A little inspiration for your next play session

Creating an Outdoor Space for Play

Before I had N I had never heard of loose parts play, sensory play, stump circles or water tables. I didn't know you could make your own tree blocks, create playgrounds out of rocks and logs, create outdoor kitchens and make your own sandbox with little or no experience building. 

Then my son learned to walk but still only had a four minute attention span for his toys, and I found myself wondering, what will we do? What kind of space can I create so that my son will be happy and safe at home for at least some hours of every day? 

So I began to read during naptime. I checked out what Modern Parents Messy Kids had to say on the subject. I perused the thoughts of Teacher Tom. I hopped into the wide world of Pinterest and pinned photos of inspiring backyards onto my board. 

Then I found some stumps and lucked into some big rocks. I made a path for N to climb on across the yard with some of the rocks and stumps and scattered some stumps around as tables. I built two water tables. I built Ana White's Fold-Out Bench Sandbox and it was just not that hard. I scattered some buckets and shovels around. I made some tree blocks like Counting Coconuts. 

Now we play in the backyard every day. Pouring water, stacking blocks, making potions, seeing if this and that will float or sink. And when other kids come over, look out. It's a wild ride. Today we had four one and a half year olds out there and it was wet and sandy and great. 

Find a Campus near you

One of our favorite activities is visiting the campuses of local colleges. Here are a few of the things we've enjoyed at the ones near us, and may I suggest you check out one near you!

1. Picking up a vegan brownie at a college cafe while every one in sight cooed over N in his stroller.
2. Playing ball on a vast quadrangle, pausing only to admire passing students biking and skateboarding
3. Picnicking under a huge tree before practicing walking up and down the steps of a nearby theater over and over and over
4. Transferring rocks from one part of a cactus garden to another part of the same cactus garden
5. Checking out new kinds of leaves and trees
6. Toddling through a dorm lobby and checking out the couch
7. Walking down secret paths between high hedges
8. Admiring fountains from afar and very close up