By What you can do and what you should do while the kids burn off energy at the playground, are quite different things. Of course you CAN catch up on phone calls, read emails, respond to text messages, but we all know that it would be better to spend some time with the kids - we do both !
* Kick off your shoes and walk barefoot in the sand or the grass - check out this article for some reasons why - I found this quite surprising and almost felt compelled to kick off my shoes at home and walk on our very tiny lawn - okay it's a verge not a lawn ;) !
* Invite their friends and make it a catch up
* Paper plane competition
* Collect twigs, leaves, stones, rocks or even pieces of bark - be creative and have a game of noughts and crosses.
Pack a picnic – some of the bigger playgrounds and parks even have BBQs
As you are leaving, any crusts or left over bread can bring squeals of delight from the little ones as the birds come flocking.
Take a $2 set of cones and a whistle and have races or create mini challenges for the kids (and you)
While they play, read a book and sip on a latte
Improve your child’s (and your own) coordination and take a ball or cone and rings and play games that involve throwing, catching or kicking
Take your Pilates mat and do some exercises
Here is a great site we use for exercise ideas - really quick workouts that the kids can do with you .. or not .. as our kids would say :) Darebee.com - with 300 no equipment all level workouts that can be downloaded and printed this is a great resource.
Check out our Top Playground articles below.
