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Rebecca
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| Posted: May 05 2008 at 12:03pm | IP Logged
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I'd love some ideas on how you make your backyard an inviting place for children to play, without forgoing beauty. It seems we have seasons of life where we accumulate way too many plastic toys and preschool "vehicles" and it looks like we are having a garage sale. 
I cleaned out our screened in porch off the garage yesterday and got rid of SO many things that were either broken or neglected.
I have children from toddler to preteen. I am noticing that they no longer are entertained with the same activities. I'd love some tips on making outdoor play fun for all ages.
Do you have a swingset? A swimming pool? A trampoline? Lots of grassy space? Trees to climb? Share your ideas with me, please! 
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Mary Chris
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| Posted: May 05 2008 at 12:10pm | IP Logged
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Water guns.
We upgraded ours this weekend and my boys are having a blast.
Our yard is very small, not a lot of space for running around. Sometimes they play LaCrosse out there, they got a bounce back for Christmas
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Blessings, Mary Chris Beardsley
mom to MacKenzie3/95, Carter 12/97 Ronan 3/00 and wife to Jim since 1/92
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Mary K
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| Posted: May 05 2008 at 12:15pm | IP Logged
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Our children range from 2yo-18yo. We have a swing set, small wading pool, volleyball set, various sizes of balls,
bikes, scooters, riding toys, bouncy horse (on the porch), and a large tent and screen house. My 5yo, Helen, thinks the tent is a great playhouse. Obviously, not everything is out at the same time. I'm sure there's more, just can't think of it. As for beauty, we have lilac bushes and roses. Hopefully, we'll have Helen's sunflowers and "fluffy flowers" (marigolds) also.
God bless,
Mary-NY
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Maryan
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| Posted: May 05 2008 at 12:32pm | IP Logged
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I don't think we're much help. We're on an old farm field so our yard is a bit unconventional: we have one small plastic castle with slide; a lot of balls, a dirt pile next to the garden for them to do whatever, a LOT of grass...
Speaking of which... 3 of our trees died and my dh dug them up... leaving behind holes (hopefully to be filled in soon). Currently the boys are using the holes as SUPERSIZED golf holes.  They had their clubs out this morning aiming for this 1' diameter hole as if they were the next Tiger Woods.
Otherwise our grass is home to football, baseball, and soccer games.
All the other "stuff" belongs to my inlaws "across the street." (We live on their farm). They ride their bikes on their driveway; they shoot hoops on their blacktop; my dh hung a tire swing on one of their trees; they have a pool; they have cool barns and tractors... My boys live in boy heaven.
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Maryan
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A Lee in the Woudes
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missionfamily
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| Posted: May 05 2008 at 12:45pm | IP Logged
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We have a trampoline but I checked this book out of the library and was totally insprired to try to make a fun and beautiful space for the kids on the garden. This weekend, weather permitting, dh is going to build a box, place an umbrella stand with market umbrella in the middle and fill it with garden pebbles. I'll do my part by adding small construction vehicles! At each corner, there will be an old tire painted in a cute theme then filled with sand to make sand play areas. We planted sunflowers in old ruuber boots this year and we are sinking wood dowels in to the ground to hold them in place around the perimter of the box. I'm hoping it will be a little backyard wonderland for them this summer.
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Colleen
dh Greg
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Erin
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| Posted: May 05 2008 at 5:05pm | IP Logged
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Rebbecca.
Here is a picture of our 'backyard'. We definitely have a swingset,(four seats) trampoline, soccer goals, sandpit, tennis pole (very doable in a small yard)and hammock. Since I took the pictures we have added a basketball hoop and backboard and this weekend we are adding an archery target (it will be further over in the paddock for safety sake)
Every birthday we add an addition. For out birthday week in July (three in one week) we are planning on adding a cubby, slide and I'm after ideas for the nine year old boy.
I've noticed some great backyard pictures on blogs but I can't remember whose now 
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Erin
Faith Filled Days
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ann@home
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| Posted: May 05 2008 at 5:32pm | IP Logged
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My kids aged 3 to 9 love the sandbox. They play in it almost every day. I try to switch out toys for it like dinos for a few weeks then switch to trucks and cars, etc.
We also have various buckets, shovels, and butterfly nets in a box that have been constantly played with. I keep one of the rubbermaid patio boxes accessible with the toys but it's easy to fill up at the end of the day.
I love having the magnifying glasses, bug jars, and tweezers available so we have a potters bench with a pot of these items-I can't keep up with the bug jars!
Basketball hoop-a MUST have here.
I also have a big container of bubble wands and always have bubbles on hand-year round! My kids love them and we do bubbles about 2x per week at least-who'd think you could do bubbles for hours on end?
We do have a huge yard area-about 8 acres with a creek so obviously the kids make their own play most of the time. Just exploring the woods along the yard and the creek provides hours of entertainment and learning.
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Ann, Full-time Mama of a 10yr old Lego master, 7yr old DIVA, 4yr old King of the Mountain and one more in June '09!
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K&Rs Mom
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| Posted: May 05 2008 at 7:08pm | IP Logged
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I just hung up a rope ladder (from Ikea but there are others or you could make one) and my girls love it. It's good for their bodies in so many ways, and pretty unobtrusive hanging from a tree. We also plan to make a sunflower house this year, which will be a cool place to play but not made of plastic. There is a natural overhang behind our house where two clumps of trees grow together that dc call the "secret garden" (my older has read that book a few times).
I also keep a lot of the outside toys inside, in a canvas box in the laundry room (near the door but not in the way), so they can take out a ball or jump rope or whatever but it's not laying all over the yard. Bigger toys, like bike or scooter, are kept inside the garage and must be put away before bed each night. The only thing left outside is a box of sidewalk chalk we keep on the porch, and two butterfly nets that have yet to find a home.
Each of my dd's has her own garden this year - one chose a large plastic pot, the other three smaller clay pots, so they can work there and leave mine alone. I am providing seeds and advice, but the actual planning and care is entirely theirs.
Aubrey
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chicken lady
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| Posted: May 05 2008 at 7:35pm | IP Logged
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What about a tree fort Rebecca? Your boys could build it.
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Rebecca
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| Posted: May 06 2008 at 7:49am | IP Logged
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Oh these are such great ideas! I think my littles would love a sandbox, though I would have to find a way to cover it due to a number of neighborhood cats roaming free. 
All of them would love a rope ladder and a sunflower house. Actually, I would love a rope ladder and a sunflower house! What fun!
We have a basketball hoop in the driveway for the boys and they use it quite often. In the backyard, there is an old wooden playhouse that is about 3 feet from the ground on beams. The space underneath goes unused so I could put the sandbox under it.
Molly, we definitely have enough trees for a tree fort, tall pin oaks with sturdy branches. I will have to check the city regulations as to building one. We did have a friend who built a really neat one and had to tear it down because it wasn't to "code". I also have a tire in the garage just asking to be hung as a tire swing. :)
We have many large perennial beds as well as a vegetable garden (about 10' x 12') that my oldest son plants each year. My second son and I put in a variety of butterfly attracting perennials last year. I really like the sunflower house idea but our squirrels are so plentiful and so aggressive, they have eaten every sunflower I have ever planted.
You have all given me much to think about and plan for! Thanks so much!
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marihalojen
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| Posted: May 06 2008 at 8:15am | IP Logged
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Rebecca, I saw the cutest sandbox the other day. It was simply an old rowboat filled with sand. Very attractive and it immediately reminded me of Jack and Jill by LM Alcott - a literary tie-in! 
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The Mari Hal-O-Jen
SSR = Sailing, Snorkling, Reading
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4Real Forums : Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science
Topic: Backyard Fun
