Undoubtedly, Hawaii’s greatest asset is its beautiful climate and environment. With lush foliage and never-ending days of sunshine, Hawaii has everything you need to make outdoor learning an everyday activity. In addition to making your outdoor space an ideal learning environment, you can update your backyard and make it a home selling point. Outdoor play is one of the top-selling points for home buyers, especially if you want to sell your Honolulu, Hawaii, home fast.
Work with your surroundings
Instead of demolishing and rebuilding your outdoor space completely, it’s best to work with what you have. If you have a sprawling backyard, there will be plenty of room to build up large activity areas. If your backyard is minor, don’t worry. You can utilize what space you have with a small activity area or multi-functional activity space.
Add natural features
Nothing is better for children than connecting with nature. A garden with dirt, leaves, rocks, pinecones, and acorns are excellent for a natural connection. Add a small vertical garden with climbing plants such as ‘Ohai. Keep extra shovels, watering cans, and seeds in the area for easy access to gardening supplies.
Provide shade
If you are going to add to your backyard, consider adding a patio with shade. A deck can be used for seating, dining, or a space for kids to relax in the shade on a hot day. Balconies add more to your home’s value, which will add to your home’s sale price and benefit you even as home mortgage rates continue to rise and home sales slow.
Make a quiet area
Yes, children are loud and rowdy, but they also need quiet. Create a calm area with passive
activities or materials. Utilize painting materials, blankets, books, outdoor lounging chairs, and pillows.
Let them explore
Sensory activities are perfect for children of all ages. Build a water table or add a sandbox in this area. Keep digging tools nearby and use recycled materials for the water table. Make sure the sandbox has a lid so it can be closed each time it is not in use; it will keep out sand flies, bugs, and small animals.
Make it physical
Children love to run, jump, skip, and hop. Enable plenty of gross motor playing with playground equipment, balls, hoops, nets, jump ropes, bicycles, and obstacle courses. Invest in large playground equipment such as a slide or utilize a more natural obstacle course with large stones and old tree stumps.
Keep it safe
There are always going to be hazards with children running and jumping around. But you can limit the chances of injury by keeping an eye on your learning environment. Keep the area clean, so it is easier to spot broken or missing pieces from activity centers. With wear and tear, wood fixtures may begin to crack, which means splinters might happen. The same is true of metal items that rust or paint might peel. Keep an eye out for these issues and fix them as soon as they are spotted.
Transforming your outdoor space into a fun, kid-friendly learning environment doesn’t need to be complicated. Stick with elements that will fit into and enhance your backyard.