"Get Your Kids Outside!" Activity #2: Sprinkler! + Ikea's "Playreport"

Last month I started posting ideas for getting your kids OUT of the house to play...where video games and TV are out of reach and out of sight.  Here in Minnesota, that's easier said than done for much of the colder months, so we try to take advantage of the nice days while we have them!

Today's activity...the sprinkler!  Okay, maybe it's a no-brainer, but this has fast become a favorite in the Fleener yard this summer.  There aren't a whole lot of grown-up chores (watering the lawn) that can also double as a fun outdoor activity for kids and turn your front lawn into a water park.  We do not let a lawn watering pass by without putting Sammy's swimming trunks on....it would almost be a waste of water, even if the lawn is brown and crunchy.

 There are many other plus sides to getting your kids outside...they get exercise and engage their physical and creative sides, they soak up lots of yummy vitamin D, and they learn more than you'd think!

Ikea has initiated a study called the "Playreport," in which 11,000 interviews were done with kids and parents in 25 countries across the globe.  The findings: 73% of kids would rather play with their parents and friends than watch tv or use the internet.  Check out this great little video:



 Even if your kid doesn't like to get wet, most kids still love to play with water, whether it's helping you water the flowers or pouring it between buckets.  So next time it's really hot out and you're wondering what to do, just go outside and turn on the sprinkler and enjoy one of life's great simple pleasures!