Great outdoor activities for toddlers !
Outside Children Toys remind me of some wonderful times in my childhood.. As I recall, I spent most of my childhood playing outdoors. Digging holes in our yard, being taken minnow fishing at our local pond and being pushed along in his wagon by my older brother are some of my earliest childhood memories.
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As we lived in a city famous for its rain I’m sure we must have stayed indoors some times – but that is not how I remember it. Here you’ll find some beautiful outside children toys that I’m sure will form part of your toddler’s memories.
Activity and interest
The joys of outside children toys
Where’s the best place for active physical play? Why, outdoors, of course.
With all that space, fresh air, sunshine and relatively soft surfaces the outdoors is the place to run, jump, ride and climb.
Today there’s growing concern about how little our kids exercise. A good level of physical exercise is a necessary component of a healthy toddler’s lifestyle. One of the main causes of obesity in young children is a lack of exercise.
Good outside children toys encourage them to play actively outdoors. They’re attractive, challenging and most of all fun!
.. so much to experience
There is so much for a toddler to see and experience outdoors. You will see a young child get really excited in a strong wind or a heavy rainstorm. A rain puddle just has to be walked in. Can you ignore a rainbow?
Plants and flowers introduce scents and colors. Even the most mundane of garden creatures excite and inspire. Worms, spiders, birds, bees and butterflies all intrigue our toddlers and enter into their imagination. So toys that encourage outdoor play can really benefit our kids.
Incy, wincy spider!
This summer our two year old grandson had great amusement helping me in the garden.
It’s not much of a garden but we still had a lot of fun. We followed ants and beetles to see where they lived. We knocked on the door of my garden shed. Then ran away, frightened of the creature who lives inside – it’s a real tiger, you know.
A young Don Quixote rode his old stead (me!) and fought dragons (plastic bottles tied to the washing line) with a wooden stick sword.
I lifted my grandson up so he could closely observe the bees gorging on a Lavatera bush that had blossomed heavily.
One activity my grandson really enjoyed was helping with watering the plants. He learnt how to fill the can and then helped me carry it. He cleverly noticed that the can got lighter the more we poured.
This year, for some reason, we had a huge number of small black spiders in our garden. When we were watering the flowers the spiders were disturbed by the spray and went running every which way. Very exciting.
Without my prompting, the nursery rhyme “Incy, wincy spider” was remembered. We had to keep going and refilling the can and spraying it over the little spiders while we repeated the rhyme.
Very simple but huge entertainment that we had to repeat time and time again.
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About outside children toys
Many outdoor activity toys will require you to assemble them. Take care to follow the instructions completely and correctly as a poorly constructed swing or climbing frame can be very dangerous.
Make your yard escape proof.
Toddlers do not understand the dangers that exist on the public highway. You will be surprised how quickly your child can escape from your yard and then travel long distances down that dangerous road.
Make sure your garden or yard is well gated and secured with a child proof catch.
Set the rules and make sure they are understood.
Warn older siblings, who are allowed outside, to keep gates shut and locked. They should not encourage your young one to play outside your home area. Volunteer them into the corps of guards.
You must supervise outside play. A watchful adult guard is the best protection a would be “escapee” can have.
Choose good quality toys that look good and will provide your kids with years of great outdoor play.
Look after your outside children toys!
Unfortunately, I have to warn you about the theft of outside children toys. We have read of an increasing incidence of this crime. Make sure your toys are secure or lock them away.
Check and maintain your outdoor toys paying special attention when they are put away at the end of the season.
Seesaw Marjorie Daw
Johnny shall have a new master
The see saw must be one of the oldest outside children toys that we know of. It can be easily constructed with a plank of timber laid over a log.
No one seems to know the identity of the Marjorie Daw in the rhyme. A “daw” used to be the name for an untidy person. Perhaps it’s just a convenient rhyming name.
“He shall earn but a penny a day
Because he can’t work any faster”
On a sombre note, these lines are believed to refer to the use of child labor in workhouses. Homeless children had to work for a pittance (a penny). They were paid “by the piece” so a slow child earned the least.
Don’t forget ride on toys.
Ride on toys provide a great source of physical exercise for toddlers.That’s why we have a whole section about these toys.
Extra, extra .. read all about it !
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Indoor Climbing Toddler toys – Exercise and adventure indoors