Outside play with the littles

[Lee-Bee]

What do you do while outside with a child that is unable to play?
My group is young with 5 ages 14-20months.

Four of the five love being outdoors and engage with each other and with the many toys. One isn't crawling but he doesn't care and either the plays on blanket with toys or crawls around.

I have an 18month old that just wanders and gets into trouble (eating garden dirt or pine needles etc) every day, for months now. If I try to engage he is gone within 30,sec and back to wandering.

It's driving me bonkers as I can't engage the others or this one gets into trouble. The others free for lay fine but I still don't care to follow one around every minute while outside.

He does the same inside but it doesn't take as much energy to stay on him as there is no dirt to eat etc.

Yesterday I forced him to stay on the blanket for a good 30min while the others and layer on the blanket and he was in histerics(boring to sit if you don't so much as touch a toy).

Thoughts? I find we go out later and later now so I have less time to follow him before he gets picked up.

[Lee-Bee]

Sorry for the weird auto corrections above, new phone!

[Busy ECE mommy]

I had a couple of non-walkers and busy little ones last year, and I bought a Superyard fenced gate with the added extension. I put down foam mats on the patio and put things like duplo/cars/garage/people/balls inside the superyard with the foam underneath it. It worked well, and kept them out of trouble. I also have a climber/swings, and purchased 2 baby swings so I could free up my hands from chasing them all of the time. I only needed it about 3 months, until they were stable on their feet and could take direction a little better. I still have to remind my preschoolers to stay out of the flower garden LOL!

[5 Little Monkeys]

Do they all walk? I find it hard enough getting 2 walkers and 2 non walkers outside!! I can't imagine 5 under 20 months! Thankfully I only have one crawler right now so outside time is a breeze most days. It's actually a break for me as they all free play (the crawler crawls or pushes things to walk) which allows me to sit in my chair and have a break!

I have done the same as busy ece mommy....I got rid of my swingset but it did come in handy when I wanted to "contain" a little one but still occupy them. I have also used an exersaucer outside when I had a really little one. I also have used my green turtle sandbox as a playpen and put toys in there (I never used it for sand lol) In the winter time I used to put the 2 non walkers in the wagon so they weren't on the ground and getting cold.