Spring is here and summer won’t be far behind it so we see lots of backyard playset time in your family’s future! While your playset is sure to keep your kids busy and entertained for hours, inevitably you’ll hear the phrase “I’m bored!” before we ever even get to June! With the prevalence of technology in our world now, parents can be quick to satisfy their kids’ “I’m bored” with video games, smartphone apps and television shows, but more and more studies are showing that our kids NEED to be bored. When left on their own, kids can be creative and engage their brains in the play and imagination that they need. So when your kids come complaining in a few weeks, send them back out to the backyard with some of these games to play and help them think of new creative ways to use their playset:
Relay Races. Hand over an old-fashioned stopwatch and let them set up a relay race using the playset and some toys from the garage. Kids can time each other as they climb the rock wall, do the monkey bars, swing a certain number of times on the swings and then slide down the slide. Encourage them to try over and over again and so that they can decrease their time with each attempt. With older kids, increase the difficulty by providing them with a blindfold to wear while they navigate the course!
Water Park. Turn on the sprinklers and put the kids in swimsuits! Add a baby pool to the bottom of the slide and point the sprinklers towards the swings and your kids will soon be “swingin’ in the rain!”
Fort Building. Throw out some blankets, sheets and clothespins and let kids run wild with building forts! They could cover the sides and front of the playset for a secret hideout or attach clothesline from the playset to a nearby tree to create a puppet theater or home base and jail for tag games.
Painting. If you have younger kids, a bucket of water and some paintbrushes can keep them busy for hours. Encourage them to “paint” the playset with water and then start on your fence when they’re done with that!
Imagination Games. When kids use their imaginations, the playset can turn into any number of fun things: a pirate ship, jail, house, store, lemonade stand and lighthouse, just to name a few! Keep a bin of random items (cups, bowls, sticks, etc.) in your garage and allow your kids to use them to aid in their play.
What games and activities do your kids enjoy doing on their playset?
Looking to add or upgrade your current playset before summer? Stop by Happy Backyards™ in Franklin to see which of our models might be the best fit for your family!
Happy Backyards™ sells and installs only the safest and highest quality residential playground equipment, basketball goals, and trampolines for your own home. We are a local company and have been doing it for more than 20 years with a focus on quality products, quality service, and competitive low pricing.