WORDS: LUCY MITCHELL
We’ll start this article by quoting two very different but equally beloved men: Albert Einstein and Mister Rogers.
Both these men understood without a doubt that play is of the utmost importance to children. Mister Rogers said play is the work of childhood and Einstein agreed that it was the highest form of research.
As parents we want to make sure we create a great outdoor space where our children can play, learn and explore, however, creating a kid friendly environment shouldn’t mean you have to sacrifice on style.
Here are our tips for creating an outdoor entertainment space that’s chic and practical which will gladly be the backdrop for kids’ play and grown up garden parties.
Use Chalkboard Paint Outdoors
We’ve long been using chalkboard paint to jazz up cupboard doors, kitchen splash backs and playrooms but adding it to an outdoor space is a great way to encourage outdoor play.
Kids will use blackboards to draw, play school or create epic chalk murals.
Grown ups can use outdoor chalkboard walls to write menus for garden parties or describe a list of drinks available for sunset cocktail parties or to lay out a list of house rules like have fun or leave by 10.
Create Cool Climbing Walls
|As anyone who has ever seen a toddler encounter a climbing frame, a coffee table or even an adult’s leg could tell you – kids love to climb.
Creating an outdoor rock climbing wall is a great way to encourage active play. Get the wall designed in a unique or minimalist way to help the wall blend into your space so, when it’s not in use, it looks like a cool sculptural piece.
Install Minimalist Playsets
Go vertical by installing minimalistic swings that can be disassembled or modified when kids are no longer interested in them.
Before you add in any permanent features to your garden you’ll want to make sure that the space is clean, tidy and free of any green waste. To do that you’ll want to call a professional rubbish removal company from your local area.
Take Play To The Next Level With A Treehouse
Take your play to the next level with a treehouse, the perfect place for kids to engage in imaginative outdoor play.
Fill the space with a toy kitchen, a playhouse or with themed imaginative play activities.
As our old friend Mister Rogers said “When children pretend, they’re using their imaginations to move beyond the bounds of reality. A stick can be a magic wand. A sock can be a puppet. A small child can be a superhero.”
When you’re kids get older it can also be a cool hangout place for tweens and teens. You can also make a treehouse the focal point of your garden after the sun has set by lighting up the tree house with string lights along the eaves and around the windows.
Have Temporary Fun With Indoor/Outdoor Toys
Indoor to outdoor toys like collapsible cloth teepees are great toys to bring into the garden especially at a time when you’ll be entertaining kids and adults at the same time. Parents can relax at lunch while their kids play nearby in safe and aesthetically gorgeous teepees.
Outdoor Dining For The Whole Family
Dinner al fresco!
Spending time outside as a whole family is a great way to use your outdoor space while bonding as a family. Taking dinner time outdoors is a great fun way to bond especially if you can manage to cook outside. Barbecues and pizza ovens are great ways to cook outdoors. You can keep the cooking indoors and have a picnic dinner outside.
For a list of recipes you can cook with kids, head here to see these family friendly meals.
Once you’ve cooked a great meal as a family you’ll want to make sure you have a big enough outdoor table to enjoy it around. We recommend this aluminium table which can expand and contract to seat as many or as few people as you need it to.
Put these tips into practice and you’ll be able to enjoy your beautiful outdoor space and each other’s company!
Article provided by: current.com.au
