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!!