Need some more outdoor activities to play with my 17 month old

[newmamalizzy]

I posted a while back about outdoor activities for my little girl.  She loves to be outside, but doesn't seem to know what to do with herself out there - unless it's something inappropriate, like running over to other people's yards, or playing with the garbage can.  Usually she ends up wandering around aimlessly, saying "ehhh?? ehhh??" and driving me nuts.  It's NO fun.  We have a sandbox and a little climber with a slide.  Neither of these keep her interest, even if I'm playing with her the whole time.  We also have several balls, and bubbles.  She like balls, but she doesn't actually play with them.  Bubbles keep her interest for several seconds.  The swingset next door gets us 10 - 15 minutes.  I really want to be able to hang out with her outside for long periods, but somehow we just don't know what to do out there.  I'm looking for activities that don't necessarily involve toys.  Any new ideas would be appreciated!

[AutumnAir]

Drawing with chalk?

Painting with water?

Can you bring some of her favourite toys outside with you?

If she's past the putting-everything-in-her-mouth stage you could collect some nice outdoors things for her to look at /play with, e.g. leaves, cones, stones, sticks, flowers.  Make a pile out of them or put them in a box for her to pull out and explore.

[TheGirls]

Do you have a hose?  that's a favorite around here.  The sand/water table is huge too.  Chalk drawing, finger painting, and other messy craft projects take place outside when the weather is ok.  We do a lot of walks (once or twice a day).  DD helps me weed the garden.  She collects rocks and paints them.   Shaving cream on her picnic table is super popular.

You don't say how old your kid is, or whether you're looking for independent play, but I've had no luck getting my 3yo to play outside unless I'm RIGHT THERE usually encouraging/participating in the play.   Just recently she'll play wiht the same thing for more than 5-10mins sometimes, before it was like,  play in the sand box, then the water table, then color with chalk, then run around and kick a ball, then go down the slide twice, then back to the chalk, then take a walk, then ride her bike...all in about an hour. 

[crunchy_mommy]

Why are you wanting to avoid toys outside? Maybe she would enjoy doing whatever she normally does inside -- art projects, reading books, playing with favorite toys... just a thought!!

You could give her a bucket and collect things together. Go for a walk down the street or on a hiking trail. Use acorns and pinecones and leaves as props for pretend play. Collect & sort small stones. Get her some kid-sized yard tools & have her help you garden or rake or plant.

Really, though, our long hours outside are usually at a park or something with a friend or two. DS will play for hours on end in a new environment or with friends... but at home he just gets bored much more quickly. However, it's a problem whether inside the house or outside -- he just prefers to be out & social & doing new things I guess.

[hildare]

we got so much mileage out of a bucket of water and different things to pour with.  cups, little pitchers, cut up sponges, bottles to fill, etc.  dd would play with that stuff for hours. 

[Honey693]

Spoons and bowls.  My kids can go for an hour with those if you add in water or sand.

[Adaline'sMama]

We take our quilt with all of our blocks and stuff out in the yard all the time. A bucket of water is fin here too, along with just playing with the dog and cat. DD loves to pick flowers, gather sticks, play in the dirt, and pick up tiny rocks. Im sure she'd love a sandbox as much as she loved her swimming pool.

[LaughingHyena]

Mine are quite a bit older but have always enjoyed collecting things. Given a egg box they will spend ages finding little bis and pieces to fill all the compartments. Another thing they like is to make pictures with their collections.

Something to push along was also nice, especially something like a dolls stroller where they could also collect stuff.

[newmamalizzy]

Originally Posted by crunchy_mommy 

Why are you wanting to avoid toys outside? Maybe she would enjoy doing whatever she normally does inside -- art projects, reading books, playing with favorite toys... just a thought!!

You could give her a bucket and collect things together. Go for a walk down the street or on a hiking trail. Use acorns and pinecones and leaves as props for pretend play. Collect & sort small stones. Get her some kid-sized yard tools & have her help you garden or rake or plant.

Really, though, our long hours outside are usually at a park or something with a friend or two. DS will play for hours on end in a new environment or with friends... but at home he just gets bored much more quickly. However, it's a problem whether inside the house or outside -- he just prefers to be out & social & doing new things I guess.

I guess I meant trying to avoid new, just-for-outdoors toys.  I can never quite coordinate taking her indoor toys outside - and getting them back inside, since DD usually gets upset when we go back in and I need both hands to keep her safe.  We DO love to hike, with two caveats:  First, there's no place closer than a 20 minute drive to hike, and the closest places offer just a hiking trail (not in the context of a park or anything).  Second, if we're going to leave the house, DD always starts asking for kids, and I feel bad taking her somewhere that I know there won't be anyone but us.  I like the bucket of water with bottles and cups and stuff idea.  The kiddie pool takes some preparation, but a bucket of water sounds a lot easier and just as fun.  I like the egg crate idea, too.  And for some reason I still see DD as too young for sidewalk chalk, but I guess she really isn't.  I bet she'll love that!  Keep the ideas coming.  These are great.

[Boot]

I know you said no toys but I my 18 month old loves pushing one of those little doll umbrella strollers. Actually, every kid I know loves those strollers. We also have a couple of simple ride on toys. I think though that for such a young toddler wandering around saying 'eh' really IS their way of playing and you've just got to kind of follow their lead. I can't see most 17 month olds being interested in a planned activity for more than about 5 minutes. I remember when my son was that age we had a Taiwanese student staying who used to follow me everywhere. We'd go outside and DS would be wandering aimlessly all over the place and I would be following him, with the student following me. Must have looked very funny, lol. 

[sarahr]

DS loves to take walks. He picks flowers (dandelions); walks on low walls (holding my hand); points out birds, cars, squirrels, bikes; tries to shake fences; and just generally has a great time. Sure, he sometimes picks up something inappropriate, but it's usually pretty easy to redirect him. Yesterday, we spend an hour walking the 4 blocks home from taking my dd to school.

[crunchy_mommy]

We got all of our outdoor toys from freecycle or things I see curbside on garbage day. You can also check thrift stores for really cheap outdoor toys. Then you don't need to obsess over taking them back in & all... it won't be a big deal if they're out in the rain or even if someone steals them. I think at least one ride on toy/bike/car and one push toy are good to have.

You could do crayon rubbings with leaves... or paint on rocks/leaves/sticks... I don't think she's too young for sidewalk chalk but if she's not into it YOU could use the chalk to draw mazes for her to walk through or something. A simplified version of hide & seek is fun too. You can bring your lunch outside and have a picnic. If she likes garbage cans, clean out a spare one so she can climb in & roll around in it. Bring a radio outside and dance. Make fairy houses.

As far as hikes, we do drive much more than 20mins to hike, but having a snack helps distract him from being upset that no friends are joining us. Or just call up some friends to meet you there, other moms are probably sitting at home having the same hesitation!

[newmamalizzy]

Originally Posted by crunchy_mommy 

As far as hikes, we do drive much more than 20mins to hike, but having a snack helps distract him from being upset that no friends are joining us. Or just call up some friends to meet you there, other moms are probably sitting at home having the same hesitation!
 

Friends??  

[crunchy_mommy]

Aww you need to make friends!!! I can't even begin to tell you how much better my life is since my mama friends came into it!!! I met most of my friends through a mom's group but we've also met people at the library, playground, etc. I am not good at meeting new people but I'm so glad I pushed myself to do it & stick with it long enough to get to know them. Here's an AP group not far from you: http://www.meetup.com/attachmentparenting-320/ Maybe that's a good place to start?

[katelove]

16mo here. This is mostly what we do outside

- walk around the house. We have a specific routine, (set by her but you could initiate it too) where I scoop the pool under her direction and usually a little paddle, walk down the side of the house, discuss the fact that we can't open the laundry door because the keys are inside, look into her room (she finds this very entertaining), have a brief wander around the front yard, then go back the way we came.

- play with the hose. She loves squirting me and making me shriek.

- walk down the driveway, comment on any cars we can see. Check the letterbox. Play peek-a-boo through the letterbox. Lift the lid on each of the wheelie bins and peer inside, sit in the gutter for a while just absorbing our surroundings (we live in a very quiet cul-de-sac), wander down the street picking up stones/seeds etc as we go. Hold my hand and walk heel to toe along the curb.

- she likes it if I turn the outdoor tap on for her to play with. I just give her a gentle trickle so we don't waste too much water. She has a few plastic cups to fill and spill.

- sort of outside (depending where you park) she loves playing in the car. I sit in the front passenger seat and she clambers around doing all the things she can't do when she's strapped into her car seat.

- take pegs out of the peg basket and put stones in the peg basket while I hang washing.

She doesn't really have any outdoor toys other than a ball. We're thinking of a sandpit for Christmas but mostly we just wander and talk and explore.

[McGucks]

Outside is a very mixed bag for us.  We are lucky in that we have a small yard and neighborhood, but our LO puts EVERYTHING in his mouth (he had a splinter under his gum last week because he chewed a stick) and our yard isn't fenced, so he always wants to go in the road, on the neighbor's stairs, etc.  I can stay outside with him for 30 minutes max (oftentimes less) without pulling my hair out or getting too frustrated with him.  I know it isn't his fault that he is so oral, but it can certainly be dangerous.

I will keep an eye on this thread...maybe we just need more distractions/activities!

[crunchy_mommy]

Originally Posted by caedenmomma 

Outside is a very mixed bag for us.  We are lucky in that we have a small yard and neighborhood, but our LO puts EVERYTHING in his mouth (he had a splinter under his gum last week because he chewed a stick) and our yard isn't fenced, so he always wants to go in the road, on the neighbor's stairs, etc.  I can stay outside with him for 30 minutes max (oftentimes less) without pulling my hair out or getting too frustrated with him.  I know it isn't his fault that he is so oral, but it can certainly be dangerous.

I will keep an eye on this thread...maybe we just need more distractions/activities!

Maybe he could have a snack to carry around? No idea if it would help, just a thought!

[meetoo]

What's your yard like?  This site gives some great ideas on how to make your backyard an eco friendly to the local wildlife.  Looking for critters is one of my kids favorite pass times. On the toy front what about bringing them out in some kind of basket? or just putting her in the house then going back out to clean up the toys?  How about a tent? Kids love hiding spots. We have a bush with low branches and my kids play under there all the time.  I also bring messier activities outside all the time, play dough, painting, sensory, items, and good ole bubbles! lol  What are you doing outside during this time? involved her in whatever you are doing, gardening, yard work, etc. If she is under two I wouldn't sweat it. Kids under two just don't focus that long anyway. No matter what you do she will get bored in ten minutes and into something. lol