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dawn2006
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| Posted: Aug 12 2007 at 9:49am | IP Logged
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Hi. I'm Dawn. I'm new here but I've just read the Real Learning book and I would love to get my children outdoors more. I am not naturally inclined to be outside myself so this will be somewhat of a discipline for me to acquire. My question here, though, is how can I transform my backyard into a beautiful place that my kids and family will like to go to? We have a basic suburban backyard: rectangle, small, grass. I don't know much about plants and truthfully the perfectionist in me cringes at planting stuff with the kids just to have them go dig it all up (say if we planted seeds or something). My kids are 5 yods, 3 yods, and 2 yodd. I'd like for them to have areas they can play oustide that seem natural. I'd like to have a digging area for them with real dirt and rocks and such vs a sandbox, KWIM? But then I got bogged down in details like: they'll throw all the rocks and sticks in the yard and then dh will have to pick them all up to mow. Or something silly like that. Or I'll think about planting a small garden and then figure they'll just pull everything up anyway. What is that? Defeatism or something like that? 
Anyway..I'm just as much a beginner as the kids are..so any good book suggestions on landscaping with kids in mind? I'd love to also extend our covered 10x10 concrete patio along the length of our house and get a cover for it so we can eat or do school outside. I'd like to use this area to start and end our days...rather than doing it in front of the tv. Thanks for reading.
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marihalojen
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| Posted: Aug 13 2007 at 6:56am | IP Logged
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Welcome to 4Real, Dawn!
Jennifer at As Cozy As Spring just put up a great post detailing her Outdoor Classroom.
MacBeth has an Autumn list that is very inspiring too!
Hope these help!
__________________
~Jennifer
Mother to Mariannna, age 13
The Mari Hal-O-Jen
SSR = Sailing, Snorkling, Reading
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: Aug 13 2007 at 8:03am | IP Logged
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Hi Dawn!
Have you seen the Backyard Habitatprogram? It has great ideas for converting a plain lawn into an area that will be inviting to local wildlife. The more you draw the wildlife in, the more your children will be drawn out to see them!
Also, from the same site are the Green Hourseries of ideas for activities to do with children outdoors.
Check out another Dawn's blog for fantastic ideas for nature study as well:By Sun and Candlelight. Her nature study book basket always holds inspiration and her "Field Day" posts are great collections of ideas from many, many bloggers.
I also wanted to suggest that when children plant flowers WITH you, and help you to care for them by watering and weeding, they are more invested and rarely will destroy them. I suggest planting some inexpensive annuals in a little planter or border to start with and see how it goes. Also, starting with seedlings rather than seeds provides more instant gratification and thus is more attractive to little ones.
Have fun! And be sure to come back and tell us how it goes!
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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CAgirl4God
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| Posted: Aug 13 2007 at 8:21am | IP Logged
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well not sure what we will do here, esp with the heat as it is. But at our old house we had several areas.
the front yard was landscaped with grass for sitting. we made a dry creek bed under the large living room window, using mexican river rocks (small ones). on the other side of the front door we put in egyptian papyrus and a bench.
the kids used the sidewalk for chalk pictures. I also would bring out a little table for all kind of activies, including snacks/lunch. clay/playdough, painting, 'playing school' building things etc... esp making paper airplanes. my kids have a fixation with that. lol and they are very good. esp ds.
back yard.... large back porch with tables and a hammock. kids would do their book work out there many many days. and also playing, just playing, there.
we had two garden areas (plants and flowers), along with potted veggies. (the tomatoes and pepper did the best). the kids helped us with planting and maintaining. they were also in charge of keeping the bird feeders and bird bath full.
there were many, many wild creatures in our yard, and on the surrounding property. so I did not have to do much, but make it comfortable. on the surrounding property there was a playground, gazebo, trees, lizzards, hawks, a couple of great blue herons, king snakes, gopher snakes in the spring, our short road etc... they would find treasures and creatures and build forts, climb trees.
I can't wait until we get our hosue and I can create our space again.
good luck and have fun
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Home is where the Coast Guard sends us
Jamie, married to John
JC, Nugget, Christina & Judy
Chowder
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dawn2006
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| Posted: Aug 13 2007 at 10:42am | IP Logged
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Thank for the ideas everyone (and the welcome)! I can't wait to carve out time to explore those links! Thanks.
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4Real Forums : Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science
Topic: Ideas for backyard.
