Canada
Stuck at home? Staying home doesn’t mean you can’t step outdoors. In fact, we firmly believe that now is the perfect time to look at your backyard in a whole new way. Whether you choose to redesign your garden with a whole new plan or embark on new backyard adventures with your family: now’s the perfect time to rediscover your backyard space.
There are plenty of things you and your family can do in your backyard!
Check out these backyard activities you can do while you’re stuck at home, by yourself or for family fun:
Have a Backyard Campout
There’s no need to go deep into the woods or to a campground to have an outdoor sleepover with your family. A backyard campout gives you the best of both worlds. You get to sleep in the fresh air, under the stars, with indoor plumbing just steps away!
If you want to sleep outdoors, the choice is yours. If you do, you will need a tent, of course, and a comfy sleeping bag. If you don’t want to feel like you slept on a rock, the you’ll want to get a camping cot.
You can add some modern conveniences to your backyard campout. For example, you can run an extension cord from the house to stream movies or shows from your laptop. Instead of building a campfire, you can use your grill to make smores.
You’ll also want to get some durable camping chairs, as well as some camping tables, so you can kick back and relax. Also, a sturdy canopy tent will keep you protected from the elements as you spend your day camping in your backyard.
Must-Have Items for a Backyard Campout
Camping Cots
Camping Chairs
Pop-Up Canopies
Camping Tables
SHOP SPORTS + OUTDOOR RECREATION
Plant a Family Garden
Planting a garden may already be on your to-do list. But when you stay home, you don’t have to wait until the weekend! Also, both gardening and landscaping can be fun and educational family fun.
Gardening with children provides the perfect combination of skills and tasks that address your child’s development. Gardening, your kids will learn the names of different plants, read what their growth requirements, and learn what it takes to make them grow.
In addition, gardening helps with a child’s cognitive development, including intellectual skills such as remembering and analyzing information and predicting outcomes. Finally, working together on your garden with your children is togetherness time.
Instead of digging up a rocky backyard, you can use a raised garden bed. They can also be used on a on a deck or patio. You can use them to bring color and beauty to your yard, or for a head start on seasonal planting.
Also, no home should be without a garden shed. They are excellent for storing your garden tools and equipment and add to your backyard aesthetic.
Must-Have Items for a Family Garden
Backyard Shed
Raised Garden Beds
Throw a Family Tailgate Party
There may be no live sports right now, but it doesn’t mean you can’t cheer for Team Family! Do you have portable chairs, a canopy tent, and some tables, and a cooler? Then you’re ready to throw a winning family tailgate party! Even if you don’t have a grill, you can choose a family meal to share outdoors.
While you’re tailgating, you can have a game of Wiffle Ball, toss a football around, or play some cornhole. Are you and your family avid fans of a sports team? You can also find plenty of “classic” games on YouTube to watch. From past championship games to friendlies, there’s something for all fans to stream on a laptop or a television.
Must-Have Items for a Family Tailgate Party
Portable Chairs
Coolers
SHOP SPORTS + OUTDOOR RECREATION
A Family Fun Drive-In Movie Night
Grab the popcorn, some blankets, and some portable chairs, and turn your backyard into a drive-in movie theater! If you have a laptop and a projector, you can stream one of the latest movies onto a screen, a sheet, or the side of a shed.
Not a big movie buff? You can even turn movie night into a family video game tournament! Or you can just watch your favorite television shows on the big screen! Also, if you like to sing, you can make it a karaoke night! And if you don’t have a projector, you can move a television outdoors with you.
Must-Have Items for a Drive-In Movie Night
Adirondack Chairs
Expandable Camping Tables
Make it a Beach Day
You don’t need to live on the water or own a swimming pool or to make it a beach day. You just need to relax and have some fun! You will need some reliable, beach chairs for that, and some shelter from the sun.
If you do have a swimming pool, then a party tent or a gazebo can be used as a cabana. A cool bar and some bar stools can add and island vibe to your outdoor family fun!
Must-Have Items for a Backyard Beach Day
Beach Chairs
Portable Sun Shelters
Metal Gazebos
Bars + Stools
SHOP SPORTS + OUTDOOR RECREATION
Have a Scavenger Hunt
Scavenger hunts are excellent sources of family fun and have numerous benefits for kids. They teach teamwork, they are easy to customize, they build problem-solving skills, and they exercise the mind and body!
Make a list of scavenger hunt items on your computer and print a copy out for each child. You can have the kids work together as a team, or on their own. You can have fun with the checklist, too. Instead of writing “a red leaf” on the checklist, you can make a riddle or a trivia question.
Must-Have Items for a Family Scavenger Hunt
Shade Canopies
Gazebos + Solariums
Take Homeschool Outdoors
As a lot of parents have recently pointed out on social media, homeschooling is not as easy as it looks! Give your kids a break from the kitchen or dining room table and take the homeschool outdoors. Put your outdoor furniture to the task and let your students study on the deck or patio.
Even if the temperature is perfect, the sun may be too much to handle. If your deck or patio does not have an awning, then you may want a shade sail or some shade cloth to cut the glare. A market umbrella with LED lights can be used to block the sun’s rays and provide additional lighting to read.
Do you still need to work from home? Take advantage of Wi-Fi and technology: Use your patio or deck as an office. If you’d like, you can even set up a schedule. If you can all work together, then working outdoors can add to your family fun!
Must-Have Items for an Outdoor Classroom
Market Umbrellas
Shade Sails
Rediscover Your Backyard Space
When you stay home, it doesn’t mean you have to be confined indoors. It also doesn’t mean you need to be glued to the news around the clock. The more you can do to take your mind off the pandemic, the better your mental health will be.
Chances are, before the pandemic, life may have got too busy for you to really enjoy your backyard. Either you’ve been communing and working super long hours, or your weekend have turned you into a sports parent. As staying home makes us to change our daily lifestyles, it’s also an excellent time to rediscover your backyard space.[/vc_column][/vc_row]
