Backyard Play

For some reason I have never really enjoyed taking the girls out to play in our backyard. We have a great playset that both girls really like but there is only so much time I can push them on the swings and play in the sand (Ellie can't seem to play by herself). This year I plan on spending most afternoons out there so I am trying to come up with some fun activities. I have decided to do an out door junk box. I want to be able to keep it under the deck and once the box is full something has to be taken out before putting something new in. In the box is going to be some random stuff: plumbing pipes, elbows, flexible pipes, random wood (with edges sanded down), etc. I want the girls to be able to get creative and see what they can create with them. We have moved the garden to a different part of the yard so now there is a dirt area to dig in and get dirty. I have just started collecting things for this box so we don't have much yet but the other day I broke out a few things and ran the water hose run through a pipe dug a hole to pool the water in and just played in the mud. It was fun for all of us.