This is Part 1 of the Getting Ready for Summer Series.
For those of us with school-age children, summer holidays will soon be here and the days will stretch out endlessly if we aren’t prepared with activities that meet our children’s energy levels. Today, I’m specifically going to talk about gearing up for outdoor play at home. In the coming weeks, we’ll talk about indoor play as well as specific activities, including indoor, outdoor, and away from home, that you can prepare for as well.
As I am sure many of you do, I don’t want the summer to be endless screen time. To avoid this, I must set specific limits for screen time and plan ahead for activities to fill the remainder of the day.
1. Take stock of the outdoor items you have and their condition.
The first task I recommend that you do is take stock of what you already have and of the condition of those items. I gathered our outdoor toys together this morning and here is what we have:
- 2 bikes with helmets
- a skateboard
- basketball, soccer ball, tennis rackets and balls, a badminton set and baseball bat and balls
- a jump rope
- sidewalk chalk
- bubbles and accessories
- a hula hoop
- a cornhole set
- a water squirt set
We’re off to a pretty good start. I have picked up a few of these items over the last several weeks as I have noticed items on sale, but most we already had.
2. Consider your options before purchasing anything.
There are so many toys out there of varying interests and quality. Think about your kids and what they will actually use vs. what would become garage clutter. The possibilities are endless at this time of your, and every store has a different variety.
Stores such as Target, Wal-Mart, Big Lots and other big box discount stores often tend to have a wide selection at this time of year, but that selection will quickly get picked over before summer gets here. Now is the time to survey your options and decide what will work best for you.
3. Know your budget and what you are willing to invest.
Summer doesn’t have to be an endless expense, and it is best to know up front what you are willing to spend. It is also important to invest in items that will last the summer. The dollar store might have some great options…that will make it only through one day.
This is another reason shopping around will pay off. Stores such as Michael’s have a selection of summer outdoor toys that they will often run 50% off. If you can catch those items when they are also offering a coupon for an additional percentage off, including sale items, you can get several toys for little money. Items that are specifically made to be toys can often be more expensive than similar functional items. For example, sprinklers made specifically for kids water play can cost more than a basic lawn sprinkler, while the kids won’t notice the difference.
Also keep in mind that items don’t have to be bought first hand. Yard sales and Goodwill can also provide opportunities for getting summer items inexpensively.
If your budget is tight, consider joining together with a friend you can swap toys with throughout the summer. This will allow you to spend less without limiting your options.
Don’t forget you can recreate some items without spending anything. Rather than investing in an outdoor bowling set, make your own using soda or water bottles. Pinterest is full of ideas for inexpensive ways to create items for outdoor play.
Lastly, consider setting aside money to buy items on clearance at the end of the season to have available for next year. This is a great way to purchase larger items that don’t fit the budget right now.
4. Summer items to have for outdoor play.
Here are ideas items to have ready for summer:
Mobile toys – bikes, skateboards, scooters, roller skates, etc. with the necessary safety equipment.
Sports equipments – a variety of balls, bats, rackets, and gloves for baseball, basketball, soccer, tennis, volleyball and any other sport your child might be interested in. Don’t forget items such as an air pump for the basketball.
Water toys – squirt guns, sprinklers, water balloons (if you’re adventurous! Cleanup also passes the time 😉
Individual activities – hula hoops, jump ropes, sidewalk chalk, bubbles
Outdoor games – cornhole, ring toss, ladderball, croquet
Other ideas – ball toss games, kites
SUNSCREEN!!! – don’t forget this all-important item in the midst of your preparations
I’m sure there are so many other items to consider, but here is a starter list. My hope is that you will be prepared for summer when it arrives and I hope this list will motivate you to start preparing now.
Check back next Thursday as we look at preparing for summer indoor play!