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Summer backyard adventures
Whether you are having a staycation this year, or just spending a relaxing weekend at home, here are some ideas for enjoying your backyard with the family this summer:
Enhance your garden
Bring out creativity in kids and adults alike by getting everyone to assemble twigs, flowers, stones and other findings into sculptures and wreaths that you can use to decorate around the garden. Kids will eagerly spend a day building fairy and gnome huts out of tree branches and leaves.
Why not hang a bird feeder near your garden and watch pretty birds flutter around your backyard all the way into the winter. Better yet, build a water fountain for a relaxing feng shui oasis for the birds to bathe in.
Get some clay and make your own pots or garden creatures. Use leftover outdoor paint to decorate old pots, or turn pebbles into ladybugs with red, black and white paint.
Have a picnic
Why travel far for a picnic when you can have a perfect one in your own backyard without the hassle of facing traffic? Spread a large blanket or tablecloth on the grass and bring out some pillows from the house to sit on.
Pack up a picnic basket with your favourite sandwiches, finger foods, cheese, crackers, juice boxes, and cookies. What a relaxing and fun way to get fresh air and vitamin D in the afternoon while reading books, playing card games or throwing around the Frisbee! Don’t forget a cooler with lots of beverages to stay hydrated in the sun.
Collect bugs and butterflies
Did you know there is a whole zoo in your own backyard? If you look under every bush, plant and tree, you will find plenty of living creatures like bugs, slugs, worms and caterpillars. Look out for the Monarch butterfly, one of southern Canada’s most beloved species.
Don’t forget to set ground rules, such as washing hands after handling bugs. Added bonus if you encourage older kids to learn more about their discoveries by looking them up on the Internet.
This activity will keep your family occupied for hours, and will leave you free to do other exciting things around the house. Remind the kids that little creatures have their own families and its best to observe and not harm them.
Have a backyard spa day
Do you ever feel the need to get away from the hustle and bustle of your everyday life? If so, it’s easy to create an oasis of relaxation in your backyard and keep your troubles at bay—at least for a few hours. All you need is a lounge chair, a sunbrella, your nail kit, a good book and sunscreen.
Get a blender and make yourself a margarita (or three), or pamper yourself with a manicure. Better yet, install an actual spa in your backyard and indulge daily in a dip and a soak!
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