Most parents rely on classic swing sets and lots of space to run around to entertain their kiddos throughout the summertime. However, if you want to make summer a little more memorable with special twists, the following article is a must-read. There are four things you can do in your backyard to ensure you and your kiddos have the best time together.
Note: Remember that safety comes first. If your summer swelters this year, you can modify some of these ideas for indoor fun. And if you decide to head outdoors, always remember to rub down with high-SPF sunscreen.
Host a Cookout for Your Kids and Their Friends, Complete with Smores, Sing-Alongs, and Sleepover Tents
For older children, friends are what makes summertime all the rage, so be inclusive when planning backyard activities for your kiddos. Encourage them to invite their pals over to a camp kind of experience, complete with smores, sing-alongs, and sleepover tents for good measure.
DIY an Awesome, Age-Appropriate Obstacle Course that You Can Change as They Master the Challenges
Children love challenges, especially when those challenges come with rewards and encouragement from their favorite people (i.e. you and their friends). DIY a stellar obstacle course in your backyard. One that can be changed with age and mastery of challenges.
Need a few examples? In a woodsy yard, use lengths of rope to create vines, followed by used tires in staggered patterns, then tie strings from one tree to another as a game of avoidance. Be sure to use corrosion resistant coatings for any metal poles that you use for your outdoor obstacles.
Alternatively, if you are lucky enough to have your own pool or you have a swimming pool contractor all ready and booked for a pool installation, you can have huge amounts of fun with a pool-based obstacle course. With just a few items like hula hoops, pool noodles, and inflatables, you can design a course for the kids to dive through, jump on and swim through. Perfect for cooling off on those long hot summer days! Just make sure that you have all the appropriate safety measures in place around the pool, and have had the necessary pool barrier checks melbourne (or wherever you may be), so that you can be confident letting your kids use the pool area in the knowledge that you have done everything you can to prevent anything going wrong.
Colorfully Chalk Up an In-Ground or Netted Trampoline
This is a pro-tip since so few ever think of it. Use sidewalk chalk to color up an in-ground or netted trampoline. The chalk easily washes off, but the colors stand out better because the surface is black, sleek, and naturally reflective. As sidewalk chalk is non-toxic, you don’t have to worry about any wear-and-tear to your trampoline.
DIY Backyard Carnival Games? Sounds like a Good Time!
Host a little summertime carnival for your kiddos with a few DIY games. Enlist older siblings or the adults in your household to be game “operators.” Make it so kids can win prizes, like mini bars of chocolate, with a game win.
In need of a few game ideas? Create a dart board with planks, then pin paint-filled balloons to the boards. Have your kids launch darts to pop them. Or, DIY a ring toss with fun pool rings and a simple track nail hammered into the grass.
