outdoor toys for Waldorf? - Page 2

[boatbaby]

Outdoor toys for Waldorf seems like an oxymoron to me

Isn't that the whole point... just to explore the outdoors in it's natural state?
I know, i know, not everyone has a "natural" state in their yard. But it gave me a giggle anyhow. You all have created lovely spaces!

[Angierae]

: lol

[dogretro]

Originally Posted by boatbaby

Isn't that the whole point... just to explore the outdoors in it's natural state?

That depends on what the natural state of your outdoors looks like! We live in the city, so our yard is not v big or exciting. Dont get me wrong, it is a good size for a city yard, but nothing like what I grew up with in the country! We do have a couple of trees and two flower beds, but that is IT. V v v boring, imo. Growing up, I had a huge yard w/ a creek and everything. I also lived next door to a horse farm and had lots and lots of fields, woods, and more creek to explore/play in. We also had a pool. Did I "need" outdoor toys? Absolutely not. Will my kids "need" some creative playscaping or outdoor toys? I really think so. Nothing complicated is necessary, but a sand pit, some dirt and mulch, a water table, and a swing set go a LONG way in transforming a bare patch of grass into something more amusing.

[ourdayourjourney]

I think the best "outdoor toys" are child-size gardening tools, buckets and natural elements. I blogged about a few websites that inspired me in creating a natural play area here: http://ourdayourjourney.blogspot.com...aygrounds.html
http://ourdayourjourney.blogspot.com...of-puddle.html
http://ourdayourjourney.blogspot.com...ments-for.html

Our daughter stays busy with a perennial garden, a container vegetable garden, some overgrown peegee hydrangeas called "the secret hideout", a sand/water table and our new tree stump area. http://ourdayourjourney.blogspot.com...gging-and.html

[JoyMC]

there are some great ideas and images on this blog: http://thelittletravelers.typepad.co...rs/the-garden/ tree stumps, a teeter totter of boards on a log, a balance beam of a board across two tree stumps, a cool little structure built of posts that they grew vines on and the kids have a little hideaway inside ...

i'm on my way to pick up some tree stumps off freecycle!

[Morgan's mama]

I really want to set up a mud pie station for dd and the neighbor kids. Tree stumps, old pie pans, old spoons to mix,and......dirt!

[earthymato2]

awesome thread! thanks mamas- there are so many good links to check out

[veggiebytes]

One activity that is very popular at our local Waldorf kindergarten is chopping rocks.
What is that you say?
In Texas, limestone rocks are very prevalent.
Basically, the children take a large limestone rock as a base,
put others in the middle, and take a hand size one to chop with.
They just chop away and make their own mineral powder.
They sprinkle it, spread it, feel it with their fingers, mix with water
to make a paste, etc.
They can use smaller pieces just like chalk.

[kghaffar]

I just came across this child's wheelbarrel when searching for something else and remembered this thread and someone looking for one...

http://www.magiccabin.com/magiccabin...3525|333525-P1

hth

[AngelBee]

:

[notwonamesalike]

my husband is, as I type, *hopefully* picking up a truck load of large tree stumps with our neighbor for our son to crawl around on, sit on, make sand pits in between. Keep your fingers crossed.


We're leaving for a week, so we'll need to arrange it after we get back, but I'll try to post some pictures as the play area evolves.

[Valval]

We had an "inland hurricane" a couple of months ago and it was like hitting the tree stump lottery. We incorporated logs all around our large sand pit for tables and seats, we have a log table with four stump chairs, my husband sliced some large logs up and made balancing steps, and we put some more logs on their side in our little vine house.

We're not sure what to do when they rot, but the kids are having a blast with them now. No more gigantic wind storms though, you can keep those.

[cera]

:

[akingme]

Did anyone ever find the wooden Brio wheelbarrow?

Also, what are your thoughts on the recycled milk jug plastic dump truck? To me, it seems like anything metal is going to rust outside...and we're outside almost 12 months a year....

recently a friend gave me her son's brio blocks. Our only plastic toy (oh and the Step2 blue car which was also a gift). Anyway, I've decided that the brio blocks will go in his outside playhouse...perfect solution! 

[akingme]

if you have an outdoor playhouse, what do you put in it? Because we have a wooden kitchen inside, and table and chairs in side. So what do you suggest for a wooden playhouse outside? mine is under the swingset/climber and so it's not waterproof, so I was thinking of sunbrella bean bags? It's kind of dark, too, so???Need suggestions to make this a special place. I like the idea of a carpet and creating a porch/entryway. but inside is where I am stumped!

thanks!

[ourdayourjourney]

i am going to be creating a simple banging wall, inspired by soulemama

http://soulemama.typepad.com/soulemama/2005/05/our_banging_wal.html

[mommariffic]

I typed a long reply the other day and apparently it didn't get added, oops! 

When I wrote this I was living in a completely different type space; now we are living right outside Manhattan in a very urban neighborhood. We are blessed though, to have a pretty decent (for the area) sized backyard with a peach and fig tree, and garden. This year I'm going to have a "children's garden" for DD and DS (he will be too little to really "get it") and I'd love to try and find some stumps to put in our sand area so that there's natural seating, and inspiration. I also found some wooden beams under our deck so I'm going to make a balance beam area...hopefully it all works out! I'd LOVE to have a wooden playhouse but that's not an option right now 

Oh, and def going to make a mudpie kitchen : ) 

[honeybunmom]

We are finally going to be able to make our yard kid accessible this year.  Broken glass and the like made it unsafe, as well as having no fence.  We are in a not so great part of the city and this will be our second summer here.  Like another poster, last spring, there was a storm that felled many trees.  We were driving by when we saw the city crew cleaning up.  I told my husband to "Pull over!"  We'll be using those stumps and others we got the same way to make a border for the kids' sand box and to have for them to climb over and build with.  We went to the Flower and Garden show last weekend and bought seeds for planting our first garden to be planted in raised beds.  We are also adding to our butterfly garden.  So exciting!

Similar to our daughter's school, we'll also have a tree swing and maybe a ladder.  My husband wants to build a house for them.  The one at school is empty.  We probably won't put any furniture in it either.  

[stevedavis709]

Hello,

This is a wonderful forum.Thanks for giving out all the information people. I have a 3 year old girl and I am planning to get a small playhouse for her, so that she can have fun with her friends in the outdoors during the spring season. I would love to have your suggestions on what type of playhouse would be the best and do let me know it's approximate costing as well.

:)
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Looking for nice toys: Children's Outdoor Toys and  Outdoor Toys

[momma_unlimited]

I am planning on getting this (as a birthday present) and putting it in a patch of the garden we aren't planting to keep DS close by and occupied while I weed:

http://stores.cedarringcircle.com/-strse-855/Sandbox-Backhoe/Detail.bok

Love the free shipping!