Playdate Blog Hop

Come play with us! We’re blog hoppin’ with playdate ideas!

Link up yours and browse through ours… hosted by Kid Blogger Network!

Playdates don’t have to be complicated. These are kids of the DC/MD/VA Kid Blogger Network in our backyard having a blast last summer.  No lessons, no structure, no stress.  Just water, noise, running around, and FUN!!
Yes, some of the playdates I organize have a theme but most times we just have kiddies over to play in the backyard or in the playroom.

THEMED PLAYDATES:
Bubble Bash – setup 2 or 3 bubble machines in the backyard. I have 3 cheap battery-operated ones called Amazing Bubbles Generator for $7 each from Target. Let kids run wild in a world of bubbles.

PeeWee Paint Party – set out a bunch of paper bowls of washable paint, various paint tools, and a couple buckets of soapy water. Tell the kids to come in their swimsuit. Let them paint everything outside… trees, rocks, the fence, the house, the cat, themselves, you, etc. Then hose down everything and everybody or let them run through the sprinklers!

Sensory Spree – set out a few bins each filled with a different sensory material… shaving cream, water beads, rice, sand, mud, cooked spaghetti, etc.

Flower Power – put out a bunch of cheap plastic flower pots, a big bin filled with potting soil, and a 12-pack of cheap little flowers, like pentas or vincas, from a local garden center. Have each kid bring a watering can or plastic bottle. Let them pot their own flowers to take home and care for.

Little Chefs - Have a few little buddies over for a cooking playdate. They could decorate cookies, make pizza, build silly sandwiches, make homemade playdough, etc.

Let’s Roll – Gather in a cul-de-sac or at a playground basketball court with tricycles, scooters, and skates.

INDOOR PLAYDATES:
Hit the bookstore. Most large bookstores (especially Barnes & Noble) have a kids’ section. The ones in my area have space or a stage for kids to gather, read books, or play on a train table.

Try your local public library. Some let the residents of that town/county reserve a room (sometimes for FREE!) for weekly or monthly playdates, storytimes, small parties, etc.

OUTDOOR PLAYDATES:
You can never go wrong with a simple meetup at a playground. Hit a different playground every week.

Visit a public botanical garden or nature center for a nature walk and experience wildlife together.

Meet at a state park and take a stroll through the woods.

Don’t be afraid to play in the rain. If conditions and temps are just right (no thunder, no lightning, no high winds), great fun can be had in a light rain shower stomping in puddles with your favorite rubber boots. Maybe you’ll see a rainbow!

TRAVEL PLAYDATES:
Take the kiddies for a ride on a city bus or subway train. They’re cheap and you don’t really have to go anywhere special. Take a 20min ride to a park, museum, or favorite cupcake shop… then head back. The Chief loves riding the subway. He gets to stand and hold the pole while trying to keep his balance when the train is moving.

River ferries are also a fun ride for kids to experience together… spotting water fowl and identifying the various types of boats that share the river.

Come play with us!

Link up your favorite PLAYDATE in the linky below and browse through more fabulous playdate ideas.