10 Summer Fun Garden Ideas For Kids

Summer is the perfect time to encourage the kids to get outdoors and it's actually one of my favourite times of the year because of it. I always find that I am eaten up by the dreaded 'mum-guilt' a lot less when we can get outside and away from tech, unlike the winter when it's often too cold to enjoy being outdoors. 

What I also love about summertime is that the back garden feels like an extension to our home. The boys will take whatever they're playing with outside and we have our doors wide open and it honestly feels like we've gained another room. 

Today I wanted to share some fun summer garden ideas with you, so whether you're looking for a garden project to start with your kids or some fun play inspiration for them, I hope you'll find something in this post to suit you whatever your back garden size! 

1. Add a climbing frame

There are some absolutely INCREDIBLE climbing frames around these days for kids. They've come a LONG way since I was a kid and I think it's great that there is such a range available that even if you don't have a huge amount of space you can get compact, space-saving climbing frames. Wooden kids climbing frames like the ones from outdoor play equipment specialist Wickey, are my personal favourite - they look great, have amazing play options for kids, are known to be really good quality and feel solid! 

2. Plant seeds

I'm not very green-fingered and have always struggled to keep plants alive, but this past year I've really started to take an interest in having a few pots of flowers and what's been lovely is that the boys have also taken an interest in it too. We recently planted some sunflower seeds that Logan brought home from school and we've all been quite excited to see them start to grow!

3. Add a mud kitchen

We recently visited a local pick your own farm and they had a mud kitchen set up there, it was amazing to see how much it kept all the kids there entertained. Kids love getting creative and also digging and playing with mud and so it's a brilliant idea! It also doesn't have to be an expense - Pinterest and Instagram are full of fantastic DIY mud kitchen ideas. 

4. Grow some fruit or vegetables

Kids seem to love watching things grow and what can be better than growing your own fruit or vegetables? Not only is it highly educational, it also gives kids something to feel proud about and teaches them responsibility. 

5. Decorate rocks

Rock painting is a fun and inexpensive activity for kids to enjoy and a lovely way to decorate the garden and add some character and colour!

6. Add fairy doors

Fairy doors can be a great way to encourage children's imagination! Kids can either create their own DIY fairy doors or you can also buy kits for kids to paint and add to the garden. 

7. Make a bug box 

Using an open fronted box, kids can have fun collecting and arranging grass, sticks, rocks, pine cones and other things to create a haven for bugs. This is a great way to teach children about bugs and how we can help look after them. 

8. Add a sand pit

Kids love sand! My boys can play with sand for hours. You can create your own DIY sandpits or you can purchase ready made ones. It's always a good idea to opt for a sandpit that you can cover to protect it from the rain, bugs and to help prevent cats using it as a toilet!

9. Invest in a good pool

Is there anything more fun in the summer than getting the pool out for the kids? Mine love it and always put their slide in the pool so that they can use it to go down and splash into the pool! Shop around for pools and always look for one with good reviews. We have this one from Amazon and we all love it! 

10. Make a Bird Feeder

If your children love wildlife, a great way to encourage birds to visit your garden is to add a bird feeder. I absolutely love this page for DIY bird feeder crafts that children can have fun making themselves. 

Thank you for reading. 

  Alex xo