Creating Your Own Backyard Entertainment

Are you tired of spending evenings sitting in front of the TV, while the kids fight over who gets to play on the computer? In this day and age, the word entertainment has become synonymous with technology. The good old days of having fun in your backyard are over . . . or are they?

As parents, we are able to guide our children by example and what better way to teach them that technology and video games aren't everything than showing them how we did entertainment back in the day? So, turn off the computer, unplug the TV and start looking at some good, old-fashioned entertainment methods!

- Remember how much fun it was to build a tree fort? Even if you don't have a tree in your yard, you can still build a fort of sorts. Use cardboard boxes stacked up to form walls and leave spaces for windows and a door. Boxes can be found at your local supermarket, they are usually more than happy to give them away for free.

- Have a backyard cookout. Introduce your kids to s´mores and roast hot dogs over the fire. This is an ideal way to reconnect with tweens and teens. Talking about your day just seems natural over a crackling fire, without any zombies or cartoons to distract you.

- Spend an evening outdoors playing board games on a picnic table. This is a nice way to enjoy the summer weather and since you are far from the regular electronic entertainment, you won't be tempted to watch the news.

- Have a blast playing outdoor games like lawn bowling or horseshoes. You can set up the stereo to blast competitive music while you compete in teams against each other.

There are plenty of other activities that you can do in your backyard, just think about the fun you had as a child playing outdoors.

Fun and games are great, but what if your kids would rather watch their favorite show instead of hang out with Mom and Dad? You can limit the amount of electronic entertainment they are allowed, but that could cause resentment and they won't be participating fully, unless you do it carefully.

By limiting video games and television, say, to one or two hours a day after school, you are giving kids a chance to hang out on their own and figure out things to do. Don't suggest any outdoor entertainment for a week or two. When they get really, really bored, suggest that you all hit the backyard and have a water balloon fight. They won't be associating the loss of television with the new activities, so can enjoy them to the utmost.

You could also tape favorite programs while you are playing outside so no one misses anything. Or you could designate one evening a week as Family Entertainment Night and decree that there be no computer or video that night.

However you manage it, getting kids out of the house and playing in their own backyard is a great form of entertainment. It keeps them healthy and happy and builds memories for future generations.