Ah, the great outdoors. It seems like kids these days don’t spend enough time outside because they’re too wrapped up in their video games and on social media. Remember the good ol’ days when you used to be able to tell which friends were at your house based on whose bikes were out front in your yard? Those were the days. We can’t make an promises, but adding a few kid-friendly upgrades to your back yard might be just what the doctor ordered to get the kids playing outside again.
- Build a Tree House: Do you have a big sturdy tree in your back yard and is just begging to be climbed? Reinforce those notions and give them somewhere to climb to! Tree houses have been around forever but kids never get tired of having their “own space” to make lifetime memories with friends or siblings.
- Create a DIY Sports Field: This one is easy to do but will make your yard the center of the neighborhood’s attention! All you need is some temporary grass chalk paint and a few goals or bases and you’ve got yourself the newest setting for Friday Night Lights.
- Paint a Chalk Wall: Chalk walls are an easy DIY project now that chalk paint is readily available at any hardware or craft store. You can paint a square of your backyard walkway, get some cement slabs or pavers, or even give your little Picassos an entire exterior wall of your home! Get an industrial sized bucket of chalk and let their creativity run wild.
- Install Playground Equipment: Another use for that big sturdy tree could be a tire swing. Up the ante by adding in a slide, monkey bars, and even a climbing wall. These set ups are a great way to keep the kids active whether they’re just looking for a personal challenge or some competition among friends.
- Craft a Sand Box: Sand boxes are the classic kid-friendly backyard play space. You can use them to build sand castles, hide secret “treasures” in them to go on a make-believe archeological dig, or even just have a space that encourages sensory development for little ones. Just don’t forget to build a cover for your sand box and keep it covered whenever it is not in use to keep bugs to a minimum, as well as neighborhood animals from using it as a bathroom.