Outside time

I find this time of the year a bit of an adjustment for the kids. It is really cold today but we don't have the snow. What do your kids do outside during this time of year? They were super bored this morning (may just be an effect of being entertained all weekend). We have been going for a walk most mornings but the bikes, the climber etc have lost their appeal. We can't do some of the usual summer stuff e.g water table, bubbles, certain art activities we would do outside...I need some ideas please!

It is a bit of a sucky time of year! Bring on the snow already! We pretty much stick to riding cars, doll strollers with babies and just running around.

We still use the climbers and playhouse. Riding toys and push toys too. But most morning.....their favourite thing to do is we go for a walk with sidewalk chalk. And we stop along the way and colour anywhere we can find. Sidewalk, this public patio we pass. It's something different then just colouring on the driveway. And I find they can still hold and colour well with mitts on.

This year has been amazing for outdoor time!!! I am actually enjoying winter lol

We use the climber and playhouse year round and because there's no snow, I've still been bringing out the balls, ride on toys, push vehicles, dolls, stroller and shopping cart. Once the snow is here, it's the shovels, the push vehicles and their imagination! They really like when we paint the snow (just coloured water....kool aid is cool cuz it also smells good!)

Yeah, its weird. I still have all these things on offer e.g. the cars and climber but they just don't have the appeal to them anymore. Think I need to mix something up but not sure what.

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Originally Posted by torontokids

Yeah, its weird. I still have all these things on offer e.g. the cars and climber but they just don't have the appeal to them anymore. Think I need to mix something up but not sure what.

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We have inside water table. Not used for water but for sensory item. So we use that lot. Foaming bubble, cardboard city of toilet tube with dinkies, water beads, shaving foam popular, Christmas tinsel and shiny star or seasonal little bit from dollarstore.

We have dance party on bubble wrap which fun.

Thing like this.

Ooh I have a bunch of bubble wrap and other than wrapping it around their hands and feet to paint with, I wasn't sure what else to do with it....dance party is a great idea!

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Originally Posted by 5 Little Monkeys

Ooh I have a bunch of bubble wrap and other than wrapping it around their hands and feet to paint with, I wasn't sure what else to do with it....dance party is a great idea!

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Last year when snow come, my husband used blower to make maze so children could run along inside the paths. Not need be big. He did from back deck, around shed and back in loop. Kids loved it. Now he have do again this year because they remember.

I've been trying to decide whether I should get a snow blower, think I may have just decided! I want to run the maze too. :)
Today, cold, no snow, and all the summer toys put away, we took out the hoola hoops for the first time in months. My yard has a slope to it, so they had great fun rolling them down the hill.

I do a snow maze too. But I start it at first snow fall and go out daily to walk it. No snow blower (though that would make a wider path easier). I loop it all over the yard and have little areas off the path (little houses, just a semi circle of clearing).

It is totally worthwhile! It gives them a clearing to walk and burn energy and keeps them busy. They can be trains, buses, cars etc while running the paths.

Today was freezing rain. We brought out the side walk chalk. It is neat to draw on the wet pavement.

The snow maze sounds fun! My yard is too small to bother (plus my husband wouldn't want to add it to his snow removal routine lol. He does ours and his parents) but I think it would be cool :)

We do chalk after it rains quite a bit...it is neat and the kids think it feels cool! They call it chalk painting