Play is an important part of learning in children whether they are still little or grown up. There are different kinds of play and a child needs to engage in variety of play for a holistic learning and development. Aside from providing your kids with toys they could play with inside the house; it is important to be creative as well when it comes to your backyard and make it more fun and kid-friendly for them. If you’re looking for great ideas on what features to add to your backyard, here are some of the best ones you might want to try out.
Mud Kitchen
Mud kitchens are becoming a popular addition to backyards and come in a variety of styles and sizes. It all depends on how you want to create it. You could create your own mud kitchen with a mud patch and some utensils or simply buy and assemble one. A mud kitchen helps sparks a child’s imagination, social skills, communication, and other essential aspects of development, making it a perfect add on for a backyard.
Climbing Area
To keep kids active, you need to add a feature that would also encourage them to move about and play actively outdoors. A climbing frame is one of the great add on you could place in your backyard. Backyard climbing frames come in different styles and sizes as well. Some look like a simple climbing frame while others have additional features like a ladder, wall climbing feature, slide, swing, and many more. A climbing area helps kids in their physical development by letting them engage in active play that is well suited to their age.
Vegetable Patch
Teaching kids how to take care of vegetables is a great way to make them aware on where their food comes from. They get to learn a lot just by taking care of plants. Aside from knowing the food sources, they could also learn about the life cycles of plants and maybe cultivate their interest in vegetables that they don’t like to eat before. Tending to a vegetable garden also gives them a sense of responsibility and improves their self-esteem in the sense that they know they are doing a huge part in growing those vegetables.
Quiet Retreat Space
Whether it is a small shaded corner under a tree, a mini playhouse, or anything else, kids also need some space where they could retreat quietly and just enjoy the feeling of being outdoors. Having an outdoor retreat area for kids helps encourage their thinking skills and even enjoy simple games or share stories with friends and even adults as well. It is also a perfect area where they could rest when they are feeling tired or overwhelmed from all the active play they have done in the yard.
There are still plenty of different features that are perfect to be added on a backyard. As a parent, it is your job to be creative in making your home a fun place for your kids.
