It’s no wonder why kids love to take their “mini-vacations” to go to the park and play. It’s an adventure for them, they can be outside and of course there are usually swings and other fun things to explore. Then it happens; boredom strikes and a bad mood sets in. Just because they’re tired of swinging around and starting to whimper doesn’t mean you should pack up everything and go home. There are many fun activities you can do together while you’re here.
1. Scavenger hunt: You can make this list before you go to the park so that when the kids get tired of playing, this list is ready. Your scavenger hunt list can include items you can physically pick up and things you just want to look for and check off the list. Leaves, a smooth rock, and a nut can be collected from a tree and then you can look for a squirrel, butterfly, robin, duck (depending on whether your park has water), etc. If you have two adults going to the park, this could be a pretty long list of small items that you could carry in a bag from home and one adult could stash the items around the park while the other watches the kids. Then you can explore the park looking for things together.
2. Soccer: Carrying a ball, specifically a ball designed for young children, is a great way to not only kill time but wear them down. Young children most likely aren’t kicking the ball too hard, so no special equipment is necessary, but you can make goal posts out of rocks or your jacket, picnic basket, or whatever you have on hand.
3. Kite Flying – Even in the slightest amount of wind, you can easily fly a kite and this is a great fun activity for young children. Kites can be bought relatively cheaply in stores, sometimes even for $1 if you don’t need anything fancy and then you can spend some time getting your kites in the air.
4. Simon Says – Of course you can play Simon Says at home, but you don’t have enough space to “take 10 steps back” or “take 6 jumps forward”. This is a favorite game of young children and the more steps and jumps they make, the better they will nap later.
5. Frisbee: Little kids love to play with a Frisbee and if you’re at the park then you don’t have to worry about the Frisbee constantly jumping over the neighbor’s yard fence or hitting the tree in your little backyard. You can even set up goal posts like football and try to get the Frisbee through the posts.
It is much more exciting for a young child if you play with him instead of looking at him. It’s a great time to bond and make memories and it also teaches them to be creative. If children learn that they can use things like rocks for a goal post, etc., it enhances their creativity so they don’t always feel like they have to rely on “stuff” for entertainment. The next time you go to the park, take a ball or a kite with you. They are easy to store in your bag where you already carry snacks and a first aid kit and play a few games with your toddler.