Outdoor Activity Ideas for B-day Gifts

I am a mothr of 6 (15,9,8,7,4,and 1 and a half). My little ones favorite things to do outside are ride their bikes/sit and scoots, go for a walk in a wagon, push around big tonka trucks, and draw with sidewalk chalk. If you are looking for a really different idea my mom gets the kids a family pass to the zoo for christmas and gets my neices who are a little older a family pass to the pool. Both give you something to go do all summer and all you need is the time and gas to get there.

What about a tire swing? I loved those as a kid. I saw they had a "mud pie building set" at Target recently. It s an outside toy that attaches to the hose, it has a sink and a working faucet and all the accessories to build mud pies!

You said they had a playset but what about a playhouse/fort?

Sadly I didn't do this with my own kids, but when I was a kid we just loved playing croquet. They still sell them!

Get a tent or a sun shade with screened flaps that come down. Kids love tents. The screen things are great cause it gives them the illusion of being hidden away but also lets you see inside. We spent hours and hours in the tent in the back yard as kids and we bought our kids tents also. the played in them both outside and inside. hours and hours of great fun of everything from reading to barbies , playdough to lego's. lunch on a beach towel and naps after stories. It doesn't have to be a huge tent. but a 2 - 4 person one is great. good luck

A small pop-up tent.

bubbles, sidewalk chalk, and if family is willing to go in together on something larger, Step2 has some great outdoor swingset type climbing pieces that are very durabale. We have the kangaroo climber (which may be too easy for the 4 year old now) and we disassemble it every winer and store it in the basement.

Kids can entertain themselves for hours given some sticks, puddle, and other stuff we discover outside. However, it will be a more comfortable outing if all the kids and grownups have:

* mud boots
* snow pants/waterproof pants
* raincoat
* waterproof mittens
* sun hat
* carpet squares or picnic blanket
* bring along sand pails to collect fun things you find--make rock collection etc
* long stick + string + a weight at the end = "fishing pole"= hours of fun
* bucket of water + paintbrush = paint the house/fence/etc = hours of fun
* long stick + streamer= Angleina Ballerina dancing

P.S. don't wait until summer! Go outside now. Like my mom always said, there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing :)

Hula hoops, soccer goal/ball, bubbles, slip n slide.

My toddlers love their tricycles, "cozy coupe" car, lawn mower with the bubbles that blow out when you push it, and plastic golf club set.

Good luck,
S.