Gardens- autumn/winter

[samb]

I have to confess to not being an outdoor person. I am really lucky to have moved this year and I have my own garden - first time as a childminder. I want to push myself to create something splendid in my garden to help me want to be out there with the children but the cold/wet/mess puts me right off. Help me get inspired. The ideas I have are for the summer really. What do you do with your gardens in this weather?

[clareelizabeth1]

Got to say my covered decking is the best thing I ever did in my garden I love it.

[loocyloo]

we just get all wrapped up in waterproofs and go and play! ball/football/slide/see saw/ride ons/sand/water etc etc. they have enjoyed sweeping leaves into a pile, collecting all the acorns for the squirrels, and seeing what is living under the logs/stones etc.

however, I do find when we're at home, we end up inside quicker than if we go out to the woods!

x

[SYLVIA]

I have built a climbing frame/slide from our quadro on the patio as we have finished sitting out so the patio is now clearer. We still use the cars and bikes but tend to stay off the grass. We have walks in the woods in the autumn too so we get plenty of fresh air. Don't do the park so much in the wet months as the soft surfaces are so slippery the kids spend more time on the floor than running about

[yummyripples]

We are outdoors for most of our time at home. I have decking, AstroTurf and a patio area. Every bit of the garden is played on. We have a playhouse, slide, different vehicles, a chalkboard and a see saw.
The children arrive in their puddlesuits in the morning and we often have breakfast outside.
We were outside at 5.15pm tonight and we only came in because it started raining and was nearly hometime

[NightOwl]

I dug up old shrubs this year and putting in senses garden- lavender, sage, colourful flowers to attract bees. Children painted bamboo chimes which I hung up on brackets (shelf brackets). I put tennis balls on the end to make them safe - the children painted those too. Thinking of making up little net bags of sea shells with los to hang up too. Surrounded senses garden with logs, kept a couple for children to balance on. The los loved digging so am gonna leave a patch of earth for them to dig and plant in. They have wellies and younger ones have all-in-ones. Garden very muddy now.

I have 0-10 painted on pathway with left over gloss paint. Painted numbers and matching dots on fence. Hubby screwed long lengths of wood and left over skirting board along fence to nail things into. E.g. I drew faces on plastic plates, happy, sad etc with permanent pen and nailed up. How about lots of little buckets: handy for children to collect things in/fill up. I have a length of guttering which the children use for waterplay/rolling balls (cars, stones) down- they experiment with different sizes: finding out if they fit, how fast they go. I balance it down little slide when weather is too wet to use slide. I am toying with the idea of hubby putting towel rail on fence. Bit strange I know but want to put items on it for counting- baby rings/big bottle tops etc. Still working on that one. How about using washing up bowls outside. Can use for sand play, filling with leaves/worms/snails (reminding los to be kind to them- yuk), they are easier and lighter to move/clean etc. What about little brooms for sweeping leaves? Have fun- and nice cuppa to warm up afterwards bowl of soup for los. Of course this only works if children want to go out in cold wet weather, the school run can be challenging and wet enough some days. Enjoy x

[NightOwl]

Whoops. Need to change clock on mobile phone. Another thought- big hoops for rolling/or laying flat and little ones jumping into: "let's all jump in the red hoop etc". Bye, children due soon. Panic x

[NightOwl]

Clock on my mobile phone correct but coming up wrong on post. Is it just me. (Sorry lamb)

[NightOwl]

Sorry Samb. Predictive text, lol.

[samb]

Loads of fantastic ideas thanks everyone! For those with decking... How on earth do you make it less slippery? We were just using decked area as the grass area is unsafe at the moment- putting new fencing up- but the kids have constantly been slipping over. Most of mine are aged 2 years.

[samb]

Lol nightowl! Don't worry!