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Small children are very adorable. Their pure hearts allow them to appreciate many little things. Their limitless imagination can come up with ideas that we, as an adult would have never thought of. As parents, we all want to spend more quality time with our kids. To bring them happiness and assist them to grow into a responsible and caring person.
Unfortunately, many parents regret that they did not spend enough quality time with their kids when they were young. According to a survey in the article, “Spending too much time at work when the children were young is a parent’s biggest regret” from DailyMail [1]http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2203025/Spending-time-work-children-young-parents-chief-regret.html, 63% of the 2000 parents wish they had done more activities with their child.
As a parent, I could understand that we are already exhausted from work and managing the daily to-do-list within the household. Even if we want to do some activities with our kids, sometimes we might not want to leave the comfort of our home, stuck in the crowd with others, and caught in the traffic like our working days. However, you also do not want your kids to stay at home watching TV or playing video games all day long.
This is why I did the following research. Below are 11 ways you could spend quality time with your kids in the comfort of your own backyard.
Interesting Things in this Post
- Backyard Activity for Newborn- Take a Nap in the Backyard
- Backyard Activity for 1-year-old baby- Experience the Grass
- Backyard Activity for 2 years old toddler- Explore their Creativity with Sand
- Backyard Activity for 3 years old kid – Enjoy a Picnic
- Backyard Activity for 4 years old kid – Have some Water Fun
- Backyard Activity for 5 years old kid – Adventure in Backyard Camping
- Backyard Activity for 6 years old kid – Mini Games Fun
- Backyard Activity for 7 years old kid – Drawing of Nature
- Backyard Activity for 8 years old kid – Planting
- Backyard Activity for 9 years old kid – Introduce Gardening Responsibility
- Backyard Activity for 10 years old kid – Have Great Conversation with your Kids
Backyard Activity for Newborn- Take a Nap in the Backyard
There are not many activities parents could plan for a newborn. Most of their energy is already spent in looking after the newborns’ daily basic needs. (i.e., Changing diapers, feeding.)
These tasks are extremely routine. Therefore, without the proper emotional balance, some parents might develop a depression. Especially when staying at home for too long, it is easy to have the feeling of being trapped.
One way to tackle this problem is to take a daily nap with your baby in the backyard. Imagine your baby is sleeping peacefully in a bassinet (affiliate link), while you are lying comfortably on a backyard hammock. Breathe the fresh air, feel the warmth of the sunshine, and enjoy the beautiful sound of nature.
According to the article, “Ask Dr.Sears: Newborn Jaundice” from Parenting.com [2]http://www.parenting.com/article/newborn-jaundice-treatment, it stated that nearly all newborn babies get a touch of jaundice, but exposing your baby to sunlight can improve the situation.
Since the newborn is so fragile at this stage, safety always comes first. You should:
– Consult with the doctor whether napping outdoor is a good idea for you and your infant
– Make sure the weather is suitable and dress accordingly.
– Always keep an eye on your baby. NEVER leave your baby unaccompanied
– Don’t overspend the time in outdoor. I usually would nap only 15 minutes in the backyard with the newborns.
– Be on the lookout for animals — domestic or wild, pets or feral.
Backyard Activity for 1-year-old baby- Experience the Grass
As the baby is in the stage of learning to walk, it’s time to put on their tiny cute shoes, and put them down on the grass for some hands-on exploration. Some babies do not enjoy the touch of the grass at first, but most will become less nervous after repeated visits to the backyard. In addition to the safety checklist already mentioned, you should also watch out for sharp items on the ground, harmful plants, unseen holes in the ground and bodies of water. You may also consider fencing the play area with a playpen.
Backyard Activity for 2 years old toddler- Explore their Creativity with Sand
Playing in the sand is entertaining and smoothing for kids. It is an opened mind medium which stretches their imagination. Even as a parent, I also enjoy the texture of letting sand running through my fingers and toes.
Although sand can be found in the natural environment, they still need to be grouped into a more control setting for the children to play with. This can be done with a sandbox or sand table. Along with other toys such as shovel or buckets, the fun is unlimited.
By the way, here are some of the best sand play items I think you should take a look.
Backyard Activity for 3 years old kid – Enjoy a Picnic
We all need to eat anyway, why not make it a fun picnic experience in your backyard?
Since we are dealing with young children, I prefer finger foods such as burger, sandwich, and fruits. Dishes with a lot of sauce such as spaghetti would be avoided.
If you prefer to sit properly and dine at a table, you could consider getting a patio dining table set. You should place the set on the flat surface of your backyard such as the patio or concrete floor. Depending on how tall is your child, they might require a booster seat on it.
If you prefer your child to have a more down-to-earth picnic experience, simply place a clean blanket on the ground and eating on top would work as well. Rather than ruining the fun going back and forth into the house, everything can be packed into a picnic set in advance.
Here’s a nice design picnic set that I like. (Disclaimer: This is an affiliate link.)
Backyard Activity for 4 years old kid – Have some Water Fun
During a hot summer day, what’s a better way than having some water fun to cool off your kids, while burning some of their energy? There are many ways to implement the water games. It could be as simple as playing with water balloons or putting some of their waterproof toys in a basket of clean water.
To enhance the fun even further, there are playsets such as inflatable water slide and pool. Children at this age mostly just started junior kindergarten. They should be at the stage of making new friends in school. If there could be enough adults to supervise the children, consider inviting their friends and parents over to join the fun.
Here’s an extensive review I wrote on different water slides. Thought you might be interested 🙂
Backyard Activity for 5 years old kid – Adventure in Backyard Camping
For parents who do not prefer to spend days in a campsite or it’s concerned that their kids might not get used to campsite environment, having an overnight backyard camping could be an ideal alternative. Below are the steps I would use:
1) Make sure the weather is appropriate.
2) Setup a camping tent at a flat surface in the backyard.
3) Place a camping mattress over the ground.
During the nighttime, the weather could get really cold in certain part of the country. Make sure to dress yourself and the children accordingly, and also prepare a sleeping bag for each one of them.
Since the purpose of backyard camping is to provide a different experience from the ordinary daily routine, it is necessary to enforce strict rules of not using any digital devices. (i.e., smartphones, tablets, laptop).
Most kids would get very excited about this camping experience. Parents should prepare the children would have trouble during the night. It would be wise not to schedule any important meetings in the next morning.
If the kids really do not enjoy sleeping outdoor, there is no need to force it. It is okay to return resting back to the house. After all, this is not a challenge. It should be a joyful and memorable experience with your kids. >> Check out these high quality camping items.
Backyard Activity for 6 years old kid – Mini Games Fun
By this time, the child should be going to grade one. There are countless mini-games for them at this stage. One of my favorite games is yard twister. This is where I would paint circles with different colors on the grass. I would use temporary paint or spray chalk that are non-toxic and washable so that it would not kill the grass. Wait until it is dry, then the interactive game can begin.
Other mini-games such as tie-tuck toe with tree branches and colored rocks, balancing games, bowling with decorated recycle bottles would all be interesting choices. With some creativity, the fun from these backyard mini-games is unlimited.
Backyard Activity for 7 years old kid – Drawing of Nature
Drawing can be soothing and a great way for a child to express their feelings. By drawing a picture of the backyard, this would be a wonderful exercise for the child to explore and observe its surrounding.
The flowers, trees, grass, plants, birds, squirrels, butterflies, ants, ladybugs are all great choices for the portrait.
The tools can be as simple as a sketching book with a set of coloring pencils. To enhance the fun, you may consider painting with your child. I would use only child grade washable paint, wear clothes that can get messy. It is not necessary to limit the drawing using paint brushes, the child can also try using other creative objects such as feathers, sticks, stamps, sponges, bubble wrap, droppers.
Backyard Activity for 8 years old kid – Planting
In addition to having fun, I always look for teachable opportunity with my kids. Planting has many fantastic developmental benefits for a child.
According to an article from Mommy University [3]http://mommyuniversitynj.com/2015/05/04/10-benefits-of-gardening-with-kids/, gardening can bring at least 10 benefits to a child.
- Engages All the Senses
- Encourages Healthy Eating
- Enhances Fine Motor Development
- Introduces Kids to Scientific Concepts
- Fosters Family Bonding
- Teaches Responsibility
- Highlights the Importance of Taking Care of the Environment
- Develops Math Skills
- Teaches Patience
- Enhances the Ability to Plan and Organize
Tomatoes, blueberries, cucumber, and pepper are popular choices to plant in a backyard garden.
Just like any other works, in order for your kids to do the job well, you need to provide them with a suitable set of children gardening tools. One that is specially designed for children, and not for adults. This could include hand trowel, hand fork, gloves, plant markets, and bucket.
As for adult, since you will be kneeling or bending a lot during the process, this could create a lot of pressure on your joints and your back. To reduce the overuse of your muscles, you should have a gardening seat available.
Backyard Activity for 9 years old kid – Introduce Gardening Responsibility
At this age, it is important for the child to learn that they also have the responsibility of taking good care of the backyard. I would not ask the child to mow the lawn yet since they could be too young to operate the lawn mower safely. However, easy tasks such as picking up fallen branches and leafs would be a good start. Gloves and garden rake designed for kids would come in handy to your children.
Backyard Activity for 10 years old kid – Have Great Conversation with your Kids
Not every activity must be pre-planned. Your child is about to enter into their teenage years, and they would be facing a lot of different changes in the coming years. Going to junior high school (some countries would call it grade 7), having a significant focus on self-image awareness, and many others. It is essential you spend enough time in having quality conversations with your kids. Sometimes, a child might not feel comfortable in expressing themselves when there are too many family members in the house. Therefore, having a one-on-one talk in the backyard could be an alternative.
In conclusion, backyard could be a brilliant solution for parents who want to spend more quality time with their kids, but cannot afford the time, energy or resources to go out very often.
I firmly believe creating memorable moments is like accumulating your savings within a relationship account with your kids, these savings would be beneficial when they grow older. If you don’t want your relationship account to go into deficit during their teenage years, now it’s the time to start building those cherish experience.
Disclaimer: This content of this website is for general information, and do not intend to provide any specific advice. Although I’m trying our best in providing accurate information, I cannot guarantee they are error-free. Information displayed on this website could be subjected to change. For any medical-related question, you should always consult with your family doctor. For safety or product related question, you should consult with the actual manufacturer.
Affiliate Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link. Please understand that I include them based on my experience or the research on these companies or products, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I make if you decide to buy something through my links. Please do not spend any money on these products unless you feel you need them or that they will help you achieve your goals.
Jacob is a father of two daughters. He loves spending quality time with them in the backyard. Playing sports, blowing bubbles, and planting are some the favorite activities Jacob and his daughters like to do together. He believes it is essential to spend quality time with them while they are still young.