My son pads into my bedroom just before the sun peeks over the horizon. He crawls over me with a Matchbox car clutched in his hand and nestles into my arm. I drift back to sleep. When the crunch of gravel in the driveway stirs me again, informing me that my husband started his commute to work. Upstairs, the sound of his truck wakes my daughter who jumps out of bed with a bang and bellows her goodbyes out the bedroom window.
I reluctantly get out of bed, rub the sleep out of my eyes, and prepare to start the day. I have high hopes for the morning since I just freshened the toy shelf with toys that haven’t been played with in several months.
My hopes are soon dashed when I hear the fighting erupt. I know the arguments are created because we’ve spent so much time together lately. The kids know just what button to push to get the other one upset. I glance outside, confirm it’s a beautiful morning, and offer this idea: what if we have a breakfast picnic?
Not surprisingly, they are all for it. I throw a circular dish of cinnamon rolls into the oven as the kids make a mad dash for the door. Soon they are happily outside and the arguments from a few minutes ago are forgotten. I sigh with contentment and sit down to enjoy my coffee on the deck as they search for butterflies in the garden.
Going outside is my strategy for just about any problem we’re having in the house. It helps when the kids have spent too much time together, gives an outlet when they need to burn off energy, and inspires them to use their toys in a different way. While these short-term benefits make my life a little easier, there are also long-term benefits to the health and well-being of my children that push me to root for outdoor play even when the weather isn’t nice.
Angela Hanscom, writer of the book Balanced and Barefoot , states: “Those [kids] who play outdoors have a wider range of developmental benefits: they tend to be more creative, learn how to regulate emotions more efficiently, use imaginative play more frequently, become interested in working with friends toward a common goal, create their own rules, and start to learn how to work out problems without needing constant reassurance from adults.” To me, those traits are just what I want for my children. And if I all have to do is take them outdoors to help those characteristics develop? Sign me up!
Sometimes though the kids are tired of what the backyard has to offer. On those days I need to have a few tricks up my sleeve to make the outdoors enticing. Here are a few easy ways to make outdoor play even more appealing:
Station yourself outside.
My kids are at an age where I can safely send them to the backyard for a little while without fearing they will wander off or get seriously injured. This works great when there’s something new and appealing (i.e. fallen leaves, sandbox open after a long winter, etc.) but sometimes they are literally out there for five minutes before wandering back inside. Sigh. A trick I use to keep them out longer is to head out there myself! Sometimes we’ll all play together and other times I’ll bring a book or work in the garden. In any case, my presence out there gives them a reason to stay outside.
Food.
I can’t count the number of ‘snack picnics’ we had outside over the summer. I make it fairly low key, a bowl of cherries, cup of cheddar crackers, or a granola bar and encourage the kids to bring out their water bottles. I’ve found my kids eat better while they’re outside and it gets them to stay out longer. To make it easy on myself, I keep a picnic basket and blanket by our back door so I can simply grab everything and carry it out without feeling loaded down.
Bring toys or books out.
We have certain toys in our house that just don’t get used as often or in the way I’d like. The dinosaurs, for example. The nature of these creatures inspires my kids to chase each other while roaring loudly. Not so great inside! But, when we bring them outside the play changes because the kids use the grass and trees as a jungle and make play volcanoes in the sandbox. Matchbox cars, trains, building materials, and drawing supplies have had the same effect. Even though it’s a little cumbersome carrying a load of toys out, not to mention tricky to make sure it all gets picked up, to me, the longevity in their outdoor play is worth it.
Make a reading station.
Remember the basket and blanket I mentioned keeping by the back door? It doubles as a reading station! I grab a pile of books, stick them in the basket, and place everything on the blanket under the shade of a tree. This cozy spot is a great spot to read books together or just a quiet place to relax.
Leave the yard.
Let’s face it, even with the world’s greatest backyard sometimes a change of scenery is needed. When my kids bring their arguments outside it’s one of my clues that they need a change of pace. Our typical go-to’s are visiting a playground, biking in town, or taking a hike at a local park. The kids appreciate playing in new spaces and I enjoy socializing with other adults and the built-in exercise a hike brings.
Meet up with friends.
When my daughter was younger, she always wanted to be carried when we went on hikes. This changed when we either brought a friend or invited friends to meet us. All of a sudden, my daughter was energized, her mind was taken off of being carried, and she became eager to explore. The same effect happens when we have friends over, my children see their backyard through new eyes: they are eager to show off the caterpillar they found or excitedly bring their friend to the swing set.
I know getting outside can feel like one more thing to check off a list as a busy parent. However, making the time fun for everyone is fairly simple and the benefits are too great to ignore.
I’d love to hear ways you liven up your outside time. Leave a comment so we can all be inspired to make this time great!
