It's great that you're treating yourself and your family to a backyard makeover, complete with a custom outdoor kitchen! That addition won't be much fun for the kids, though, who need to stay away from the grill's open flames and dangerous heat.
We've put together six ideas for backyard fun aimed at making sure you're little ones are having a blast, not just sitting bored around the dinner table. Even better, most of these ideas can be packed up and put away once the night is over, so you won't have to worry about a cluttered backyard!
Backyard Fun for the Whole Family
Active Areas
Designate an "active play" zone far from the kitchen where children can run, jump, and skip to their heart's content without the risk of accidentally running into the sharp corners of the kitchen countertop. You can have some hula hoops, jump ropes, frisbees, and beach balls on hand to stimulate physical activity, or you could take a more "permanent" approach and have a swing installed or set up a trampoline!
Sensory Stations
Kids love to get messy, so create a space for them to do what they do best! Fill blow-up or plastic kiddie pools with sand, water, or even mud if you really want to impress them. Have some plastic (read: easily washable) toys on hand they can use to dig, scoop, and play with as they embark on these sensory journeys.
Creative Corner
Give children a place to express themselves! Set up an easel with washable paints and some crayons, get a set of musical instruments, and let their creativity flow. You can even have an outdoor chalkboard installed along a portion of your fence which can provide loads of fun for children and adults alike!
Imagination Island
While most children will use their vast imaginations in every one of these outdoor activities, there are ways you can further inspire them to create their own stories. Have costumes for dress up, dolls for role play, and even animal figures for pretend pets, zoos, or safaris. You'll be amazed by the stores they create!
Nature Niche
If you have a heavily landscaped backyard or good-sized garden, send the kids on a scavenger hunt! Make a list with different plants, flowers, sticks, rocks, leaves, pine cones, and even worms or insects for them to find and inspect. Not only will this will this activity keep them active, but it gives them a chance to safely explore without adult supervision, and can even teach them a thing or two as they start identifying new things.
Rest Realm
As it starts to get a little later in the evening, the little ones will likely appreciate a quiet space. A makeshift fort or collapsible teepee filled with books, stuffed animals, and coloring pages is the perfect place for kids to wind down without boredom setting in.
There are plenty of ways you can build your outdoor lifestyle so that it can be enjoyed by everyone — the adults can sip wine and stargaze through the slats of a custom pergola while the kids are pretending they're slaying a dragon.
When you're ready to make the most of your backyard, give us a call at (888) 747-4554 or click the banner below to request a free estimate for your project. Still too early in the process to commit? Contact us online to ask anything you'd like, or see what past customers have to say about working with us.
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