should there be rules when playing in garden?

[familyfun]

dd1 is 5 and dd2 is 2 and love being outdoors in the garden.

dd2 plays happily in the day going down the slide, small climbing frame, push along car and i supervise, help her on the swing incase she falls but needs very little intervention and i rarely have to tell her to stop doing anything so she has more freedom than in the house.

when dd1 comes home and they play out together, dd1 runs up the big slide, dd2 tries to copy, dd1 climbs over the small climbing frame and jumps down the baby slide, dd2 tries to copy, dd1 swings really high and dd2 gets in the way of the swing, dd1 does forward rolls over the swing bar while dd2 is swinging.

basically when dd1 is home i have to follow dd2 round keeping her safe.
i want dd1 to have fun and let off steam after school and am happy to follow dd2 round a bit but need to get dinner done so end up taking dd2 inside as she ends up hurt.

not sure whether i should have some rules so slides etc are used properly and dd2 isnt copying dangerous stuff (for her), or ban dd1 from the baby frame/slide but also ban dd2 from the big slide/swing, or just do as i do and supervise 100% when they play together as dd2 gets her freedom in the day so dd1 deservies some freedom after school.

nothing wrong with rules to keep them safe!

You cannot impose 'rules' on your 2 year old, nor is it fair to make your 5 year old play at the 2 year olds level.

Just keep supervising.

we do rules in our garden. I'm a childminder so i have to contend with all ages and stages of development. Swings are particularly dangerous if you get a big one swinging at some speed and a toddler walks past.

Rules are great so long as they are fair. 15 mins playing together doing stuff you can both do then 15 mins on big girl stuff and you will get the little one to help you with tea (or whatever works for you)

Agree with Casserick that you can't make your 5 yr old play at the 2 yr old's level. But you can encourage DD1 to watch out for the safety of her younger sister, so not to do forward rolls over the swing while DD2 is swinging - that's not fair on DD2.

You could have basic rules. Not to climb up slides - they're for sliding down. Tell DD2 not to go in front of the swing (although you'll have to keep saying this one, as she's only 2!). DD2 will always copy DD1, and the things that are unsafe now may not be unsafe in 6 months' time - this will be a passing phase.

yes youre right i dont want to stop dd1 being 5 and finding new ways tp play on things, but i will stop her swinging on the swing bar when dd2 is swinging as that isnt fair on dd2.
i will just supervise all the time while dd2 is still little, she copies everything but thinks she is also 5 when shes only 2.3.

My DS is 4 and DD is 22 months, and both love the garden. We have swing set and slide, a bigger one for DS and one of those toddler ones for DD which she's named it Lulu, we make sure to tell her that it belongs to her, and that usually stops her because she likes her own things.

We also have a little seesaw and DS knows he must be gentle and go slow and not too high. DD loves it because it "tickles tummy" as she would say

When playing DS amazing with her, I supervise from where I sit on the doorstep. I rarely have to intervene because DS takes it upon himself to make sure she's okay. A few times I've heard him say, "X be careful, when she moves to stand in front of him while on the swing.

If she does want to go on the big slide, I sit her on his lap and let him hold her.

I don't think there's any need for rules as long you supervise. I found giving DS the big brother role outside helped him become more observant of her, which helps me! :)