It’s nearly Christmas and you may find your child/ren are inundated by a lot of “stuff” for presents. Whilst presents can be fun and children do need things to play with, there is no question that our society commonly over-consumes and a lot of this “stuff” will end up in land-fill for a very long time.

Here are 3 items that we’ve had in our NaturePlay outdoor kit for many years, items that have been endlessly fascinating to nearly all children who have joined our groups. They are all items that can be useful gardening tools for adults, provide captivating heavy work for children, and will keep on working for many years.

Watering Can

Making rain, doing some heavy lifting, posting rocks, seeds, cars, etc into the hole and clogging up the showerhead portion…there is endless fun available from one simple watering can!

Use it to actually water pot plants or garden beds. Children seem to love the challenge of trying to carry or tip the heavy watering can. They also LOVE to refill it with water straight from the tap or with water scooped up from a bucket.

If your child is really too little to lift the can, you could string it up on some rope. This way, they still have to work hard to tip the can and pour the water, but they don’t need the strength to lift the can too.

Digging Tools

Little fingers, sticks or rocks are excellent digging tools and may be all that your child requires! If they fancy something bigger, then anything from a trowel to a long-handled spade can be great fun. The long-handled spade in the pictures has been a common favourite. It can be hard for a small body to manipulate, but this can be captivating for those children who love a challenge.

Scoop the dirt and dig a hole, then fill it with water from your watering can and make some mud…the best fun ever!

Bucket

A bucket can hold water, dirt, sand, rocks, cars, animals, leaves, strawberries….or anything that your child loves! I know many children who could happily spend the afternoon filling a bucket with water from the tap, carrying, splashing, tipping and pouring. There really is something about the heavy work involved that captivates children. Of course they can make a great mess, but if you’re outside and it’s only mud and water then this mess can be easily cleaned up.

On a warm day, you could always turn the bucket into an outdoor bath and get your child/ren clean, ready for some food and a long sleep (hopefully).

There is so much fun to be had outdoors, with very simple equipment. After playing, empty your metal containers so they don’t go rusty and keep your plastics out of the sun so they don’t break.

Simple, easy fun in the backyard all year long…