Fun outdoor activities for kids

With four kids in the house, we start to find ourselves buried in toys. Eric may be too big for toys now, but most of them are still around because his siblings laid claim to them over the years. Since I don’t want my kids to sit inside and play all of the time (and I don’t want to be waist deep in toys), I try to encourage outside play by providing my kids things that will draw them out there. Our backyard is equipped with a swingset and a trampoline, which may be the single best purchase we ever made. It’s not only been a valuable physio tool for my two youngest children, it’s a huge draw for the neighbourhood kids and keeps my children with someone to play with all of the time.

Once the kids start to get older, swingsets don’t have the same appeal that they once had. I suggest heading out to Pro Dunk Hoops to look for something to entertain those bigger kids. Kids love to play basketball and it’s nice to get to practice at home before heading off to school to play in gym class. Adjustable basketball hoops are perfect for households like ours because it can be raised high when Eric is home, or lowered for Kellen to play with. Unfortunately, ours doesn’t go quite low enough for Griffin, but our neighbour has a Little Tikes one that he likes to play with.

Hockey is another fun outdoor activity that my kids love, and it is perfect for our Canadian winters. The net can also double as a soccer net if they feel like kicking the ball around. Of course, bicycles and rollerblades are always great for getting the kids active and having fun outside. When there is snow on the ground, sledding (wear a helmet!) and building a snowman are other fun outdoor activities.

What do your kids like to do outside?