Open-ended toys and activities are my favorite. Sure, there's all the benefits of encouraging kids to think about how to use ordinary things in new ways and sparking imagination.
But there's also the fact that open-ended ideas tend to have the least amount of prep-time for grown-ups.
But there's also the fact that open-ended ideas tend to have the least amount of prep-time for grown-ups.
This is one of those low-prep but high-fun ideas!
What we used:
- Large chalkboard
- Chalk
- Cardboard box
- Cars
While we had a large chalkboard on hand (thank to a father who likes to save *everything*), a mirror or even a large piece of blank paper would work just as well for something like this. I also set out a cardboard box with "doors" that I'd made before and a few cars. That was the extent of my set-up. The rest was up to Kay.
She quickly came up with the idea of making a garage. She started drawing parking spaces for the cars. The garage itself was more like a car-hospital. There was a nurse who would take care of the sick cars and then they could drive away when they were "healed".
I think setting up the activity in a new environment - outside and on a chalkboard - really led to some new thinking for her. I got to just sit back and watch her imagination take off - and that is truly one of my favorite things to do!
Looking for more outdoor play ideas? Something 2 Offer is hosting an A-Z Spring Outdoor Activities hop to give you a whole boatload of ideas to keep the little ones busy!
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