Make and outdoor road = drink your coffee in peace
It’s a bold statement but it’s a fact I lived through: this outdoor road activity kept my kids occupied and I drank not just a cup of hot coffee…
I had two cups.
I know. Your jaw is on the floor, but just think. You are a roll of tape and a bin of cars away from this kind of magic. Let’s do this.
Related: Looking for more super easy activities for your kids? I have TONS.
The magic of the outdoor road is in the simplicity.
I will forever be stunned by the complexity of some activities.
Or rather the idea that kids need fancy, coordinated, gorgeous, time consuming activities.
They need simple. They need fun. And they need engaging.
The proof: this outdoor road made with a roll of blue painter’s tape.
Not exactly the most sophisticated activities set up but who cares?! It was effective. The kids loved it and it sent them off on a tangent of play for the rest of the morning.
And that’s what I’m all about.
RELATED: Check out this indoor car road idea.
A really simple set-up – I promise
I set this up on our deck (we’ve done similar inside with a Animal Line-up that was a hoot!).
I ran the painter’s tape in all different directions, this way and that, creating a maze like set up on the deck.
Then I grabbed our bin of cars, took them outside (I know, an indoor toy heading outside… it never happens!) for the kids to use on the new blue tape road.
They were hooked.
Sometimes, it’s just the smallest, sweetest activity that wins
Making this little road set up for my kids was a total catalyst.
It catapulted them into play for the morning and gave them the boost into play that they needed.
Sometimes, kids need a little help finding their play and we can give them that push with a sweet little activity like this.
But wait… are they learning anything here?
Why yes they are!
Of course, kids are always learning when they are playing – it’s the highest form of learning for them. But even beyond that, here’s what my kids (7, 5, and 3) are doing:
- Fine motor movements
- Creativity
- Communication
- Social scenes (acting out what they’ve seen)
- Spatial awareness (the relationship of one car to another car or line)
Play is of course number one. Kids learn through play and this kind of activity that drives them into even more play is what I am all about.
Making an outdoor road was a giant win for my kids…
…and for me! I got to sit back, relax, and watch the kids play. I drank my coffee, got to unload the dishwasher in peace, and marveled as the kids turned this road into even more morning play.
Now that is the kind of activity that stands out.
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