I realize this isn’t a picture of my kids, but this Eastern Garter Snake definitely interested my children. Fortunately, this guy who we found in our pool when we got it open isn’t venomous like the Copperhead that bit our son, Sam. Opening the pool to discover new creatures is always a favorite outdoor activity.
Playing softball with Elaina has been a lot more fun than I thought it would be. This week I told her to put her full weight into her swing and she nearly took me out and with a tennis ball no less! She caught a pop fly during a game and was beaming. The whole family has really enjoyed playing ball together the last couple of weeks.
I’ve made a delightful discovery the past couple of weeks. The kids are thrilled if I am outside just WATCHING them play. That doesn’t mean I can come outside with a book or do anything but ooh and aah over their abilities, but it is nice that not all my time outside has to be actively playing.
I’ve enjoyed taking very quick dips into the pool (the water has been quite chilly!) while the kids play what amounts to King of the Mountain with the float.
Fortunately, we had a not-so-hot day when we could enjoy lunch outside. And yes, that counts!
I really enjoy playing with the Ogodisk with the kids. It’s a much easier to catch (and safer) frisbee and you can also use two of them with the included squishy ball.
I honestly have put in hours of time with the kids outside in the past two weeks. We had two field days! One of those field days I spent talking with friends, but the all-day one had me actively participating with a group of kids. I got so many great ideas for fun things to do outside. One of the most clever was four-way tug-of-war. Using a large rope that’s tied in a loop, four teams line up on one side of the rope that has been shaped into a square. Behind each team is a pin (we used a bowling pin). The first team to pull the rope toward their pin so someone can pick it up wins. The rope is then reshaped into a triangle for three remaining teams and then into a thin oval shape for two teams. Very fun!
A second clever (but very messy) activity was musical buckets. This is just like musical chairs only using 5-gallon buckets filled with water. Some kids enjoyed getting stuck. Other typical, but fun activities included relays, obstacle course races, and capture the flag.
We finished out the two weeks with a family bike ride. It was really hot, so we didn’t last long, but we had a great time seeing turtles and deer as we rode. I asked my husband to teach me how to load the bikes onto the carrier. For all of us to ride, we have to take two vehicles. But it’s worth the effort!
Hope I’ve Given You Some New Ideas for Getting Outside with the Kids!
Wow, looks like you guys are in the midst of summer! We are still cold up here in Montana – I finally get to put my tomatoes out in the garden today. We had several families over for Memorial Day yesterday, and I had to go in to get blankets to keep us warm out on the deck. Sounds like you’re being very successful in your efforts to spend more time with the kids outside. Congrats!
Well, Barb, it’s not too tough to spend time with the kids outside in the summer. Wait til winter! I’ll be wanting to quit. 🙂 Hope the weather warms up for you up north.
I always thought summer was the homeschool mom’s reward for homeschooling all winter. I used to love days at the beach (we have a beautiful mountain lake about 20 minutes away from us) when the kids were little. It was so fun to be free from the homeschool schedule and just have fun with the kids rather than always trying to get them to work for a change!
Isn’t that the truth! I LOVE summer. It must have been incredible living so close to a lake. I would love that. We make do with a pool though.
Great pictures Melanie! Except for the whole snake part… 😉 Blessings on you and yours sister! ~ Amy
See what you have to look forward to with your boy? 😉 Thanks, Amy.