Outdoor play is the best way to stimulate a child’s imagination and creativity and to keep them active. Playing in the outdoors can also lead to amazing social bonding if your kids have cousins over for the day. So, it is your responsibility as parents to ensure that they have plenty of chances to breathe fresh air and indulge actively in sports, role-play, and messy play. Here’s how to create the perfect outdoor play area for kids to engage them in fun-filled activities in your yard or garden.
Must-Haves for an Outdoor Play Area for Kids
If you want to reduce screen time and engage your children in some physical and challenging activities, you should provide them the equipment that allows them to do just that. The list below contains some of the must-haves of an outdoor play area for kids of all ages, so you have something to entertain everyone:
- Sandbox
- Outdoor Playhouse
- Water Pools
- Chalk Wall
- Backyard Playset
- Sports Equipment
- Ride-On Cars
Let’s get playing!
Sandbox
Ideal for kids who love messy play, a sandbox allows toddlers to dig their toes into the sand and build something from it with buckets, shovels, moulds, scoops, and other plastic toys. Ideally, you should place the sandbox in an area under the shade, especially if you live in a city in Pakistan where it rains a lot during the year. The shade will also protect your little angel from getting sunburnt.
Outdoor Playhouse
When you’re designing a play area for kids, remember that you need to cater to all of their fantasies and engage them mentally, physically, and emotionally. Try to make your yard their hideout, where they can be themselves and have a great time. One way to do that is to set up an outdoor playhouse or fort. Since summers can be pretty hot in parts of Pakistan, make sure you build it in a shady spot so that it’s comfortable for your kids to spend a day inside, with their favourite books, puzzles, or stuffed toys.
Water Pools
Blow up an inflatable kiddie pool during the summer months and fill it up with water to give your children a chance to splash and swim all afternoon. If you don’t want to make a purchase, just connect a hose to the tap in your garden and hold it up into the air before you turn it on. Get instant rain for your kids to enjoy.
Chalk Wall
Want to practice ABCs with the kids but with a twist? Chalkboard paint is readily available in the market and is easy to apply to a section of your outdoor wall to convert it into a custom classroom. Let your kids teach each other about spellings, verbs, and the world using this neat little trick.
Backyard Playset
Got some active little tikes? Purchase and set up a backyard playset that includes swings, slides, bridges, climbing ropes, tunnels, and more. Designing a play area for kids in your yard is now easier than ever because you can find a lot of fun-filled equipment in the market at pretty affordable rates. While this particular setup is ideal for older kids, you can always take your littles one halfway down the slide or install a baby swing that is perfect for your growing tots.
Ride-On Cars
If you have the outdoor space to create a play area, don’t cover it all up with grass. Leave some of the portion paved up for your children’s ride-on cars. Four-wheelers, scooters, and tricycles are just some of the options that young kids love to master. You can also consider battery-operated cars for your toddlers that you can control with remote control.
Sports Equipment
Playing in the outdoors also means getting dusty, musty, and sweaty with a game of football, cricket, or basketball. Install a net at one end of the yard, a hoop on one wall of the house, or keep a set of cricket stumps handy for those long vacation days when the kids just need to let out some of their pent-up energy without leaving the house. You should also keep a few rackets and a shuttlecock handy for a quick game of badminton. Jump ropes and hula-hoops can also be great sources of outdoor fun for active young girls who don’t want to play ball.
Use the ideas above to design the perfect outdoor play area for kids in your backyard. Remember that while it is always good to give your children a chance to play outdoors, you do need to limit their time outdoors during hot summer or windy winter days to ensure that the weather does not have adverse effects on their health.
Most importantly, don’t just let your kids play in the yard while you’re busy doing the chores. Go out there and join them in the fun. Act out some role-play, build something in the sand, push them higher on the swings, or cheer them on as they plan football with their cousins. Take an interest in their playtime activities and have some fun in the sun. Enjoy!
Interested in redecorating your kid’s room as well? Check out our post on kids’ bedroom design ideas. You can also check out some shared bedroom ideas to design a shared room for siblings. Reach out to us at blog@zameen.com with any queries or suggestions you might have. Stay tuned to Zameen Blog in the meantime for more home décor posts, tips, and tricks!
