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!
) 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!
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!