Fun Outdoor Projects to Do With Your Kids This Summer
Summer is the perfect time to get outside and tackle some fun projects with your kids. Not only will you make lasting memories together, but you’ll also teach them valuable skills and get to spruce up your outdoor space. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
1. Build a Backyard Fort
Every kid dreams of having their own secret hideout. Work together to design and construct an awesome fort using wood, tarps, old sheets, or whatever materials you have on hand. Make it extra cozy inside with pillows, blankets and some battery-powered twinkle lights.
2. Plant a Vegetable Garden
Gardening is a great way to teach kids about where food comes from and get them excited to eat their veggies. Let them pick out some of their favorite vegetables to grow. Tomatoes, peas, carrots and lettuce are all fairly easy. Make sure to give them age-appropriate tasks like digging holes, planting seeds, watering and harvesting.
3. Create a Backyard Obstacle Course
Encourage active play by setting up a backyard obstacle course. Use hula hoops to jump through, balance on wooden planks, crawl under a net, and time them as they race through. See who can get the fastest time!
4. Paint Rocks and Make a Garden Marker
Gather some smooth rocks and acrylic paints and let the kids go to town decorating them. Write the names of plants on the rocks to use as colorful garden markers. Or hide the rocks around the neighborhood for others to find – just remember where you put them!
5. Set Up an Outdoor Art Studio
On a warm day, take the mess outside. Cover a picnic table with a plastic tablecloth, set out paints, brushes, and paper and let them create to their heart’s content. The garden hose is right there for easy cleanup. You can even hang a clothesline to display their masterpieces.
6. Build a Shed and Learn How to Run Electricity to a Shed
For older kids and teens, constructing a shed is an impressive project that will teach them tons of practical skills. Work together to build the structure, then show them how to run electricity to a shed. Make sure to follow code and safety precautions. Having power will make the shed much more functional, whether they want to use it as a clubhouse, workshop or study space.
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Supplies Needed |
Basic Steps |
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– Lumber, screws, roofing, etc. |
1. Pour concrete slab |
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– Wiring, outlets, light fixtures |
2. Frame and assemble shed |
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– Wire, conduit, junction boxes |
3. Run underground conduit to shed |
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– Circuit breaker |
4. Pull wires and install outlets |
7. Make a Fairy Garden
Inspire your child’s imagination by creating a miniature fairy garden. Find a quiet corner of the yard and fill it with tiny plants, pebble paths, and cute fairy houses made from natural materials like bark, leaves and twigs. My kids love rearranging the scene and acting out stories with their fairy figurines.
8. Set Up a Lemonade Stand
Help your little entrepreneur set up their first business! Work together to build a lemonade stand out of wood, cardboard or a small table. Make a big batch of lemonade and some signs, then let them experience the rewards of their hard work as the profits come in. You can teach a mini lesson on budgeting too.
No matter which projects you choose, the most important thing is spending quality time together as a family. So get out there, get building, and have fun! The skills and memories will last long after summer ends.
