Corralling The Littles Outside

[SunshineMama]

It's a beautiful sunny January day outside here in the midwest, so I decided to take the kiddos outside to play.

My backyard is not fenced in, but all of the kids know the boundaries, except the 1 year olds (just turned 1). I have no fence, and a large playset for ages 3 and up, which is a liability for the youngest ones. I wont take it down because I have children and it is their playset.

Any ideas for stress-free outside play when the littlest littles are involved? I feel like I am always running after them, picking them up, keeping them from falling while climbing on the playset, etc.

I know that's part of the job, but I am wondering if there is an easier way

I would like to be able to just sit down some of the time while we are outside and just watch them play a little bit.

[Heidi]

Can you fence in a small area for a toddler zone? A roll of 3 ft high plastic coated fencing is not too expensive, and a few heavy duty fence posts. Our guidelines say 75 sq ft of outdoor space per child. One roll of fencing is 50 ft, I think, so you could have a 12.5 x 12.5 area with one roll, double that with 2.

Uh...assuming the ground is soft enough to drive posts. Otherwise, supergate system?

[Meyou]

A couple of superyards work wonderfully.

[SunshineMama]

I will have to look into some extra fencing. I think I would need a lot of supergates

I don't know if my HOA will allow for any other type of fencing. One of the 1 year olds is mine, so I am a lot more tolerant with following her around and letting her explore the big kids structures while they play. The other 1 year old isn't even walking yet, so maybe a big superyard would work. Good ideas!

[Ariana]

What about a big stop sign and a chain put around the playset? This is what we had to do at our centre during the winter. The kids understood what a stop sign was so it helped a lot. You may still have to reinforce it but they'll eventually get it.