Eliza would live outside if she could. Totally unfazed by cold weather and unbothered by damp air, my reasons for not venturing out for too long during winter seem pretty silly to her. But, with spring just around the corner, we’re starting to turn our minds toward all things outdoor — from planting and exploring, to relaxing and enjoying. Eliza has a fantastic imagination all on her own, so I’m most interested in finding tools to help expound upon her already curious mind. I want her to enjoy simple pleasures and our yard and our home. As a single child, I’m already proud of her ability to play independently, but I’m also incentivized to support and grow that self-sufficiency. Whether it’s finding ways to include her in seasonal chores, or it’s introducing her to new outdoor experiences, today, I’m sharing ideas, activities, and ways to enjoy the outdoors with kids.
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Outdoor Living & Relaxation with Kids
Before we get into doing all the outdoor things, we start with some major pre-spring outdoor cleaning, setting up, and getting our outdoor living situation established for the year. It’s been a few years since I’ve freshened up our outdoor spaces, so I’ll be looking to upgrade a few items and make some switches to some faded and well loved decor and furnishings. But, now I have Eliza to consider also. Just as we’ve built an outdoor space to lounge and enjoy, I want her to do the same. I want her to look forward to the season of dining al fresco, and picnics, and fire pits and just sitting.
Below are ways to involve kids in the joy of warm weather relaxation — all affordable, and all from Walmart — you can find the links to each at the bottom of the below graphic.
Sources: 1. String Lights | 2. Melamine Salad Plate Set | 3. Fire Table | 4. Roasting Skewers | 5. Insulated Kitty Thermos | 6. Kid’s Picnic Table and Umbrella Set | 7. Wind Chimes | 8. Hanging Hammock Chair | 9. Kid’s Picnic Basket | 10. Kid’s Egg Chair | 11. Portable Blue Tooth Speaker | 12. Kid’s Adirondack Rocking Chair | 13. “The Hike” Book | 14. “Up In the Garden and Down In the Dirt” Book | 15. “We Are the Gardeners” Book
We have been so pleased with our Better Homes & Gardens brand fire table from Walmart that we purchased a few years ago — while I initially bought it with the intention of only keeping it out during the cooler months, we enjoy it so often that I never subbed the ottoman that came with our set back in. If you have the space, I highly recommend one of these affordable additions — especially if you spend time outdoors as a family. While I think THIS model is the latest version of the table we have, THIS BH&G fire table (3) is slightly larger, slightly less in cost, and has hundreds of awesome reviews.
We use THESE extendable roasting skewers (4), which, coupled with s’mores makings, also make a great summer hosting gift to keep on hand.
I absolutely LOVE THIS kid’s rocking Adirondack chair (11) that comes in five colors — there’s also a similar stationary version for only $50 that ships free from Walmart HERE. THIS child’s egg chair (10) — the miniature version of THIS adult egg chair — is also adorable. After my mom added a tiny rocking chair for Eliza next to the two adult rocking chairs on her front porch, I fell in love with the idea of miniature “adult” furniture.
In terms of small treats to help kids enjoy being outdoors, growing up, any sort of meal or even snack felt special if it was served outside. I love to keep melamine salad plates — like THESE inexpensive teal plates (2) — on hand, specifically for outdoor use.
THIS book (15) is going in Eliza’s Easter basket and THIS bluetooth speaker (11) comes in a few different colors, is highly rated with almost 600 reviews, and has a price tag of only $14.88 HERE. I also just had to restock Eliza’s favorite insulated kitty thermos (5); she already has a pink and purple, but uses them so often, I just got her the green, too.
Outdoor Yard Exploration & Recreation for Kids
Of course, you have the typical outdoor activities and “busy” fun — sidewalk chalk, bubbles, balls… but I love tools that can help kids learn, use their imagination, and even help with household outdoor chores. Here are a few ways to get the kids involved outside this spring…
- gardening (planting, watering, composting)
- hauling
- exploring/collecting nature
- bird care (bird houses, humming bird feeders, bird baths, etc.)
- imagination (fairy houses, scavenger hunts, constructing out of nature)
You can find the links to everything included in the graphic below the image.
Sources: 1. Raised Garden Table | 2. Blue Bird House | Hummingbird Feeder | 3. Kids’ Gardening Set | 4. Potting Table | 5. Kids’ Slide Sandals | 6. Nature’s Explorer Kit | 7. Kitchen Compost Bin | 8. Ranunculus Bulbs | 9. Tomato Seeds | 10. Four-Pack Herb Variety | 11. Kids’ Wheelbarrow | 12. Fairy Garden Statues | 13. Bug Catcher
Eliza has always loved “helping” and is really into watering plants — that served as a great jumping off point last year when we started getting her involved in the actual planting. From getting wheeled around in the wagon at the nursery to getting her own flower to plant in her very own small pot, this past year, she never tired of shuttling plants around the deck and moving dirt. She wasn’t even two yet but that “ownership” and her contribution was already something special to her. Like anything, involving the kids is going to take a lot longer and is going to be a lot messier, but it will be 10x more meaningful and more memorable.
I had gotten Eliza THIS watering can set last year, misplaced it, and just re-found it! So, this will be gifted to her when we start planting this spring 😉
I’ve already re-stocked her sandals from last year — another one of my favorite-ever random Walmart finds for $7.98 HERE. They were perfect for around the house and in the yard, but also for errands, to the beach, and to wear around the pool. I got her TWO new pairs of black this year in her current size and next size up, but also THIS bright pink pair (5) and THIS pale pink pair.
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Last year, Eliza and I worked on the large floral pots while Dave worked on his annual peppers and tomatoes; we have had a goal for years to purchase and test out a raised planter. I’m thinking especially with as much as Eliza enjoys to “work” in the yard and dirt, this may be the year. THIS ONE (1) has great reviews, isn’t too big, and is under $88.
I want to order THESE ranunculus bulbs (8) for myself — no pressure, just to see how they do — as they come as a pack of 25 bulbs for under $15. But, I love the idea of getting a few seeds for Eliza to plant from scratch — like THESE cherry tomato seeds (9). I know nothing about growing from seeds, so we’d learn together.
Also fun to treat her and watch her go is THIS bug catcher (13) (which I plan to introduce as a ‘nature collector’, haha), THIS explorer kit (6), and THESE fairy garden statues (12). While a lot of people like creating fairy gardens within planters, I grew up turning tree trunks into fairy houses!
How do you/have you/will you turn your kids attention to delighting in whats around them in their own backyard this spring? We’ll be heavily focusing on all things gardening 😉 Share in the comment section below!
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I love that Eliza likes to help with everything. Planting seeds will be so much fun for you both, seeing something grow will show her that food doesn’t just come from the supermarket and having her own gardening tools is great too.
Hi Wendy, Eliza is definitely the best helper and I can’t wait for the planting and growing season to begin. She will be a big help and I know she will love harvesting what we grow. Here’s to Spring!