It’s that time of year again: time to shed the sweaters and bask in the beautiful sunshine! As winter slips away and the world around us springs back to life, we all long to get outdoors, and your child is no exception. Mother Nature provides boundless opportunities for fun activities that engage your child’s senses through the exploration of new sights, sounds and touches without expensive toys and gadgets. As we all try to make our budgets stretch a little further, you can entertain and educate your child with simple things found in your kitchen and your own backyard. Experts agree it is important for parents to encourage development of the senses, and one of the easiest ways to do that is through sensory play. Here are a few simple ideas for activities that can be done outdoors to stimulate your child and heighten his or her curiosity. Before you get started, please remember that young children require constant supervision to ensure their safety.

• Add measuring cups, strainers and floating toys to small bowls or shallow containers filled with water and little hands will learn to pour, dump and experiment while splashing and staying cool. The same containers can also be filled with sand or birdseed to help children learn about different textures, shapes and sizes. Moreover, don’t forget about their feet. Our feet have thousands of nerves that go right into the brain, and children should be given opportunities to feel with their feet as much as their hands. As your child plays, ask lots of questions about how the different textures feel and explain the differences to your child. When playtime is over, the water can be poured over flowers or shrubs, and the birdseed can be tossed in the yard to feed the birds. It’s never too early to start teaching our children about taking care of the planet and establishing earth-friendly habits.
• Chill cookie sheets and/or baking pans in the refrigerator for a few minutes, place a dollop of pudding in the center and watch as your child “paints” a masterpiece using his or her fingers to squish, smash and swirl the pudding into various designs that encourage the use of hands. As a bonus, if some of the pudding should make its way into your child’s mouth, it tastes great and as a parent, you know it’s safe. For those who may be concerned about the mess, a piece of wax paper over the pudding will still allow for lots of fun without the clean up.
• Walking around your backyard or even the neighborhood park gives you the opportunity to help your child begin identifying flowers, colors, shapes, etc. Ask your child to point to the things he or she sees and provide the words to not only enhance your child’s vocabulary, but also to make your child feel part of the world in which you both live. Be patient as your child absorbs everything, and encourage your child to use all five senses to touch things like smooth rocks and wet grass, to smell flowers and to appreciate all of the things he or she sees.
• After you have experimented with these ideas or some of your own, invite other families with small children over for a play date and ask them to bring copies of their best ideas for inexpensive outdoor play on index cards that can be exchanged. The benefits are two-fold because kids and parents have the opportunity to socialize and each family leaves armed with new activities to have even more fun. Plus, you know the ideas have been tried by kids like yours with great results.

Don’t worry if you don’t have the exact items for an activity; improvise and make do with what you have on hand. The most important thing to remember is that the greatest gifts you can give your child are your time, your attention and your love. Outdoor fun can help provide your child with stimulating activities that are both educational and exciting, and you don’t need a lot of money, as you can find everything necessary to have a great time in your own home. If you need more ideas, consult your local library or look online for Web sites geared toward families with young children. Just remember to use your imagination, and try to view the world through your child’s eyes. In doing so, you will inspire your child to become your lifelong learner, as well as create lasting family memories.