outside area

[starschildmind]

Hi all

Not sure if this is the right place.. sorry if its not!!!

I want to develop my outside patio area.. anyone got any ideas? I want to put a cover it so i can use it in all weathers. But im stuck!! I have a chalk board. Easel and table that i put activities on. But im stuck now.

Further down the garden i have a constuction site, water wall, threading and tieing, pots and pans to be hit. Sand pit (which i would move up) .

But the patio is so boring... any ideas? Its not a huge space but big enough to develop???

Thanks xx

[hectors house]

How about some waterproof beanbags (for sitting on - not throwing) and a box of old books so children can enjoy reading outside too. Just try to duplicate some of the indoor activities outside - mark making - chalks (you have) how about paint pens and rolls of lining paper - construction type materials, I have couple of boxes of Jenga bricks I got cheap in charity shop outside, tray of gravel for driving cars through or digging in.

[butterfly]

I have three builders trays on my patio in which I put different things to play with. At the moment I have compost, water and paint but I change them weekly. How about a mud kitchen? Or maybe an area for small world like train track or play farm? You'd have to get it out each day as it wouldn't be water proof. I'm looking at my outside area in terms of what can be left out there and what can be used even in the rain.

[starschildmind]

I have three builders trays on my patio in which I put different things to play with. At the moment I have compost, water and paint but I change them weekly. How about a mud kitchen? Or maybe an area for small world like train track or play farm? You'd have to get it out each day as it wouldn't be water proof. I'm looking at my outside area in terms of what can be left out there and what can be used even in the rain.

Instead of a mud kitchen i have my constuction site with bricks, wood and mud i think i will get another tray and have some more water play. I have my plants. I wad thinking of a white board to..
Its so hard to keep it interesting!!

[Dragonfly]

Am i the only childminder saying loudly MUD KITCHEN!!!!!!!!!!!! sand castles yes.

[sarah707]

Am i the only childminder saying loudly MUD KITCHEN!!!!!!!!!!!! sand castles yes.

I can't do it either I wrote about it in a blog recently but I still can't bring myself to do it

Sand, water, silly soap and all the rest are fine

Why not decorate your area to make it look brighter - double laminate the children's minibeast pictures for an instant outside display

[oxfordshirecm]

I can't wait to finish my garden so I can create a mud kitchen- the kids love playing in the mud and making me mud tea with worms lol

[green4lynn]

I can't do a mud kitchen either! The mere thought makes he feel yukky! Sand is enough for me, along with water, foam soap and cloud dough (moon sand). I don't mind compost, but not mud! Especially with worms NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! x

[starschildmind]

Am i the only childminder saying loudly MUD KITCHEN!!!!!!!!!!!! sand castles yes.

No no no ... love mud kitchens but i didnt want to go with everyone else thats why i have a mud building site!! It has loads of 'natural stuff' in there. Plus my children to creat a mud, sand and pasta ans rice kitchen anyway ha ha!!!

Saw a nicrle idea tho. Get a 2 pint plastuc milk bottle and cut the handle off and put some compost in and then attach it to the fance. Each child can have their own and watch there own flowers grow xx

[hectors house]

I can't do a mud kitchen either! The mere thought makes he feel yukky! Sand is enough for me, along with water, foam soap and cloud dough (moon sand). I don't mind compost, but not mud! Especially with worms NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! x

Our mud kitchen is really a "compost" kitchen then, as I supply a bucket of compost for the children to use as I don't want them digging up the newly planted vegetable seeds!