Holiday Garden Project

The school holidays are upon us, and for parents and grandparents all over the country, that means finding interesting projects for kids of all ages. Great things happen when you go outside, and many of today’s children tend to spend more time indoors than is ideal, so here’s an idea to create an outdoor play space.

Do you have a spare piece of garden that could be turned into an outdoor play area? It can be as large or small as you like, and can easily be turned back into lawn or garden another time.

We found this idea from Good Home Design, and thought it has many opportunities – it needn’t only be a racetrack. The great thing about a project like this is that you can involve the children the whole way, and spark their creativity.

Ask the kids to design their ideal outdoor project and see what they come up with and how achievable it is. They may need help with scale, but it is a great way to start a discussion.

They can also develop their planning skills, they can learn about recycling, discuss which toys will be appropriate to take outside and why (a bit of the science of rust!), and finally, they have a great enticement to be outside, which promotes imaginative play.

Teaching children about what is possible in a garden is good for them on many levels. If digging up a patch of lawn can’t work for you, then perhaps you could plant some seeds or seedlings in pots and charge the little people in your family with their care.

You could find old offcuts of wood, or search op shops for wooden blocks to construct a castle, with a moat made from stones or sawdust, for little knights and princesses to play in, make an obstacle course or cut on old hose in half, twist it and turn it and make a marble run through the garden.

If your children divide their time between two houses, or your grandchildren live further afield, a garden play project will give them something to look forward to playing with when they come to stay.

What project can you dream up for your garden? Remember it could be as simple as creating a mural in chalk on the driveway or along a blank fence line – it can always be hosed off once it is no longer needed. Please feel free to send us photos – we’d love to know what you come up with! Happy holidays!