ideas for outside/yard self play?

billiburrows · May 2014

my 4.5 year old still has a very hard time playing by himself. i need some ideas of activities he can potentially play in the yard on his own. he has a sandbox and that goes over well. as does the water table. any other ideas? i wish we had a jungle gym but our yard is sort of small and we are hoping to move in the near future.

ak111 · May 2014

Keefer likes to dig in the garden and push his trucks around, not sure if you have a spot where you could make a dirt patch/garden. My other idea was a sandbox which you already mentioned.

amyjoy18 · May 2014

I was going to suggest a sandbox. That's our big one. We also have a box from our dishwasher that they like to use as their "clubhouse". We have an actual playhouse, but they prefer the box. We put it on the porch at night and when it's raining.

Brinley also likes to catch bugs and plant birdseed in the garden.

lala5507 · May 2014

What about t-ball or soccer net? Our swing set keeps the kids busy, but that sounds like it's not in the cards for you right now. Are there any neighbor kids you can invite over. Nothing keeps my keeps out of my hair more than letting the neighbors come over to play.

MrsAmers · May 2014

We have a big bucket on the back porch with a variety of outside toys - balls, frisbees, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, etc. Also:

Water table
Bug catcher and magnifying glass
Soccer ball and net
Playing with neighbors

AmandaJLewis · May 2014

Um... turning 6?

Not especially helpful, but my needy child really improved over the past year with independence. Otherwise playing with other kids was our only other reprieve from her.

Meghan&Rich · May 2014

In addition to their swingset and sand/water play, some of our outdoor toys are a soccer net, tball set, basketball hoop and golf set. They also like to play with our cornhole set. Sidewalk chalk is always popular as well.

Along the lines of water play, something that keeps them busy is a bucket of water and paint brushes. They love to "paint" the fence, shed, patio, etc.

But mostly they just run around and play in any dirt they can find.

october2004 · May 2014

My son got a magnifying glass, some tweezers and some binoculars as a gift. Now he goes outside and pretends to be a scientist. He also pretends to be the Hulk and Sasquatch out there. I send him out with our dog and it's an hour of self-play, at least.

Can you provide some props that might inspire him or suggest pretending to be one of his favorite characters?

billiburrows · May 2014

Yah, i think him getting older is the key. having more kids to the house would keep him busy but i'd probably be even more stressed making sure they played nice together and no one gets hurt, etc. he has a basketball hoop but plays with it and is done in 2 seconds. i can't imagine the soccer net would go over much better.

"a bucket of water and paint brushes. They love to "paint" the fence, shed, patio, etc."

this seems more like something he MIGHT do.... thanks!

waltsgirl102503 · May 2014

I will just add that it may be personality, too. My oldest son (who is almost 9) still has a hard time entertaining himself. My 4 year old can play alone no problem. Yesterday he went out on the porch and was playing with his Avengers guys all afternoon. When we picked my other son up from school, I told them to go outside and play and he informed me that all of our outside stuff was boring and there was just nothing to do. (I told him that was great to know since we're always looking to declutter and now we can get rid of all of the outside toys we have! He then found something to do).

egpitt22 · May 2014

waltsgirl102503 said:

When we picked my other son up from school, I told them to go outside and play and he informed me that all of our outside stuff was boring and there was just nothing to do. (I told him that was great to know since we're always looking to declutter and now we can get rid of all of the outside toys we have! He then found something to do).

Last night, the boys were in the playroom while I was getting dinner ready and they started their usual roughhousing/throwing balls in the house/wrestling (you know, all of the things that drive me bonkers and typically end in someone crying or complaining)....I went and got a box and marked it "toy donations" and told them they had exactly 2 weeks to start playing with their toys or they will be boxed up and given to children who will appreciate them and actually use them. Tears were shed, but toys were played with last night!

lala5507 · May 2014

waltsgirl102503 said:

I will just add that it may be personality, too. My oldest son (who is almost 9) still has a hard time entertaining himself. My 4 year old can play alone no problem.

Totally!

What about play doh at an outdoor table? Or laying out a blanket and letting him bring out some action figures or an "indoor" toy. Some times playing with something in a different setting is enough to make it new again.

waltsgirl102503 · May 2014

egpitt22 said:

Last night, the boys were in the playroom while I was getting dinner ready and they started their usual roughhousing/throwing balls in the house/wrestling (you know, all of the things that drive me bonkers and typically end in someone crying or complaining)....

Oh, Emmy, I feel you. I feel like it's how it is with 2 boys. But, I do not like the wrestling/fighting thing at all. And if someone does end up crying or upset over it I tell them I don't want to hear it because they know I don't' like it and they choose to wrestle with each other and those are the consequences.

northhillsbride · May 2014

waltsgirl102503 said:

egpitt22 said:

Last night, the boys were in the playroom while I was getting dinner ready and they started their usual roughhousing/throwing balls in the house/wrestling (you know, all of the things that drive me bonkers and typically end in someone crying or complaining)....

Oh, Emmy, I feel you. I feel like it's how it is with 2 boys. But, I do not like the wrestling/fighting thing at all. And if someone does end up crying or upset over it I tell them I don't want to hear it because they know I don't' like it and they choose to wrestle with each other and those are the consequences.

You two make me feel like my house is completely normal. The worst part about this all, though, is that Sean, at 17mos, is ROUGH when he plays with them bc he learned it from them. So, then I have the two older ones crying bc Sean hits or pinches them, pulls hair, etc.

I just pour myself a drink - it lowers my blood pressure and I just sit back until blood is drawn now, instead of yelling. Let them learn the hard way!

lala5507 · May 2014

northhillsbride said:

waltsgirl102503 said:

egpitt22 said:

Last night, the boys were in the playroom while I was getting dinner ready and they started their usual roughhousing/throwing balls in the house/wrestling (you know, all of the things that drive me bonkers and typically end in someone crying or complaining)....

Oh, Emmy, I feel you. I feel like it's how it is with 2 boys. But, I do not like the wrestling/fighting thing at all. And if someone does end up crying or upset over it I tell them I don't want to hear it because they know I don't' like it and they choose to wrestle with each other and those are the consequences.

You two make me feel like my house is completely normal. The worst part about this all, though, is that Sean, at 17mos, is ROUGH when he plays with them bc he learned it from them. So, then I have the two older ones crying bc Sean hits or pinches them, pulls hair, etc.
I just pour myself a drink - it lowers my blood pressure and I just sit back until blood is drawn now, instead of yelling. Let them learn the hard way!

I have girls, but it seems like when I start making dinner that's code for lets beat the crap out of each other. I have no idea where they learned "karate chopping".

billiburrows · May 2014

lala5507 said:

waltsgirl102503 said:

I will just add that it may be personality, too. My oldest son (who is almost 9) still has a hard time entertaining himself. My 4 year old can play alone no problem.

Totally!

What about play doh at an outdoor table? Or laying out a blanket and letting him bring out some action figures or an "indoor" toy. Some times playing with something in a different setting is enough to make it new again.

I will give this a try too thanks! i tell him every few days that i am going to start getting rid of some toys since he doesn't play with them. he'll start playing for a few mins then be bored. it really is his personality though... he has ALWAYS been like this. its rough.

ideas for outside/yard self play?

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