Moving Activities Out Doors

[itlw8]

In the summer I move my easel outdoors and we have paint available almost daily as a choice.Any other ideas on moving the activties outdoors?

[Willow]

I have a big bag of puzzles we take outside, the larger sized legos are super easy to take out and spot in the grass for easy pick up, play-doh cans and cookie cutters in a bin is easily transported in and out, and all the kids like it when we read outside as a group on "picnic" blankets. We also often use the blankets to make giant forts. Since all of our Little Tikes equipment and play houses are movable if we lump them together we can make hide outs that completely blow the ones we make in the house out of the water size wise.

Lunch and snacks are always fun to have outside too :)

[AfterSchoolMom]

Outside is a great place for sensory bins, sand and/or water tables, fingerpainting, bubbles, and kitchen play - I know some ladies here have "mud kitchens" that are strictly for outside.

[heyhun77]

I take and entire set of materials outside for the summer. We have baby dolls, dress up clothes, block accessories (animals, cars, people), art supplies of pretty much every variety, of course sand toys, a sensory table that we use pretty much like inside with different materials and not just water, stuffed animals/puppets, books and probably a lot more that I'm forgetting. When I was in my home I had things set up along the side of my house in bins and since I have a covered patio I just left everything out there. At the center I'm at now we have benches with covers and we have everything stored in those but keep it inside plastic storage totes with lids to make sure it stays dry.

There are some things that I want to add to my current playground that I used to have in my homedaycare. I would add magnifying glasses, toy/old cameras and binoculars.

I had so much outside and do again in the center I'm at because we are outside from after breakfast until lunch (in my home we ate lunch outside) and then again once we are done with nap until the end of the day.

[Countrygal]

I am just setting up my outside area as well - it's sort of an ongoing project. This being my first summer, I'm doing a little at a time and hopefully by next year I'll know what works and what doesn't. :)

So far these are the projects I have put in or am currently working on:


Made toys/games from pool noodles
hula-hoops
sand and water tables and a "mud" table
Tire sandbox
The play yard fence and gate
"stepping stones" made from heavy (and free! happyface) box of leftover floor tiles, the 12X12 kind. I put three in the ground about 1 1/2 month ago, and so far they have worked great! So the plan is to make a shuffleboard or jumping path from them inside the play yard.
Painting "wall" made of a scrap of light colored linoleum and stapled to an old shed wall
Basketball and baseball area


Still planning on doing once above is completed:


Tub of materials to change daily so that we can do our "curriculum" outside approx. 3X per week.

Tub of ouside toys to rotate - this is where the bug catchers, magnifying glasses, etc, would go, along with some of the inside toys that are able to "travel" outside, like play binoculars and maybe some blocks, puzzles and art supplies

A playhouse (have to save $ for this one, and probably won't be able to afford until next summer

An ouside "potty". I picked one up at a garage sale and just need to set up a spot for it and get all the required necessities for it! :lol: Not quite sure how this one is going to work and hope to get more ideas on this site!!!


Hope these ideas help a little bit - I've picked up most of them from here or magazines!

[LK5kids]

I like Outside to be outside. For me I like our outdoor space to be a more natural setting without too much stuff. I have the traditional climbers and riding toys.

I also have:
Sand box & sand kitchen- sand, water, containers, spoons- all i can say is hooray!
Water table
Bubble pool (plastic pool with pit balls-fill buckets with water and dish soap-scoop out bubbles and spread them over balls in the pool. Safe as there is no water and they love to explore this and eventually get in. Can't remember whose blog this came from).
Bubble play
Ice cream buckets of water/cheap standard plastic paint brushes (adult size) to paint climbers etc.
Picnic table to eat snack at.
Shaving cream stand(a wooden frame with plexiglass- kids stand on both sides and fingerpaint in the sc and can look at each other.
Art activities like rock painting
Sidewalk chalk
Plenty of space to run, hop, jump, and roll.

I love, love, love the idea of stepping stones! Kids would love those. I am going to put some in! Thanks!