I love trying to come up with new ways to make kids thrilled with hanging out in the yard, doing something active. In fact, thinking back on my own childhood, I remember designing miniature playgrounds myself out of makeshift parts (think basketball hoops made of old bicycle rims). It disappoints me sometimes to see how little imagination some children put into entertaining themselves, but looking at all the easy options they have, I can't say as I blame them. Often, they just need a little direction and some time on their own to get creative.
If you want to help them get started with their own little outdoor adventure-land, here are some additions that will really make your yard a child's paradise.
1. Outdoor Swing Sets
You just can't go wrong with outdoor swing sets. Children never tire of them. Maybe it has something to do with being rocked back and forth in cradles as infants, but there's something about swinging back and forth that gets us going-put someone behind us to give a good shove or twenty and the thrills really begin.
If you have the money, check out some of the high quality wooden playsets, complete with monkey bars and a small indoor fortress. Or, if you really can't afford outdoor swing sets at all, put a swing together with a sturdy rope, with or without the tire.
2. Trampoline
Check out those big trampolines they have available these days for another thrill-center in your yard. Children love trampolines, and models like we couldn't have imagined in our childhood are available these days at prices that will really blow your mind. Make sure that you follow all the safety requirements and keep children from jumping more than one at a time because there are some serious risks involved with using a trampoline improperly.
3. Above-Ground Pool
While well out of the budget for many, a pool can still be within reach if you check out some of the affordable above-ground pools. And kids don't need an Olympic-sized swimming pool to have a little fun splashing around in the heat of summer. This type of addition to your makeshift playground can really make or break any yard.
4. Basketball Hoops
A simple, cheap addition is a basketball hoop-hang it low enough for your kids, and of course, a chunk of pavement is typically an asset for dribbling. Don't let it hold you back though-as I mentioned before, my brothers and I played by shooting through a bicycle rim nailed to a piece of dirty plywood, and believe it or not, we were dribbling on hard dirt that had been swept clean.
Kids do with what they must, so don't let money become an impediment to fun.
What would be in your child's ultimate playground? Why don't you ask them? There's nothing like good-old fashioned exercise to keep your children healthy and fit-as well as away from the TV screen.
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