On day one we took a walk around the lake. On day two we went to the zoo. On day three of our National Wildlife Federation’s Be Out There Challenge we headed to our backyard.
The Backyard
Most afternoons after my son has awoken from his nap and I have returned home from work after picking up my daughter from school, we head to the backyard. My husband and I built an eight foot tall privacy fence right before we got married almost eight years ago. (Tall fences make good neighbors.) What I like about having a fenced backyard is that the kids can play out there with a certain amount of controlled freedom. They are free to come and go inside and out. I can start cooking dinner and glance out the kitchen window at them (sometimes yelling at them to stop what they are doing immediately).
Our back yard is devoid of shade trees, though our front yard is home to two tall, mature trees. It gets quite hot in our backyard. Great for the vegetable garden, not so great for kids in the prime of summer time. Two years ago we built a roof over our patio so that there would be shade throughout the day. We hung a porch swing from the rafters and you can usually find one parent or the other sitting reading a book or magazine (or on an iPhone or laptop). Some of my best blog writing happens in the afternoon as the kids are entertaining themselves and I sit on the swing. The kids hop on for a quick swing or engaging conversation and then go about their play.
In fact, when our son was a baby my husband would swing him on the porch to soothe him if he was fussy, even in cold months. No wonder he wants to be outdoors all the time!
Bubbles
My daughter’s first birthday theme was rubber duckies and we purchased a bubble machine for her backyard party. Almost six years later it still works!
On day three of the challenge we headed to the backyard after school and my kids wanted bubbles. What kid doesn’t love bubbles? I filled the machine up with the sticky liquid and soon hundreds of small globes floated through the air. The kids ran through them, tried to pop them, and tried to catch them.
You can imagine we go through a lot of bubbles. This summer I want to try my hand at making my own. Here is a recipe to make your own using Green Works dish soap, water, glycerin, and Karo syrup: Green Works Bubbles Recipe.
Read more posts about our family’s experience with the National Wildlife Federation’s Be Out There Challenge.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Bubbles are endlessly entertaining! My kids, 10 and 8, still love them!!!
Yep, my 16, 14, 11 and 8 year-old STILL love their bubbles…me, too…thanks for the recipe!