Outside!

We have a very basic yard with very basic toys in it. Our yard is fenced all the way around, which is important. The porch and some of the yard is shady in the afternoons, which is nice.

I've tried all sorts of outdoor toys and have found that these are the "must haves" for Toddlers:

* Small Slide
* Push Toys
* Big Cars & Ride-On Toys
* Balls
* Sand & Digging Toys
* Matchbox Cars
* Bubbles
* Table With Seating

If you look closely at the top photo, to the far right, you can see our picnic table. We occasionally have snack outside and always have sippy cups of water available.

We hold infants or put them in the Exersaucer, bouncy seat, or portable swing. It does them good to have a change of environment and fresh air.

It seems every toddler's mission is to put all the dirt from the yard onto the porch cement, LOL. I used to fight it, but found if I didn't fight it, the toddlers would toss some sand on the porch, then move on to something else. I keep a broom handy!

While we are outside, we make a point to run! One of the first things I teach the toddler is "Ready, set, GO!" Every time I say that, they take off running. It comes in handy when I need a toddler to move from one room to another. While outside, I say, "Ready, set, GO!" and they run from one side of the yard to the other. I run with them, too, and they love it.

Some other ideas for setting up a yard for older children are: