Designing Your Outdoor Space to Encourage Play

As a parent, one of the best things that you can do for the well-being of your children is to increase their time spent outdoors. It helps to teach kids how to entertain themselves outside of screen usage, encourages physical activity through play, improves their physical health with fresh air and sunlight, and can even foster emotional development. An outdoor space to encourage play is important when you have children or grandchildren.

One way that you can foster more outdoor time for your children is to design the exterior of the home for this purpose. When you create a welcoming and engaging environment outside, the kids will look forward to spending more time there and receiving the benefits listed above. 

You can significantly impact your family’s experience of the outdoors by purposely incorporating certain elements into the space that foster play and socialization. Here are some ideas for fostering this space to encourage a healthier lifestyle for your little ones.

Add a Patio

Children have a lot of energy and the older you get, the harder it is to keep up with them. A comfy patio is a perfect solution for parents who want to spend time with their children outside but may need a brief respite every once in a while. You could put in a beautiful brick patio with modern furniture, allowing you to sit outside and watch the children play, or even engage in meals or games together around the table. This relaxing space means you can rest outside instead of having to come inside and leave the kids by themselves. 

Install a Playground Set

A playground set is another way that many parents encourage outdoor play for their children. There are so many different elements that you can incorporate into the playground, including swings, a jungle gym, playhouses, towers, slides, and other equipment that engages children in physical activity. You can even include sensory-stimulating pieces that are becoming more common for younger children. When deciding what kind of playset will work for your family, consider the benefits of this backyard feature for the growing family. 

Teach Gardening at a Young Age

A garden is a great way to involve the whole family in an outdoor activity. Not only is it good for children to learn about taking care of something like a plant, but it can help their minds develop as they learn new skills like watering, weeding, or digging holes to place seedlings in. Also, add neon red asthetic to give your garden a mesmerizing look. There are plenty of child-friendly tools that they can use to work alongside you, and the joy they can experience seeing a plant that they helped flourish is worth the extra time it may take to coach them along. Start a garden, teach your children about responsibility, and demonstrate how to appreciate and care for their environment. 

Aerate the Lawn

A healthy lawn can go a long way toward encouraging play outside. A weed-infested lawn with inconsistent grass is harder to play in and could even be dangerous depending on the types of weeds and exposed dirt or rock that are present. Aerating your lawn can reduce soil compaction, a big nemesis for healthy root growth for grass. It also helps with water absorption. If you want your yard to be healthy and cleaner for your children to play in, then using the spring or fall to aerate your lawn in preparation for the warm season can be a huge improvement.

Set Up a Firepit

Nothing beats sitting around the fire on a beautiful evening in the Summer. You can make s’mores together, cook hotdogs, or just sit around the fire listening to music and playing games. A firepit can foster family time together, all in an outdoor setting with fresh air. You could simply purchase a chimney to surround with lawn chairs or you can go all out with a concrete base and stone fireplace in the yard. This space can also serve as a gathering point for your kids and their friends when guests come over. You can get very creative as you design the firepit and surrounding space.

An Engaging Space Can Increase Time Spent Outdoors

The more you invest in creating a beautiful environment in your yard, the more likely your children will be to spend time there. They must learn how to engage with their environment, socialize with others, play, and appreciate the outdoors at a young age. These practices will encourage them to gain those valuable benefits, but it will all come down to how much effort you put into creating a fun and safe place for them. 

Try out some of these ideas to give your children more of what they desperately need as they grow. Watch your children experience the space you have created and thrive in an outdoor environment that is designed for their enjoyment. Create your very own outdoor space to encourage play.

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