What Are Your Favorite Outside Activities?

[taylorw1210]

Summer is coming! (hopefully... :

What are your favorite outside activities? I am looking for some ideas on what to add to our play area outside. We currently have a few Step2 toddler slides/climbing sets, and a swing set w/ a big slide, as well as numerous ride on toys, toy lawn mowers, and balls.

I keep finding all these really neat sandbox plans on Pinterest - talk me out of it! I'm sure I'll be regretting that the first day the kids can play in it.

Does anyone have a water table and like it?

[Kimskiddos]

I have a sandbox and love it, kiddos do too. We just do a silly shake and wipe down dance and dump our shoes about 15 minutes before we go inside (close the sandbox too). Still end up with sand on the changing table sometimes.

Outside time is free play here. Lots of things to play with/on without me showing or directing them.

It gets hot in the summer, shoot it's hot today so I do work in lots of water play. Bucket of water with paint brushes, or squeeze top bottles, chalk, car and climber washes, items frozen into ice, occasionally mud and shaving crème and the sprinklers. The kiddos love to get misted when I am watering my hanging flower baskets.

[MotherNature]

Sand is a mess, but we have it. Water table is everyone's fave, along w/ digging in the garden. Water table's also portable, so I can stickit on the front porch if the weather's weird. We like to throw some sensory stuff like shells and shiny glass gems that you get at dollar stores for vases in there.

[MamaBearCanada]

We have an outside play house they love. Mini gardening gear and a small raised bed to dig in. A sandbox with a lid. Chalk. Plastic Or camping dishes for pretend picnics and BBQs. Hula hoops. Balls.

[jenboo]

I made a sandbox from an old bookshelf. The kids love it! It isnt very big so they all sit on the outside and reach in the play. There is less mess this way and the kids dont care at all. My dad made us a sensory and water table. It looks like a regular table that has 2 rectangles cut out which is where i put two plastic bins. One side has water right now and the other has rice. I love that I can move it around, put lids over the containers and only open one half if I want to.
Pretty soon it is going to be too hot to go outside unless we are in the water. I have a couple fun sprinklers to use. I also plan on building a trike wash with PVC pipe, sponges, etc. I also want to make some accessories for our water table...im thinking a wooden stand that holds funnels with clear tubing attached..

[nothingwithoutjoy]

Mud kitchen, hands down! It's the most-used area of my yard.

[llpa]

I made a sandbox from an old bookshelf. The kids love it! It isnt very big so they all sit on the outside and reach in the play. There is less mess this way and the kids dont care at all. My dad made us a sensory and water table. It looks like a regular table that has 2 rectangles cut out which is where i put two plastic bins. One side has water right now and the other has rice. I love that I can move it around, put lids over the containers and only open one half if I want to.
Pretty soon it is going to be too hot to go outside unless we are in the water. I have a couple fun sprinklers to use. I also plan on building a trike wash with PVC pipe, sponges, etc. I also want to make some accessories for our water table...im thinking a wooden stand that holds funnels with clear tubing attached..

I use a lot of portable items in summer, but i love the trike wash idea! We are so going to have that!! lovethis

[Luna]

We have two sand tables and we love them. If you're okay with using baby powder, it can be used to "wash" sandy hands. We have a water table that gets heavy use too...faaaar away from the sand tables. Balls, pool noodles, and hula hoops can be used in so many ways.
I would love a mud kitchen, but I know most of my current families would not approve. Maybe next summer!

[taylorw1210]

Mud kitchen, hands down! It's the most-used area of my yard.

Oh, that looks so neat!

I made a sandbox from an old bookshelf. The kids love it! It isnt very big so they all sit on the outside and reach in the play. There is less mess this way and the kids dont care at all. My dad made us a sensory and water table. It looks like a regular table that has 2 rectangles cut out which is where i put two plastic bins. One side has water right now and the other has rice. I love that I can move it around, put lids over the containers and only open one half if I want to.
Pretty soon it is going to be too hot to go outside unless we are in the water. I have a couple fun sprinklers to use. I also plan on building a trike wash with PVC pipe, sponges, etc. I also want to make some accessories for our water table...im thinking a wooden stand that holds funnels with clear tubing attached..

I think I've seen the trike car wash on pinterest!

We have two sand tables and we love them. If you're okay with using baby powder, it can be used to "wash" sandy hands. We have a water table that gets heavy use too...faaaar away from the sand tables. Balls, pool noodles, and hula hoops can be used in so many ways.
I would love a mud kitchen, but I know most of my current families would not approve. Maybe next summer!

What sand/water tables do you have? I've been looking around at a few...

[coolconfidentme]

mud kitchen, hands down! It's the most-used area of my yard.

mine too!!!!

[taylorw1210]

mine too!!!!

Excuse my ignorance - but how does one "make" a mud kitchen? Does mud have to be involved? My mind's eye is seeing kids covered in mud from head to toe at my back door begging to track it all over my lovely carpet!

[Luna]

We have this sand/water table but use it for sand only:

http://www.step2.com/p/Naturally-Playful-Sand-Water-Activity-Center

And this is our water table:

http://www.amazon.com/Step2-WaterWheel-Activity-Play-Table/dp/B000641DPQ

[Shell]

We have climbers, a really great sandbox that seats probably 6 or more kids, swings, chalk, sprinklers, water table. Their favorite activity: sponges, some dawn dish soap and the ride on toys for a car wash- keeps them entertained forever!

[KDC]

Dino Nuggets... ice cube tray and toys that can be embedded in them, take them outside onto the sidewalk and let them try to get the fossils out. Now that Easter is approaching plastic eggs!! One hides them and they all need to find them, way better than hide and seek! Pool noodles halved and raised make great car race tracks. Hoppity balls work on the grass and get some exercise out. Simon says or outdoor dance party for littler ones.

Sometimes open ended toys are the best, they use their imaginations and fun things happen. I like the Bilbo toy for that reason. I usually just grab random toys from in our storage and ask them what we could do with the toys. It's fun to see what they come up with.

[taylorw1210]

We have climbers, a really great sandbox that seats probably 6 or more kids, swings, chalk, sprinklers, water table. Their favorite activity: sponges, some dawn dish soap and the ride on toys for a car wash- keeps them entertained forever!

Love the "toy wash" idea!

Dino Nuggets... ice cube tray and toys that can be embedded in them, take them outside onto the sidewalk and let them try to get the fossils out. Now that Easter is approaching plastic eggs!! One hides them and they all need to find them, way better than hide and seek! Pool noodles halved and raised make great car race tracks. Hoppity balls work on the grass and get some exercise out. Simon says or outdoor dance party for littler ones.

Sometimes open ended toys are the best, they use their imaginations and fun things happen. I like the Bilbo toy for that reason. I usually just grab random toys from in our storage and ask them what we could do with the toys. It's fun to see what they come up with.

Thanks so much for the great ideas! I planned on tracking down some of those hoppity balls this weekend.