We all want to be the hangout spot for our kids and their friends. A mixture of wanting to seem like a cool parent, and also wanting to know who your children are friends with, usually motivate this goal. Sometimes your home is naturally the hangout spot for the neighbor kids, but often, you have to work for it. Here are a few tips to make your yard the perfect kid hangout spot.
Have kid friendly equipment
Probably one of the biggest pulls for kids, is to have a fun yard. Things like a trampoline and a swingset will appeal to most kids, and give you an edge over other parents who don’t have anything fun in their yard. A few other fun things you could add to your yard that your kids would love are:
-A giant chalkboard. Sure, drawing on the driveway is fun, but a giant chalkboard is more fun.
-Slackline. If your kids are into climbing and slacklining, adding a slackline between some well placed trees will have your kid’s friends flocking to your house.
-Hammocks and hanging reading pods. Even the introverted kids will love your house, because they can be near their friends, but read or take a nap in the hammock when they need a break from socializing.
-Sprinklers and water features. During the summer, supply water balloons and a sprinkler. The bonus here is that your kids will have loads of fun, at the same time as watering your lawn. Sure, they may be trampling it, but they’re having so much fun.
Lots of well kept grass
It’s a pretty understandable fact that running around on grass is a lot more fun, and a lot safer, than running around on gravel or concrete. If you have a large lawn in the backyard, know that your kids and their friends will love running around on it! Make sure you water and mow it regularly to maintain it, especially if it goes through a lot of abuse from the kid’s soccer games.
Keep snacks and yummy drinks on hand
If we’re being honest, you know that the funnest house when you were a kid was the one that always had lemonade and a big cupboard full of cosmic brownies and fruit snacks. Having snacks on hand is a great way for your children’s friends to know that they are always welcome, and that they’ll never be hungry when they’re playing at your house!