outside time with 8 month olds

Ok, spring fever has officially set in. The weather is getting nicer, and I am DYING to get outside more. There are so many things I want to do with our yard, garden, etc. But it sure is hard to do that kind of stuff with 8 month old twins!

The girls are not crawling yet, but are getting close. I want to be able to have them outside while I weed, water, etc., without them getting too upset or being in the sun for too long, or eating grass, etc.. What can you do with babies this age during the nice weather? I have a superyard that I got for Christmas that we haven't broken out yet, and have been thinking about somehow adding an umbrella or two to it, and maybe some of those foam alphabet mats as padding on top of the grass? Then bring their toys outside with us? Seems like a lot of prep work to get all that set up, and then what if they don't like it?

Anybody else in the same boat? Or have ideas from what you have done to get outdoors and not only for walks? Whenever we walk, they inevitably fall asleep, which is sometimes good and sometimes messes up their naps later on.

Help!

 

I think the superyard outside is a good idea. Or if you have walkers or jumperoos you could bring those outside. You're right though, it is a lot of work. It's going to be a lot of work even if you don't bring the superyard and toys outside too!

At 2.5 years old mine still fall asleep on walks in the stroller, so I have no advice there.

 

I also think the superyard sounds like a good idea if they like it. My two were terrible about staying in something like that! I also took the exersaucers outside & had a bit more luck with those.

 

I took a PNP outside ONCE. :lol: Then I decided it was too much work for me to get all that stuff outside for them to be happy for about 60 seconds. I just stuck to the stroller walks outside at that age and a little swing at the park. The second summer was much more enjoyable.

 

I just used to put a big picnic blanket down at that age, they might not like the feel of the grass if u put up the superyard (or mine didn't anyhow lol)

 

Well, I've done a little of all the suggestions.
If I really want to get something done outside, I load them up in the stroller at their normal nap time, then walk them around a bit, and boom, they are out. They sleep really well in our stroller, it has good sun shades, etc, So then I just park it and move it around while I weed, mulch, plant flowers, etc.

I've put them in their bouncers/excersaucers outside in a shady spot. This only give at max 20/30 mins, and multiple interactions needed with the babies, so not great if you are doing something that gets your hands dirty.

Finally for being in the grass, playing outside, I just take a big old blanket out, and spread it out. My two are still afraid of the grass, so they don't leave the blanket. But when I do this, I plan on being on the blanket or very close by.

So I guess it depends on what you are going outside for!

Enjoy the weather!

 

We started going outside daily last month (7 months old) while were spending time in Phoenix. Now we are back in Salt Lake and the weather has been crazy! The last two days we have gone outside though. I use a superyard and lay down a blanket and plop them in there if I am going to be playing with our dog. If I am just playing with them, they crawl around in the grass, try to eat sticks, play in their tunnel, and I just chase them around. Its a wonderful change of scenery and breaks up the daily monotony. It hasn't been difficult for me. I have also found that they love the superyard more if I sprinkle puffs all around the blanket. Then they eat those and they are used to being in there by the time they have eaten all of the puffs and they just play

 

We take ours out in the stroller, PNP, or bring out some of the exersaucsers