We don’t have a lot of rules in our house, but we do have some. One of our hard and fast rules is this:

“Thou Shalt Be Outside on Good Weather Days and Shall
Not Succumb to the Couch Unless It Raineth” 

I love this rule, but mostly because I love the outside projects we have on the go.  We have a massive garden, and 3 acres of land, all of which needs exploring and tending.  Not to mention the chickens, all 36 of them. Just standing among the chickens as they search for bugs is meditative, and when the sun is shining, there is no place I would rather be.

But for our kids, this rule is not a favourite one.

They have spent years “helping” us outside. Burning, clearing, planting and  (their least favourite) picking rocks out of the garden bed.

As much as I love the slave labour they provide, I DON’T love the whining.

But the rules are rules, and this one is unbreakable.

Here is our caveat though.

Even though the grownups might be “working” outside, the kids don’t have to. Our only requirement is that their are OUTSIDE.

This means that if the sun shines, they are in it. If the rain holds, they come and get fresh air. And they can do whatever they want with their outside time.

We have hammocks strung around the property which are amazing for reading and napping. We have a hoard of bikes, scooters and other ride on fun.  Not to mention a volley ball court, and soccer field – not regulation size of course.   They even have bats, balls and a t-ball pitch, and, of course, 36 chickens to chase and enjoy.

Even with all this awesome fun at their fingertips, sometimes they just aren’t “in the mood”.  So, that is when I bring out the BIG GUNS.

My hubby likes a clean and tidy patio, so when the kids are able to go a little wild and get creative, it is a win-win! And even though Dad gets a little cringey at the “creativity” if it means the kids are outside and laughing, even he is game.

We have a stash of the new Crayola Outdoor Products that we are just waiting to pull out and surprise the kids with.  With fun new bright and bold colours, as well as a HUGE assortment of special effect chalks, I am confident that the kids are going to WANT to come outside this year.

Add to that the Neon sidewalk paints, and I am not sure we are ever going to get them inside again!

And I can just imagine what the chickens are going to do when the kids start playing with the fun frothy outdoor colour foam (don’t worry, it washes off!)

Any chance we can get to help our kids stay outside, and find the fun in being there is a win for our us.

Although I imagine that after they get started on playing with these fun outdoor products, the next project on the list is going to be a bigger patio to expand the canvas for their creations.