Page 16 2023 Spring Home and Garden LINCOLN DAILY NEWS April/May 2023 and lift water will keep young ones entertained for hours. Use a child’s hard plastic swimming pool for a ball pit. Plastic tubs of different sizes filled with beans or hard pasta like macaroni, or rice create a sensory area for little hands. Movement with a pogo stick, jump rope, hula hoops, wagons, slides, swings, scooters, frisbees, or balls can provide a range of motion for any age. Don’t forget about tire swings, climbing trees, or chasing bubbles. A variety of nature art can be found in a back yard: leaf or bug collections, crayon, or chalk rubbings of leaves, or stick sculptures, all of which just take a little imagination and creativity. Helping children to enjoy physical activity is a great start to encouraging physical fitness as they grow. While an adult may not find an obstacle course all that much fun, kids love the challenge of them, and it keeps them moving in the fresh air and sunshine. In this video, see how to put together an obstacle course in just a few easy steps with inexpensive materials. The added benefit to this course is that it can be taken down and stowed away as quickly and easily as it was put together. There are other fun ways you can create a great space for kids. Start by making a plan of what you want to provide for your child and the budget you have to accomplish it. Pick a flat part of the yard and lay down an area of turf. Surround the area with railroad ties or a similar product to contain the play area. Place different play toys in the area for hours of fun: a pool with sand and rocks with dump trucks, a table with a hammock underneath for reading a special book, or a tire obstacle course for crawling and climbing. A sandbox made from wood pallets with benches for the kids or adults to sit on can be fun for the entire family. Practically anything you or your child can dream up can be found on the internet. Search websites to find swing sets, tree houses, and plastic play toys that would delight any child. Or try a DIY weekend project and as an added bonus, let the kids help with the construction, like the family in this video. Play is more important than you may think. It is a way for children to learn about themselves, their limitations, their creativity, and their own imagination. Allowing your child to choose how to play in nature gives them the power to control their own actions while learning to get along with others and explore in a safe environment. Outdoor play areas are limited only by your imagination. Let your vision be your guide and enjoy your time outside with your children.
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