How can I encourage DS to play outside?

[MandMand]

My DS has just turned two, but I'm struggling to get him to play outside to make the most of the warm weather. He loves going to the park/playground, but if I take some of his toys out into our garden he gets upset and drags them back inside again.

We've got an open plan living room with french doors out onto the patio and garden, and he prefers to sit in the living room on his own and play with his cars or trains rather than play with me in the garden. He's got a sand and water table, play tent and tunnel, a trike etc but will only play with them outside for a few minutes at the most.

do you go outside with him, and stay with him?

Yes, I try to play with him, kick a ball around and so on, but he goes back inside and closes the door behind him ... strange child.

He's not so strange. He's just figuring out the world outside. I have two boys. One would sleep outside if he could. The other would play computer games inside all day if I allowed it. Different personalities mean children react differently to playing outside.

Can you get some of his friends over to play? However, he's still a little young and will probably be in the 'playing alongside others' stage so still may not be tempted to stay outside. From experience all I can say is it'll come (pretty rubbish advice, I know, but so much of childcare in my experience requires patience and wishing their lives away).

Is your garden very sunny?

My nearly 2 yr old DS will only go out there if he has his sun hat on and there are areas of shade he can sit and play in - he doesn't like being in strong sunlight, gets too hot.

Paddling pool!

Let him take his cars and trains outside?

Small slide, ride on toys, messy painting that you do with him, give him some child friendly gardening equiptment and get him to "help" garden (ie dig in the dirt), water play with buckets and containers, make a makeshift tent (use open umbrellas all piled together with an opening, or a couple of chairs with an old sheet strung across it, arrange a teddy bears picnic in the garden (or have a real picnic)...

treasure hunt (hide some of his toys around the garden and help him "search" for them...

then let him do the toy hiding and pretend to hunt for them yourselves...