Below i've put together my top 3 things to do to prepare, whatever size garden you have, you can turn it into a fun area for your little one!
1. The Clear Out
First things first, before you buy loads of toys, have a good ol tidy up! De weed everything (there are child as animal friendly ones out there), if you have decking give it a good brush off and clean, you can either use a jet blaster or if it's a more delicate kind of wood you can get special treatments which you leave on overnight which work amazingly! If you have a lawn, give it some tlc with some miracle gro, it's best to use these between march and September to get the best results! You can even give the fences a lick of paint too to improve the overall look and feel of your garden! Throw away all the rubbish and dead plants too, create a blank canvas and have a rearrange of the current furniture you already have!
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 2. Outdoor toys!
Obviously based on your little ones age! But there are some fab family games out there which are affordable and fun, we are thinking of getting the giant skittles set and crosses set from Sam Turner for our decking area, who doesn't love a good game of skittles? Ben plays it a few times a week and has done since he was much younger, so this is a great way to get Abbie involved too, helping her throw the balls and cheer whenever a pin is knocked over will be too cute! Definitely lots of pictures and videos I think! There are other games such as naughts and crosses, checkers and croquet too if you have older children, perfect for the spring and summer months and keeping them occupied whilst keeping them in view!
If we are fortunate enough to get some snow this year, you can get some sledges too! Perfect even if you're little one is a a few months old, pulling them around the garden whilst they're wrapped up in their snow suits is just too cute! I think sledging is fun no matter what age you are, I was fascinated with snow (still am...) throughout my childhood, just the way it makes everything look so different and pretty, too exciting for me! :)
Sandpits! I think we've all had one as a child, those sea she shapes ones? Yep I had that, it was one of my favorite toys actually, just to sit in it, make sandcastles, or even as a lunchtime snack if you're anything like Abbie...the new texture of sand and being able bury your little feet is fascinating of little ones, this is a great one if you have older children and younger siblings for them, they'll have fun burying eachother and no one can get hurt, brilliant! :).
3. Adult space
Those summer evenings even the little ones are in bed! Invite a few friends over and chill in the garden! Invest in some furniture, tables and a BBQ and you're pretty much set! There are always deals on so you don't need to worry about spending loads of money either! I recommend getting furniture covers too! You want it to last for years and years so ensure it's protected from the rain and rust!
x
