It’s normal for children to seek adventures and experiment with things that pique their interests, just as they should. It’s all part of normal development. It’s essential to provide opportunities for them to do this at home, especially with the state of the pandemic. Either way, if there is a place children have access to learning and exploration, it should be home.
Keep children engaged and exposed to new experiences with the help of the backyard. It’s a space to build, have fun, and try new things. Here are some simple yet effective things parents can do with and for children to have fun and hone new skills in the comfort of their home:
Get Into Sports
Backyard space might not be enough for sports like football or hockey, but it’s ample for some basic catch or badminton. Even then, there really isn’t a limit if the rules and range of the game are tweaked. The point is becoming interested in something new (doesn’t have to be sports) can be a great venue to foster the relationship between a parent and their child.
Forming new hobbies and interests facilitates parent and child bonding while having a great time exploring something unfamiliar together. It’s a great excuse to talk and spend time with each other while learning something new.
Go Camping
Everybody should try camping at least once in their life. The backyard is the perfect setting to do this, too; being at home and facilitated by trusted caregivers, their parents. For a child to experience camping in this setting is a great way to kickstart their love for the outdoors. It’s no summer camp, but if parents take this opportunity to designate and assign roles it can help the child feel competent and able in taking on these responsibilities.
Prepare activities such as making s’mores, sharing stories over the campfire, stargazing, and more. It’s simple, accessible, and yet it makes good memories worth keeping.
Kiddie Pool but With a Twist
Who doesn’t love splashing and swimming on a hot summer day? A staple of almost every childhood is an inflatable pool. It’s easy to set up (with the help of the right tools) and even easier to put away. It’s a fun solution to a hot day. To make it even more fun, start a water fight. Add water guns and some water balloons to the mix, and everybody’s got themselves a great time.
Sunday as Barbecue Day
Barbecues with family and friends are reminiscent of the old normal. Although things are different now, that doesn’t mean that it’s the end of barbecues. Having it weekly like every Sunday can even be a family tradition. It can even be a picnic! It’s a special way to start a week. Good food and good company have a way of making the most mundane things the most special.
Start Planting a Garden
One other way to spark family bonding is by working on a project together. Starting a garden is an exemplary one. It would help if the child were to be interested in the matter in the first place but either way, learning how to care for plants is an important practical skill. Multi-tasking, prioritizing, planning, troubleshooting, and negotiating are among the other skills that can be practiced in this activity too.
Build a Treehouse
Speaking of projects, consider building a treehouse, too. It’s a great way to practice teamwork and collaboration. Other than that, the building comprises important practical skills worth learning about. It’s fun to realize what your hands can do. Giving children authentic fun activities they can learn from is what’s going to define their childhood the most.
Install a Fire Pit
This is probably more for the adults than the kids but the backyard is a space for everybody to use anyway. Imagine a cool night relaxing by the fire pit after a long day. A glass of wine for the adults and hot cups of chocolate for the kids.
When not in use, they can add to the appeal of your patio or deck area, or tie well together with the backyard’s wooden fence that was built by your trusted wooden fencing contractor. A fire pit is both a functional and decorative feature worth having.
It’s easy to consume time when there’s a screen on your hand but it’s not a match to going outdoors and spending quality time with family. Good company adds to the charm of everyday, normal activities. It’s who you spend doing them with that makes the difference.
