Get child to play outside

[Missmarple87]

Obviously I know this isn't the ideal time of year...but! We bought a house with a large garden for our kids to play in and they just don't! In summer they'll potter a little and we have a wendy house plus bikes/scooters. Both are under 5. I really want to use the garden for them to burn some energy off and do some independent play (older one, anyway). Any ideas for how to encourage and/or suggestions for things to play with? Slightly reluctant to spend loads if it won't get used but could be persuaded....

Get a comfy chair/swing seat or create somewhere that is undercover & a bit sheltered that you are happy to sit in. You’ll be much happier to take a cup of tea out there and they will learn to explore.

Ours love buckets to move stones/sticks around the garden. They have some guttering attached to a wall they can push boats along in. They have a bit of a climbing frame they like to play pirate ships/space rockets and we have a veg bed they love to dig and weed.

Similar to buckets, my boy is 2 and a half and loves carting a little wagon about the garden. Also watering cans.

I wouldn't worry about it too much. They're maybe getting their fill of outdoor time and are just happy at home. Make more use of it in the spring and summer.

At that age we had swings (with a swing boat thing that they could both go in) and a slide. They used it loads. It sounds posh but was £30 from the in-laws next door neighbour!! The sand pit was just a pita as they just brought loads of sand into the house so as we live near a beach that soon went!

As they got older we added a trampoline and then upsized it when we got rid of the swings.

A decent pool in the summer also goes down well.

just remembered that dc1 used to collect snails and line them up on the edge of the patio too! He would get cross when they popped out of their shell but soon learnt that that was when they wanted to go back into the shrubs.

The only helpful parenting advice to come from my grandmother (via my mother ) - "put the sandpit at the far end of the garden so the sand has mostly been waked off before they get into the house"⭐️

What do they like doing inside? Sometimes that can help guide outside stuff e.g the kid who likes colouring might like pavement chalk or an easel, a kid who likes cars might like a gravel pit with trucks in. Don't be afraid to do normal play outside.

Anything messy can be outside- crafts etc. Sandpits, water trays are always good. Can they help you in the garden? It's a tricky time of year but once the weather is a bit nicer I'd set the garden up as a play space. You can have bits that go in and out like tents, picnic blankets, den making sets, bug hunting sets etc and just spend more normal time outside.

Mine got a lot of use out of a huge basket full of things like sheets and curtains. They used to carry it off down the end of the garden. A climbing frame is good for use with this too.

Chalk was always a favourite too.

i think they do need to be slightly older than "under 5" to both play together independently though. Mine had the attention span of a goldfish at that sort of age.

Outdoor "kitchen" (some sort of surface with old pans and spoons etc) a sheltered area, ride-on tractor, a ball and in time a goal post

It's hard to know what will be a hit! Mine have always enjoyed:

• Push along cars. They like bikes/scooters but the garden is too small and uneven for this to be much fun but they drive the car round and 'park' it
• Playhouse - ours is a basic one raised up with a ladder and slide, but they use it as a den and bring out cushions/blankets (particular ones I allowed for the garden!). They do the same with a small pop up tent.
• Chalk and painting the patio with water
• Watering the garden with a watering can and digging in the mud
• Playing with indoor toys outside when warm enough e.g. bringing the train track out