hoola-hoop? Show him how. Then, take hoola hoops and make a pretend circus in the yard or try to get your dog to jump through one. You are only limited by your imagination. BONUS! Playing with a Hoola Hoop can be really great exercise!

REQUIRES: Hoola hoop

Hopscotch

Teach your kids how to play hopscotch. Let them draw their own hopscotch patterns. If they are like I was as a kid, they’ll make hundreds of squares and hop around all day. BONUS: Learn to count or write numbers in the squares.

REQUIRES: Chalk

Blowing Bubbles

Bubbles are always a favorite. Take turns chasing and popping them. Blow bubbles with various bubble wands to see how their shapes and sizes differ. Make your own bubble wands with various things from around the house, and make your own bubble soap with some dish soap and water.

Turn on the Sprinklers

There’s no need to buy a pool when the old-fashioned sprinklers are just as much fun. There is definitely something special about running around in the front yard through the sprinklers, especially when the neighbor kids see you having fun and join in.

Be sure to print out this list and keep it handy for the next time your children say “MOMMMMMM — we’re bored!”

Please support Agoo by sharing with your friends:

Related:

Tags: bubbles, chalk, cheap, games, kids, outdoors, play, summer

This entry was posted on Friday, June 24th, 2011 at 3:30 am and is filed under Family Fun and Games, Mommy Articles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.