Here with another round up of activity ideas for your toddler: the backyard edition!

As you know, I’m a mama who spends quite a bit of time outdoors with my kids. Thanks to our shady backyard, we can spend more time outside than ever before, especially if we make outdoor time involve water!

Often you’ll see my kids are in diapers. I think it’s just easier on those days where we get messy. Especially with that paint. Red “washable” paint does not come out of clothes!

Here are a few ideas for you to get your kids outside and crafting!

Nature Muffins– My friend shared this idea with me and I loved it! Have your toddler walk around your yard collecting nature. From pieces of leaves to sticks and rocks, you can use anything! Break them up so they fit in a muffin tin and add water. Freeze and pull them out later so your kid can watch them melt! Add them to a bowl so they can stir “nature soup!”

Paint! Paint is very messy and yes, my one year old still puts it in her mouth if I don’t watch her closely. But we love it and it always makes for creative fun! We use washable paint and use our fingers or paint brushes to paint boxes, paper, rocks- even our own bodies! If you have one who just can’t help but put everything in their mouth, try using a cardboard box and taping toys to it. They can rip that off and you can save paint for when they are a little older ;)

Geometric Chalk Designs– We got this idea from Charlie’s teachers this spring and it’s very simple! Use masking tape to create fun designs on your concrete! Color with your chalk and when you peel the tape, you have pretty geometric designs!

Give them a spray bottle– If I enlist a child to help, they tend to be more calm and focused. Handing Charlie a spray bottle with water so he can “clean” everything in our backyard is always a great way to give me 15 minutes of breathing time!

Fill Up a Bin with Water! We don’t have a water table anymore or a kiddie pool, but we do have a bin for our outdoor toys that makes the perfect place to fill with water and let our kids splash in! They love splashing in it, pushing their toys around, and occasionally trying to both fit in it! It’s a great way to cool off in summer! Add ice for more fun!

What kind of activities have you been doing with your toddlers?

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