We're outside...now what?

I have a 4 year old, 14 month old (both girls and siblings) and a 18 month old boy who seem to have no desire to be outside or know what to do with themselves once they're out. I am fortunate to have 2 play outside play areas which I rotate them playing in. 1 is at the front of our house (driveway and the end of a small, very quiet dead end street); and out front we use sidewalk chalk, ride ons etc. Backyard is typical fenced in yard...sandbox, playstructure, big oversized balls, sensory table, playhouse. I also have bins of other things I bring out at random (bubbles, ribbons, jump ropes etc.). What am I missing here? The 2 girls are pretty new here (& ironically live on a farm...you'd think they'd love it outside!). The little boy I have had since I opened (9 months now) and he has never been an outside kid. Am I missing something here? There's a lot to be said about having the right toys...but in my opinion, a lot more to be said about them exploring and finding their own thing to do (like the rest of my little ones love to do outside).

I have the exact same problem with most of my crew. I have 2 little ones who LOVE to be outside and play with the toys and the climbers and love the park...but then i have 3 others who refuse to do anything. They just stand there like garden gnomes lol. I have tried everything too and am at a loss as to how to engage them. I have tried games like what time is it mr. wolf, simon says. I bring out bubbles, balls, ribbons, etc. We go to the park and its the same thing...Inside they still need a lot of guidance and free play is not their favourite, but I love outside time and its mandatory in my daycare, but I feel so bad for them just standing there. They are 23 months and 2.5. Would love some advice on this one too :)

Thanks Michelle! We try so hard! Phew...good to know I'm not alone!

Nope not alone at all. Thought I was just crazy that the kids in my care don't like to be outside. Weird too because the parents all say they take their kids outside and they love to play outside, but honestly they just stand like statues!!! Makes me so sad to think they are not having fun! I'm sure the ladies on here will come up with some ideas that we haven't tried.

Hi!! I don't understand this at all...maybe their parents never take them outside???? I try to spend as much time as possible outside with my dck!!! I also find that the less 'toys' we have the more fun they seem to have! They all love really basic things like hide and seek, running, rolling down the hill and hunting for bugs!! They are 2, 22 months and 3. It makes me sad that some kids don't know how to play outside but I don't really have any advice on how to teach that! Maybe try playing something like tag or trying a little scavenger hunt where you look for special leaves, grass, bugs etc. We get really dirty here.....maybe your little guys don't like getting muddy?

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Originally Posted by michellesmunchkins

Nope not alone at all. Thought I was just crazy that the kids in my care don't like to be outside. Weird too because the parents all say they take their kids outside and they love to play outside, but honestly they just stand like statues!!! Makes me so sad to think they are not having fun! I'm sure the ladies on here will come up with some ideas that we haven't tried.

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Ha ha Michelle...was just typing when you posted same thing!!!

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Originally Posted by Emily3

Ha ha Michelle...was just typing when you posted same thing!!!

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I am so surprised too Emily. I thought all kids loved being outside. Never had anyone who didn't have fun outside. Most of my guys get mad when we don't get to go outside! The one dck does freak out when she gets dirty though so maybe that's it. Doesn't like to have ANYTHING on her hands. She literally wipes them on baby wipes the entire meal time just in case. I'm thinking she's a little OCD but mom and dad think its normal...sigh...who am I to argue lol We get pretty dirty here..I'm one of those ones who thinks as long as they are safe and having fun they can always be washed!

I feel exactly the same....luckily my parents here do too. The more dirt, the more fun!

Bingo! That's probably it with the 2 girls I have...Mom is super OCD with cleanliness and I do see that with them at mealtime during which I always let them self feed (4 year old says that her mom always feeds her sister the 14 month old, because she's so messy). Duh, why didn't I think of that?!

I must be pretty lucky with my kids cause they all love to be outside but I did have one 2 yr old dcb and he started at the beginning of the year and he had no idea of how to walk in the snow so he just stood there but after a few weeks of watching the others climb the snow hill and many games of "follow the leader" up the snow hill he was an old pro....and admittingly he parents said they didn't take him outside .... Now he's the first one at the gate to get his outdoor gear on. Can't wait for some much warmer weather !!

I had this last year and think about it the parents don't have time to take them outside. Also most of them were probably too small last year to do too much exploring and now your it! Put a big blanket out with a few of there favorite inside toys and books and trust me they will start to explore on there own especially when they see the bigger ones doing what it is they should be doing! LOL

Also put out a small dishpan with water and suds with a few little people they will go crazy!

Personally I wouldn't even worry about it if they just stand there oh well. They will start playing eventually without your help especially watching the other kids have fun. I have kids who dont like to get dirty but they run around like crazy out side sometimes they get upset and I have to clean them up but thats it.

I have bought a lot of science related books from scholastic and a lot of our activities centre around the world around us. They love to stand at the window and watch the birds, squirrels and resident wild bunnies - which get less wild each year. When they are outside they continue to look for spiders, check out what is under the log etc. Sandbox is the biggest hit.

With some groups I have had to introduce how to play with the idea of ok guys the climber is a ship and we are going sailing then get them doing appropriate things including looking out for pirates. It might be the next day or a week later but you will start to see them get on the climber and play the game themselves. What most kids lack is the imagination - not enough of watching Barney, lol.

Give the toys a purpose but then don't hold them to doing that such as giving them a soccer net - ie a target to kick or roll the ball at.

You have to remember too as someone mentioned these kids were too little last year to do much outside so they are seeing some of these things for the first time. By the time parents get the kids home at the end of the day not many of them go outside - it is now dark, time to eat, bath, bed. You will need to demonstrate what each toy can do then they will be able to do it themselves if they want to. IF they choose not to then at least you know you did your part.

This sounds strange! My daycare children LOVE to be outside and I always warn the parents that the muddier they are the more fun they had outside. We travel a lot, to the library once a week, to three different parks (I switch them up weekly) and I have a play area outside that we use once or twice a week too but it's small, just slides, water table, and of course a place for digging near my garden.

I agree that you should just encourage them and when they are ready they will play. My group really loves to chase bubbles and play with balls outside too.

lol my kids are banging on the darn door to get out! Thankfully, they all like to be out,

Yesterday the 4 year old just sat there with big crocodile tears and claimed that it was just too sunny out (we were sitting in the shade!). Wonder if she has some sort of light sensitivity?

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Originally Posted by Dreamalittledream

Yesterday the 4 year old just sat there with big crocodile tears and claimed that it was just too sunny out (we were sitting in the shade!). Wonder if she has some sort of light sensitivity?

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Do you insist the parents all provide sunhats and sunglasses for their children to be left at daycare all summer? I do, and also splashpants. We are outside every day possible and if everything is always here at daycare already then everybody is equipped with nobody holding us back because one child is not ready, you know?

What do the parents say about this?

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Originally Posted by Momof4

Do you insist the parents all provide sunhats and sunglasses for their children to be left at daycare all summer? I do, and also splashpants. We are outside every day possible and if everything is always here at daycare already then everybody is equipped with nobody holding us back because one child is not ready, you know?

What do the parents say about this?

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Yes, for sure everyone has hats & other appropriate weather gear...and we have 2 boys, so what they don't have I can dig up extra of. But I had never thought of asking parents to supply sunglasses?! Would be good to try, especially for this little girl. Re: What do parents say. Mom says that the kids don't really go outside at home (they live on a farm!). Mom is a clean freak/germaphobe, so I'm not really suprised.

Stranger and stranger. I grew up on a farm and we were always outside until sundown. I don't have cubbies because my entrance hallway is narrow so my Mom sewed some drawstring bags (I don't sew) and we keep the daycare sunhat & sunglasses in there all summer and the extra hats & mittens in there all winter. It's in my contract under the portion of supplies expected from the parents.

A miracle occurred! On a normal day, the babies nap in the AM (8:30 to 10 then snack and outside for everyone until lunch) and everyone else naps after lunch. 4 year old was just in total meltdown by 8:30am...so I had her nap same time as the babies. She's been a dream ever since! I put her responsible for lining everyone's coats and boots up by the door among other chores to prep us all going outside. She was absolutely thrilled and actually played outside this time. Of course, this afternoon...she was wide awake when I would have had 2 + hrs of downtime but quiet time is easy enough with a 4 year old who loves books and craft projects.

For those that are saying my gang plays outside just fine and those that are saying mine don't what age mix do you have?

That is an issue I have been dealing with for the last few years in the sense that only having little ones as in 2 1/2 or under most of the time or just turned 3 at max I am finding it rough compared to years past. When I do circle time or ask questions or expect them to do an activity there are no big kids to answer or lead or show the little ones what to do as in they would follow the older ones. It is just me literally "teaching" the kids what to do, where to stand, how to move, what to put where - lessons the little ones just used to learn from watching the big kids then when there was a changeover of kids they were now the big kids and started teaching the new little ones.

Playfelt, I know exactly what you are saying!!!!! My old group was all 3 & 4 year olds last year, but this year I brought in babies. So today when we were outside playing all 5 of them, ages 15 mo., 16 mo., 24 mo., and the oldest are both just barely 4 were all engaged with the toys and activities. I've never had an issue with a child having problems playing outside.

Where I'm having trouble with the 3 babies is at circle time because they couldn't care less when we are in the toyroom. So I now have circle time during lunch or snack or just after crafting when they are all pinned down in their boosters at my dining room table and not able to run off or be distracted. I find I have their full attention and they will even look at a whole book while I read to them and enjoy the finger game/songs and puppets.

How do you keep your young group engaged at circle time?

I am lucky that my gang loves to be read to. Usually I sit down with a book and they all flock to me. We read the story then go back and look at the book again, talk a bit, then I move on to something related to the book. I continue as long as someone is interacting with me letting the little ones wander off at will. I repeat this 2-3 times throughout the playtime and each time lasts 5-10 minutes. I use fingerpuppets, feltboard, songs mostly as the extended activities. Often I end with something like a feltboard game that I can leave out for those left to continue with.

Same as you - anything I want them all to do is done when trapped at the table - older ones will sit and younger ones are in high chairs. I don't let those in high chairs do crafts from there though as I belive they should be using the chairs to identify with eating. Only those from about 16-18 months - depends on child and able to sit at the regular toddler table that do crafts. I will set up the younger ones occasionally and stand behind them to introduce them to scribbling. Mostly we do this when the little ones are doing morning nap. By the time they are giving this up they are ready to join us anyways.

It's interesting that you mention that you want the highchairs to be associated with eating only. I hope I'm not screwing these little ones up for life regarding multitasking, eek, because I've asked the parents to help me teach their children that we eat at the table and we also create at the table because I don't have space for little tables. When we are crafting, colouring, etc. I remove all sippy cups and all food items from the dining room so they learn the difference.

Thanks for the tips on how to handle circle time with young ones.

I have a tablecloth I put on the playtable during crafts - no cloth no craft. That way table stays clean for meals. So they identify with the cloth. As soon as that goes on the table the older ones will come asking wha we are going to make. It is just a cheap thing from the dollar store meant to be used once for a party so nothing fancy and I just replace every few months if necessary. Easy to just pull up and stuff on the shelf with the crayons.

My thing about the food is confusion. I am trying to teach the kids not to put stuff in their mouth but then put them in their high chair and give them an orange carrot and expect them to eat it then give them an orange crayon and get upset with them if they eat it - confusing for the child. So until they are old enough to make the distinction themselves I don't let them have craft supplies in their chair and they don't do the craft if they are unable to sit on a regular child size chair at the table.

One of the reasons they get books in their chairs is that books don't ever go in your mouth even the plastic ones at my house when you are playing. Books are special and we treat them with respect. Therefore there is no confusion with books in the highchair because they already know what they are for.

Haha, yes I know, I have to say every day: Yummy food goes in your mouth, toys do not go in your mouth. I have craft mats that I put at the table but the babies are creating in their booster chairs on the trays. I tape their papers down with masking tape when colouring. A cheap tablecloth is a great idea because paint always ends up on my butcher block dark brown table outside the craft mat areas, grrrrr.