How To Get Your Kids Using The Backyard More
This is a collaborative post
Kids are always looking to be entertained. As a mom, you should try to address that challenge whenever you can.
Moreover, there’s often concern over how much screen time is too much for teenagers. While there’s nothing wrong with enjoying the odd bit of web browsing and video games, these things shouldn’t dominate the life of anybody. The backyard can be a suitable antidote to these problems.
Your backyard can provide a lot of fun times for the kids. These activities can strengthen bonds with friends and siblings and improve their health through physical activity. So, how can you get your kids to use the backyard more? Read on for some musings.
Feature a Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven
Kids love pizza. The opportunity to have an exceptional quality pizza outdoors during the intermission of their play or hang out would surely be appealing.
An Ooni Karu 12 multi-fuel pizza oven can be a great feature for a backyard. There are multiple options for pizza cooking flexibility here, enabling the user to fire it up with wood or charcoal. You can add an attachment that makes it gas compatible, too. The outdoor pizza ovens available from Ooni can all cook Neapolitan-style pizzas the same way, so your decision for which oven to get could come down to personal preference. The equipment is also portable, making use more convenient if a kid’s party is going on and space is needed. Ensure you use it outside, though.
Young kids obviously shouldn’t use these tools themselves, and the portability of the equipment means you can keep it out of their reach. Still, you could prepare the pizzas on their behalf and ensure that they and their friends occasionally have a scrumptious treat meal. Teenagers can perhaps be trusted to make and cook their own if you’ve taught them how to cook safely and responsibly.
The variety of pizzas that can be made will likely hold your kid’s interest here. Some people can stick with a favorite type of pizza for life, but your kids may want to keep trying different types of pizza to find theirs. Ultimately, few kids would be unimpressed by a multi-fuel pizza oven, which can give your backyard a bit of a kick in the ‘cool’ department’.
Create a Hangout Spot
Your kids may be less likely to use the backyard if it feels overly adulty. If the layout is uninspired, or there’s a well-defined space to hang out, they may understandably seek out a park for their needs instead.
Perhaps you could do some landscaping to create a more secluded area so they can do their homework or hang out with friends undisturbed. You could plant tall shrubs, place some outdoor furniture, and install some lights, so your kids don’t have to come inside when it gets dark. All of these things can have a style factor in their own right, too, so letting your children choose what you get could be a good idea. That way, they’ll be more inclined to make the most of it all.
Install a Trampoline
Trampolines can look a bit dangerous; understandably, parents may not always be comfortable having one. That said, kids love trampolines, and there are ways to make things more ideal for all parties.
Add safety pads to cover up any exposed springs on the trampoline (though do regularly check the springs are intact). A safety net can also be contained around the perimeter of the trampoline so that nobody topples off. Keep observing the condition of the trampoline over time, and ensure the legs of it are locked as well.
It’s worth remembering that kids using trampolines are less likely to be injured using one at home than a trampoline in parks, for example. In your backyard, you can keep an eye on them and enforce rules yourself, such as ‘one child at a time’ or ‘careful one-step descents’. Furthermore, the kids may spend more time practising their technique if a trampoline is always on hand. If you’re not ready for a full sized trampoline why not get some moon shoes instead?
Add Chalkboard Walls
Chalkboard walls can be placed anywhere; on the surface of fences, property walls, or even on the surface of any stone slabs you have in the garden. Their use can unleash your child’s creativity.
Kids can draw, leave messages for each other, or even use the chalkboard to write to-do lists and notes for themselves. In time, this area can become something of a ‘flag’ for their backyard use, enabling them to implement some of their own identity and characteristics into the outdoor space.
Remember that you’ll need chalkboard paint, especially for outdoor use. This will keep the elements from chipping away at your kid’s creations. It might not seem like a big deal, but your children may find it disheartening to see their work erased, particularly if they’ve drawn or written anything they hope to be left-up long-term. Buying the right outdoor chalkboard paint makes it more likely your kids will come back for more.
