winter outside play ideas

[mushpea]

what do yours do outside this time of year? we have done planting in the green house, playing in the mud kitchen and now they are having races around the garden, they have the ride on toys out and balls to play with but I can't think of anything else for the to have out there,, in the summer we have water play, sand pit and some of the indoor toys go outside but they tend to crawl around the yard with indoor toys so thats not a lot of good for this time of year, we are all block paved but obviously still dirt and wet and I dont have all in ones for them
I love mine to be outside and they love being out there and we get out for walks too but just wonded what other ideas for outside play people had for the winter, they are 2.5yrs, 4yrs and 4.5yrs during the day

[Mouse]

I have a couple of easels that I put outside so they can do chalking or colouring.

My indoor toys are mainly wooden but toys for outdoors are plastic, so easy to clean. I have a couple of tables out there so the children stand or sit & play at those. They have a dolls house, duplo, little people, cars etc. I also have outdoor dolls pushchairs.

I have a couple of mats and outdoor cushions that I put down, so if the children want to sit & play they can. Last week we had a big cardboard box out that they loved - it was a boat, car, bus etc. We've also set up shops outside, which are always popular.

The one thing my mindees love at the moment is the bubble machine, or me blowing bubbles. Everytime we go outside they ask for bubbles. It's good for getting them chasing round on a cold day :thumbsup:

[blue bear]

In my garden today,
Sand pit, digging area, slide,painting walk, chalk board, water wall with a camping shower hanging from tree so water is contained and limited so they don't get soaked through (wishful thinking) ride obs, scooter, big cars, tool set/workbench, hoops, balls, slide, swing ball, tuff spot, with stones, leaves, twigs and dinosaurs.
Mine are ages2,3and 4 today.

[lisa1968]

bats and balls/balloons,bean bag throwing (draw a 'target' circle with chalk and number them so the children can add them up to see who wins),water painting,chalking,bubbles,pushchairs and dolls......

[Maza]

Mine are just really into balls at the moment when outside. x

[The Juggler]

we have the ride ons
climbing frame
balls, hoops etc

digging patch

i also have the sandpit out and a waterpark and water table - i add warm water in this weather - lol!

our current fave pastiem is watching my nutty kittens run aroudn chasing each other and falling off the fence (they've only just started going out) :laughing:

oooh and searching for spider webs and spiders or who can spot the teeniest snail

[mrs robbie williams]

im not really using the garden at the moment, the grass is waterlogged and its been really windy here lately, but we do two school runs a day - yesterday afternoon it actually wasnt raining so 2yr old went on trike with handle which made a nice change from buggy and raincover, we also take the dog once a day to the woods or by the river so they do get fresh air just not the garden

[Candy apple]

i have a sand box, ride on toys, balls and chalk for the flags and a rocker horse thing and lots of natural stuff like sticks, bits of wood, pebbles and stuff.

[miffy]

We have pretty much the same as we have out in the summer except perhaps the water play is confined to jumping in puddles!

Favourites for my children atm are the pushchairs, cars and ball run.

Miffy xx

[eddie]

Same as miffy - we have the same stuff available all year except water which we do inside to avoid frostbite! The LO's love running around like crazy things at the moment to keep warm, then inside for hot chocolate!:laughing:

[jellyelly]

I have a 9/10 month old baby and I'm struggling to get him in the garden at the moment! He likes putting everything in his mouth and doesn't stay still! I try and take him out in the puschair with my other mindees who are 21 months and 23 months but he doesn't like being in the pushchair, has anyone got any ideas of how I can get him outside more ( oh I do the school run twice a day, walking so they do get out!!!). Thanks xx

[hectors house]

I have a 9/10 month old baby and I'm struggling to get him in the garden at the moment! He likes putting everything in his mouth and doesn't stay still! I try and take him out in the puschair with my other mindees who are 21 months and 23 months but he doesn't like being in the pushchair, has anyone got any ideas of how I can get him outside more ( oh I do the school run twice a day, walking so they do get out!!!). Thanks xx

Can you fence off part of your patio and make a safe, clean space for your little one - or sit him in a paddling pool full of balls? What worries you the most him putting things in his mouth or getting dirty crawling about?

I have a 10 month old and I asked his parents to buy him an all in one waterproof suit (which they did), I take him out and sit him on a plastic shower curtain and he is happy to sit and play for a while - but whilst he will crawl about indoors he won't outside - I don't think he likes getting his hands wet and dirty - he doesn't like finger painting or touching wet sand or playdough.

[jellyelly]

I am worried about him putting things in his mouth! I provide waterproof clothing so I'm not worried about him getting mucky! I have a lot of work to do in my garden, the lawn is covered in moss and as a consequence its waterlogged and full of fungus! I have a hardstanding area with a playhouse, sandpit and ride ons but the baby is far more interested in eating the debris that has landed in the garden as a result of all the lovely weather we are having!

[Angela234]

I have 4 babies 11months to 14 months i have put a gate on my decking area that leads out from our lounge via patio doors so i can leave the door open and they can play safely, they can use the patio and grass areas when i'm out there with them all the time
I put foam mats down for playing on.

[PixiePetal]

too blooming cold and wet for much right now! - in between drenching showers we play balls and in the tikes playhouse, picking grass for the cooker or in the big truck as silage!

[singingcactus]

I don't have specific winter play ideas, my yard is just set up as it is. I have a small music wall (pots and pans on a grid on pan hooks) which doubles as a weaving wall for the kids. I have a kitchen, which the kids can use the pots and pans from the music wall on, and the tub of mud I keep nearby, and the tub of rocks, and other plastic kitchen stuff. I have a tub of mega blocks, some dressing up hats, and some large wild animals all on a plastic shelf unit. I have a large tub of loose parts, a couple of tables, and washing up bowls and more mud. I have a wild herb garden (grow bag) that the kids can harvest for play cooking and smushing etc. I have a large wooden box with big push along trucks and cars, some stilts, swords, whistling tubes, balls, and all sorts of other things in. I have a small walkway made from a plank of decking and some 2x4 wood cut into 2 foot lengths that the kids can assemble as they choose. I also have a bunch of potty training steps that the kids use for stepping up to the shelves, or for climbing up and down, or for stepping from on to the other etc. And some pop up tunnels and tents.. Hoola hoops, and the usual garden toys. I have a couple of rows, hanging on the fence, of go kart tires that the kids can use for making towers, rolling down ramps, hoying at each other lol etc. I have lots of sticks, rocks, and 'stuff' around. My yard is about 18ft deep and about 12 ft wide, very very tiny. I also have a little tikes cube climber, and a little tikes yellow bus slide thingy. and a few ride on toys. The kids go wild on the fences, and footpaths and the shed and house walls with paint and chalk whenever they feel like it. The kercher power/jet wash thingy can remove it all no worries.

Today the little ones were having fun with the megablok rescue service :) My yard is a mud-pit. But that's how the kids like it.

[kimnolan87]

All these ideas are fab - but like someone else has mentioned, I too am not using my garden at the moment!

My garden is extremely tiny - it would be much bigger if we didn't have the garage there, but as we are renting, there isn't much we can do about that!!

Any ideas for a garden makeover with limited space?

Thanks,
Kim x