Showing posts with label outdoor activities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label outdoor activities. Show all posts

Thursday, June 29, 2017

7 Fun Products to Get Kids Outside



Keeping kids active and entertained during the summer can be challenging. I try to send mine outside as much as possible. But sometimes I need fun games or other products to encourage them to spend that time outdoors. One of my go-to resources for inspiration is Hearthsong. This year is no exception.

Here are seven products I found on their site that are super fun. I'm listing these in order of age range, starting with products that the youngest kids can enjoy.

This post uses affiliate links.


Giant Kick Croquet Game

Giant Kick Croquet Game ($34.98) Ages 4+


Kickball plus croquet equals....super-sized outdoor active play! This outside game for kids combines the fun of running and kicking a ball (kickball), plus the added attraction of guiding it through a course of wickets (croquet). Practice your aim AND kicking skills while playing a fun game!

You can make the course as hard or as easy as you wish just by the way you space the seven wickets, so many ages and skill levels can get a kick out of it. Challenge a friend or a sibling, team up with mom or dad, and enjoy an afternoon of kicking and laughing!

The game comes with two giant 14" diam., cloth-covered balls, seven colorful wickets, and two finish flags. Some simple assembly required.


Inflatable Easel with Paints

Inflatable Easel with Paints ($49.98) Ages 3+


Nurture your child's inner Diego Rivera!! How fun is this inflatable easel? It's huge! Enjoy art anywhere—even (and especially) outdoors—with this heavy-duty vinyl inflatable easel. It makes a popular gathering place at birthday parties and play dates, where kids can paint (or finger paint) with abandon right on it, then just hose it off to be ready for another day. Includes four paints, four shaped sponges, and a paintbrush. Just inflate to start creating. Approx. 5½'H.



Jumbo 3-in-1 Adjustable Three-Square Game Set

Jumbo 3-in-1 Adjustable Three-Square Game Set ($139.00) Ages 6+


Combine three favorite classic games, oversized playing pieces, and an adjustable net that suits every age—and you've got the perfect backyard activity for the whole family! Large lightweight rackets (three included) are easy to grasp while players volley the oversized birdies (two included), volleyball or tennis ball.

The sturdy net forms three playing squares (each 6'W); double-up the net on one side for a more traditional two-player set up. And if you want to adjust the net for smaller players, simply remove the middle pole to shorten the height from 5½'-3¾'.

This portable game comes with a carrying bag so you can take it with you wherever the family wants to play—on vacation, at the beach or at a friend's house. Easy adult assembly required. Eight ground stakes and a needle pump are included. Please note—the net does not stand on its own and must be staked into the ground.


Hanging Lounge Chair

Hanging Lounge Chair ($89.98) Ages 4+


My kids so want this!! Reading outside in a hammock is one of life's greatest pleasures and a wonderful way to raise a reader.  Wherever your favorite place to hang out may be, this Hanging Lounge Chair will hang there to really get comfort off the ground. Made of softest polypropylene, it's still heavy duty. It’s a great way to stay home and get away to places where dreams are born. Approx. 54"L x 20"W.; 200 lbs. maximum weight limit. Adult installation required.



Pick-Up-And-Go Ping-Pong Table

Pick-Up-And-Go Ping-Pong Table ($189.00) Ages 6+


My kids LOVE ping-pong! I wish that I'd had this table for them when they were smaller. It would have provided endless hours of fun - year round, too! This favorite family game folds to go wherever the family goes, and sets up in seconds. Carefully crafted to replicate a regulation ping-pong table except for the size (which is close), it goes from a standing 59"L x 27" x 26" to a portable, packable 30"L x 27" x 5" in a snap. Includes net, two colorful paddles, and three balls, and weighs 29 lbs. Adult assembly required.



Portable 3-in-1 Pro-style Soccer Trainer Goal

Portable 3-in-1 Pro-style Soccer Trainer Goal ($169.00) Ages 5+


Goooool! Your young soccer player can play like a pro with the Goal for It!® 3-in-1 Pro-Style Soccer Trainer Goal. Turn your backyard into a soccer field!

Our training goal combines three ways to play—and practice—into one. With the depth of a professional-style soccer goal/cage, kids can use the cage to practice scoring goals, or easily switch out the panels to practice rebounder or target shots, improving their soccer skills while having fun!

Makes for engaging outdoor active play and encourages kids to hone soccer skills. Sturdy plastic stakes hold their ground against even the most determined play. Adult assembly required.



Deluxe Backyard Tetherball Game

Deluxe Backyard Tetherball Game ($169.00) Ages 5+


Now your kids can enjoy an exciting game of tetherball in the backyard with regulation equipment that's as safe and sturdy as the schools with our Deluxe Backyard Tetherball Game. This fun outdoor activity is great for kids of all ages and athletic abilities!

Kids serve and bat at the ball. Who can wrap the rope all the way around the pole first? Easy to set up, the institutional-quality, galvanized steel poles fit together with push-button ease; then plant right into the ground where they'll last a long time (ground sleeve included; suggest setting in concrete).

This game also includes a heavy-duty swivel attachment, an authentic ball (color will vary), and a pump—so let the fun begin! Needle to pump up the ball is located in the handle of the pump.

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Thursday, February 14, 2013

KaBOOM! It Starts With a Playground


Unstructured play is one of the best parts of my kids' day. And playing outside is at the top of the list. My kids love playing with the dogs, climbing trees, exploring nature, and riding their bikes. We have one playground in town where they love to spend their time during the spring and summer months.

But many children don't have that luxury. Many parents struggle to find safe playgrounds for their children to play in.

Which is a terribly shame, really, because as I've written before, kids who play outside reap the benefits. They get healthy exercise, stronger immune systems, and are more compassionate and concerned about environmental issues. They even do better in school.
Which is why I choose to support KaBOOM! They are one of the largest nonprofit organizations in the U. S. dedicated to saving play for children. According to their website, their mission is "to create great playspaces through the participation and leadership of communities. Ultimately, we envision a place to play within walking distance of every child in America."

And this month, to emphasize the importance of an outdoor playspace, they are asking parents to send in photos of the playgrounds they love for a chance to win great outdoor toys. All you have to do is share a picture on their FB page of your favorite playground, and you'll be entered to win a set of two Buddy Bounce Balls or a copy of of the book Go Out and Play!: Favorite Outdoor Games from KaBOOM!.

The deadline is less than week away! Get your photos in by February 19th.

And if you've never visited the KaBOOM! website, now's your chance. It is so inspiring!

Does your community have a fun and safe playground for your children?

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Finding the Treasure Outside

© Vladislav Gajic - Fotolia.com

My kids have a rock collection. And a feather collection. And a pine cone collection. Right now my house is littered with rocks, beautiful flowers, and small stones. Every day I throw sticks outside after finding them under the kitchen table, on the stairs, or under the living room chair. Whenever I do laundry, I have to check pockets for tiny nature treasures, discovered during an afternoon Green Hour(s).

Most children don't need to be told how to play outside. But sometimes they need a little help getting started. Here are my children's favorite outdoor activities:

CHALK IT UP

Drawing with chalk on a side walk or porch is one of the most treasured American childhood pleasures. Children can develop their creativity and the motor skills with just a few swipes of color. Their artwork can be simple or complex. If you get the squeaky "I don't know what to draw!" line, some of these chalk "prompts" might be to draw...

- Your favorite story book character
- What you want to be when you grow up
- An adventure at sea
- A scene related to an upcoming holiday (St. Patrick's day, Easter, Earth Day, etc.)
- If you could have any pet in the world, what would it be?
- A habitat you've studied in science; Be sure to include the animals!

CLIMB IT

We are blessed to have a lot of trees in our yard. And my kids have spent endless hours sitting high in the branches, looking out on our yard and dreaming wonderful day dreams. Things to keep in mind: Don't let you kids climb in slick shoes; Let them climb trees with sturdy branches - keep dead branches trimmed off as they easily break; And keep the area below the tree free from debris (bikes, big rocks, metal toys, etc.) so that short falls don't lead to major injuries!

BURY IT

Kids have a fascination with digging and discovering "treasures." My kids can spend hours playing in a sand pit. Bulldozers, cars, buckets, shovels, cups, and small figures are some of their favorite tools to use in the sand.

NET IT

Who knew there were so many things you can catch with a butterfly net? In addition to the obvious butterflies, there's also beetles, spiders, daddy long legs, dandelion seeds, bubbles, leaves, and even birds. The ground rules in my house: No stinging insects and you must release the living organism back in the same place you found it after you finish examining it.

PLANT IT

There is nothing quite so fascinating as growing something and watching the beginning of life. Right now is the perfect time to be starting seeds. Your kids can do this inside and then transfer the seedlings outside after the danger of frost has passed, or they can simply plant the seeds straight in the ground. Right now we have tomatoes, peppers, moonflowers, and an assortment of other flowering plants growing in tiny little pots on our porches and kitchen.

COLLECT IT

One of the things my kids enjoy best is the nature table that we set up each spring in our living room. It gets cluttered from time to time with all the objects they find outside. But we try to go through and take out all but the most beautiful or strange items on a regular basis. My daughter, especially, loves organizing all the items and sorting them based on texture, color, or materials.

I'm always looking for more ideas, so tell me: What types of outdoor activities do your kids like best?

Un abrazo...

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