12 | RMPARENT

healthy living

Outdoor play is important for nu-merous reasons in addition to the old, nondescript adage of getting

fresh air. Here’s the reality: Kids gain a sense of physical competency and mas-tery while playing outdoors that can’t be replicated anywhere else. Outdoor play-time helps kids gain important physical skills while they are running, jumping, and using their bodies in ways more chal-lenging than when playing indoors.

For many of our kids, it’s a new and exciting kind of freedom they’re not get-ting elsewhere. Also, outdoor play is usu-ally less structured, so it naturally gives children more opportunity for discovery.

The simpler the activity, the more likely outside play will return to the regular, daily routine. But, it’s nice to have some creative and exciting ideas on hand. Children can create dramatic play outdoors with very little material. Allow them to create and explore their environment with their minds. Here are a few simple, earth-friendly ideas:

NON-TOxiC bubblE-blOwiNg MixTuREMix together 1/4-cup natural dishwashing

detergent, 3/4-cup water, and 5+ drops of glycerin (easily obtained at your local health food store). Mix together in a small bowl, or add to a mason jar and shake gently.

OuTdOOR xylOPHONEIf you’ve ever done home improvements, you have leftover, oddly sized lengths of 2x4, PVC pipe, and the like in your ga-rage or shed. Gather multiple pieces of varying lengths and secure them laying down or by suspending them with string or wire. For a tabletop xylophone, use a strong box or recycled drawer as the base. To hang the instrument, put holes in both ends of each length and dangle it between two stable ends, such as trees or a deck railing. Easily create a mallet using a pencil and a rubber bouncy ball.

FizziNg sidEwAlk PAiNTSidewalk chalk is old news. Creating your own sidewalk paint gives kids a brand new medium that’s just as easy to wash away. Roughly measure the following [for each color]: 1/4 cup cornstarch, 1/2 box baking soda, a squeeze of washable paint, and a couple tablespoons of water. Stir

the ingredients together and continue to add water until it’s a little soupier than you’d prefer (the mixture thickens up as you’re working with it). After the master-piece is completed, let the fizzy fun begin by filling a squirt bottle with vinegar and spraying your work. Fizz equals fun no matter the context.

CAN PyRAMid bEANbAg TOssSometimes the simplest activities are the most fun. Stack clean cans from the recy-cle bin to create a pyramid and compete as pairs or teams. Filling a sock with dried beans or rice can easily create beanbags.

gET CREATivE wiTH lEAvEsLeaves are only one example of the beau-tiful things found outdoors that can be transformed into exciting craft projects!

• Use leaves as your medium and paint directly on them.

• Create a leaf-matching activity by filling your child’s basket with five to ten leaves of varying shapes and sizes; challenge your child to find a matching leaf for each in the yard.

• Create beautiful leaf art by placing thin paper on top of leaves and lightly color-ing on the paper with crayon.

HANdMAdE wiNd CHiMEsRummage through your recycle bin to find tin cans of various shapes and siz-es. Decorate the clean cans with paint, markers, or glitter. Put a hole in the cen-ter of the bottom of each can and hang upside down with string or yarn. Even toddlers can help by pounding a small hammer on a large nail to punch a hole and stringing the wind chimes up in the perfect location creates even more pride for their latest creation.

PAss AlONg yOuR FAvORiTEsNot everything needs to be a handmade creation; and let’s be honest, some parents (and kids) don’t like to be artsy. Some of the best times we had as kids likely en-tailed simple games such as Freeze Tag, Capture the Flag, TV Tag, and Red Rover.

And, don’t forget the simple act of roll-ing down a hill, that never goes out of style.

make it an outdoor dayIdeas for creative fresh-air activities

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