No grass, no water, no park - need ideas for more active outside play!

Hi Ladies,

I am hoping you can provide me with some helpful suggestions or ideas. I am in a new housing development and there is no grass, no trees, no shade and no parks. There is also a water ban in our area as well most likely until the end of July or start of August. We are currently going outside twice a day and the kids play in the stone driveway (which will be paved next week!). I have a toy house out there, 2 toy cars that the kids can ride in, a slide that I have going from my top step to my bottom step, bubbles, lots of pails and shovels (the kids fill the trucks and pails up with rocks and stones), basketball hoop, various balls to kick around etc. I also take the kids on a walk after lunch. I have the 4 seater choo choo wagon and I take the kids on a walk around our man made pond in the development. It is a paved path with the pond in the middle and on the outside of the path it is surrounded by some fairly tall grass and weeds and trees.

Here is where I need your help. One of my parents just came to me and said that she feels her child is not getting enough active time outside and asked me if she thought there was any way that I could increase his activity as he seems to be cranky and irritable in the evening which she thinks is because he has not had enough active time in the day to blow off some steam and run around (he is 2 years old). We currently get lots of outside time just not a lot of active running around time. Because we are limited to the driveway there is not really any space to run. We are most likely going to get our grass at the beginning or middle of August and then we will be able to play in the backyard and the little ones can run their little hearts out. I will also have a huge wooden playstructure with a big slide, 3 swings, a little play house and rock climibing wall, another smaller plastic play structure, a bouncy castle, a small kiddie pool and tons of balls for kicking around the yard.

So, any ideas on what I can do in the next two months or so to let the kids burn off more steam but keep them safe in this crazy construction zone??

thanks!!

I know not for everyone but my kids are actually more active in the house then they are outside. My house sort of goes around in a circle from room to room and they push large trucks around and around and around. We do bowling, roll balls, parachute etc all in the house. Outside they head straight to the sandbox. You might actually find they play more active if you have less stuff actually on the driveway and instead use it for games such as bowling, obstacle races, hockey or soccer with a net. It will get dry enough that they dirt area might be useable at least for some running. Is it possible that more of the kids could actually walk during the walk instead of ride. Has she ever considered that he is cranky because he has had outside time and now is getting overtired more easily. It hasn't been that long that we have actually been able to play outside because of the rain so they kids are kind of out of practice.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by playfelt

Is it possible that more of the kids could actually walk during the walk instead of ride. Has she ever considered that he is cranky because he has had outside time and now is getting overtired more easily.

---

Just as I was going to suggest! When I was a nanny to one of my nephews 5 years ago, my siblings moved into a new subdivision. Once the driveway was paved, I asked if they could put a tarp on the driveway so I could set up a pool. We went for a walk (sorry, I pushed him in the stroller) to the closest park - 30 minutes walking. He would try to walk for about 10 minutes. I also tried to find the construction trucks that were working and we would talk forever about them. The workers were awesome and would wave to him if they drove by.

While working in daycare centers the one rule that seemed to rule in most centers - and rules at my home daycare as well, is that we go for a long walk, and if the kid starts to fall asleep, you take them out and make them walk (obviously for walkers). You make that much more tired than they were before, and it's a great afternoon nap for them - they'll be out cold!

Thanks for the suggestions ladies. I think I will try walking half way around the pond in the choo choo wagon as usual and then letting the kids get out and walk. I am planning on having a rope for them all to hold on to - if they run away or keep letting go of the rope to go in a different direction I will put them back in the wagon. As they get better and better at walking with the rope I will increase the distance. Hopefully over time I won't need the rope either! I just know that all my kids love to run and wander around but with the deep grasses and sharp prickly plants not to mention the pond itself, it is not a safest place for the kids to be without me right next to them.

Does anyone else use a rope when they go for a walk or are all your kids able to walk without it. As I mentioned earlier I have 2 two year olds and 2 three year olds (I think they would be fine without the rope but I want it to be the same for everyone).

Firstly; it doesn't really sound like this little man is lacking in physical activity. I mean, if he wants to run around and play, he will, right? It seems like you have lots of fun stuff to do at your place!! (Can I come play? ;) )
Anyway, at this point in time, I will admit that I don't stray too far with the kiddos I have. Too many "runners" and so it's either wagons or stroller for those guys. We are fortunate to have a very large yard with a couple of acres to roam, so I usually just use that space.
I think it's funny that mom has decided that he is irritable because of something you are NOT doing. It would seem more likely to me that he is cranky because of the fun things you ARE doing.

Maybe he is tired at night from all the fresh air and playing all day??? That is my first thought. It sounds more like a tired child if she says he is cranky. If he was going home and climbing the walls and furniture - then I would think it might be because he isn't ,oving enough.

I swear I have the most active 2 year old boy in the world in my daycare (people who see him are like WHOA !!:woot:) lol and sometimes i take him by the hand and just run up and down the side walk with him a few times to burn some steam. usually all it takes is to take him on a quiet path (where no cars drive ) and let him run or in a field. Do you have any big empty fields? baseball diamonds or soccer field near by? The kids LOOOOOOVE just being able to run free without being held or 'captured' all the time.

I have a choo choo wagon too. I love it !! Sometimes I do take the kids on long walks where the "mighty machines' are building new construction in our neighbourhood too. Just seeing the 'machines' and 'dirt piles' and things fascinates the kids and any fresh air tires them out. I take the kids on walks in bad weather and don't let them out of the wagon but just seeing stuff and the fresh air still tires them out so I think you are doing good with that.

Also.....I do set up an IKEA play tunnel and tent on certain days. The kids love running through the tunnel. I have about 5 soccer balls of various sizes and textures all over the house and the kids run and play with those. You can also go on kijiji and some people sell Step2 slides that they have used only indoors and which fold up for storage. maybe you could get a slide and put it inside the house.

Another good thing might be just to get a tiny climber and put it out in your driveway. A little climber with a slide. I have one like this that the 2 year olds flock to http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-s...AdIdZ273900537

But....if you tell the mom that the recommended outdoor time for kids (licensed care) is 2 hours and you are meeting or exceeding that time (including school walks, etc) then you are good. No worries. I still think the child is tired by the time they get home and therefore = irritable.:p
It takes a lot out of a kid to play all day, do social interactions, go outside and see different things

I too think he is tired after a long and busy day of playing and learning at daycare with his buddies. Plus, being two years old also comes with lots of crankiness and unpredictability in behaviour. Anyways I will try the walks and see how they go.

Thank you all for your ideas and suggestions - they are greatly appreciated :)

I do have two climbers that are currently in the garage but I may put the smaller one together this weekend and just put it in the driveway for the kids to play in/on. It has a little slide too so I think the kids will like that. I am just not sure I want it on the hard driveway - falling from there could still hurt and I much prefer to have it on the grass. I will test drive it with my own kiddos and see how they do with it.

Have a great weekend and TGIF!!!

You can also buy those ropes with little loops that go around the kids' wastes so they cannot let go and run away; that's what I would use for having multiple kids walking at one time.

Why can the parent not pick the child up and take them to the park after supper like most parents do. All of my kids get to play outside either as soon as they go home if it is early or after supper. I pay the consequences the next day for them being out later than ideal and then needing a bath etc when they get home. I am assuming your daycare parents are coming from Barrhaven too and as such they need to also take responsibility for taking their child to a park somewhere since you can not transport everyone out of the area every day if at all. Instead of trying to increase the activity I would be putting some of the burden back on the parent. As I said my kids go outside and head straight for the sandbox and spend probably half our outside time there. I am not going to say sorry guys you need to run around more. They run when they want to, swing, climb, slide, etc.

a thought- do you have a sand and water table? my kid had a blast in that and it did not need much.