Outdoor Playroom

There's something to be said for the traditional belief in a 'daily constitutional': a daily brisk walk in the fresh air. In fact, I think we should expand this idea during the summer months and spend as much time outdoors as possible.

I especially welcome this spring since my son began to walk during the winter. My once-spacious apartment seems like it has shrunk in half&--a busy toddler running in circles makes nice weather a mother's best friend.

So for this article, let's talk about taking it outdoors--into the yard, onto the deck, anywhere your toddler can run around and burn off some energy.

Outdoor toy box: one of the cheapest and best ideas for outdoor play is a big waterproof container to store toys. You probably own many, many toys. Weed through them and choose waterproof, washable toys that will survive a few months in the great outdoors. Leave everything with batteries and plush stuff behind, and round up the plastic animals, trucks, push toys, you name it.

Sand box: I'm sure the sand boxes I played in were virtual litter-boxes. We didn't have the fancy, plastic boxes with lids to keep out the neighbourhood kitties. But these days, with all this information about the bacteria in cat feces, I suppose it is prudent to keep the sand box and the kitty box separate. Lucky for us, there are a host of sandboxes on the market that are reasonably priced and will keep the cats out.

Sports equipment: I have a friend with an 18-month old child who is better with a hockey stick than I will ever be. It isn't necessarily the fancy battery-operated ride-on car that kids need. A hockey stick, soccer ball, tennis ball, or any of many pieces of sports equipment can be cheap to buy and lots of fun to play with.

Playgrounds: The cheapest form of play is right down the street. Experiment with different parks around town, and bring a picnic lunch along to keep the kids fuelled up.

There is much in the news about how children are not as active as they should be. Warm weather is an excellent opportunity to instill an important value in your child: exercise is a way of playing. Take advantage of the sun, put on a hat and some sunscreen, and let your kids exercise their hearts, muscles, and minds.

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