It’s my son’s birthday week, and to celebrate, I’m doing up a list of his favourite things to do outside in the summer. We love adventures all over Saskatoon and we love day trips, but some days we just want to hang out in our backyard and play. The following are our best fun in the backyard in Saskatoon! We did most of them all on his birthday, but as the weather continues to stay warm, we will be out as much as we can! As he gets older, we’re constantly finding new activities and he loves helping with everyday activities. Our backyard isn’t perfect (it’s missing most of its grass), but we really love playing out there. Most of these things can be done in a park if you do want out of your backyard.
Backyard Fun Saskatoon
1| Crocheted Water Balloons or bombs
We bought some of these last year for the first time, and we’ve been loving them ever since. My son has been asking since the snow melted for us to bring them out again. We had our first crocheted water fight this weekend. (I won.) There are so many bonuses to using these. First of all, they are much better for the environment than actual balloons – reusable and washable. Second, they are something you can buy locally, thus supporting local. Third, you can throw them at your kids and hear their squeals of laughter. Win. Win. Win. We love water fights of any kind.
I do have a list of some of the local makers that sell them as well. Find one close to you, and send them a message. (Or if you’re crafty, you can make your own!) If you’re checking out the local options, make sure to see if they make any other goodies you love.
- YXE Cozy Crochet & Crafts – This is where we got ours last year.
- Nikkita’s Knick Knacks
- Beyond Top – They also make freezie holders!
- Blue Moon Mermaids
- Marjielous Creations
- Scherr Crochet
- With Love Saskatoon
- Crafty Creations – This one is in Prince Albert, but if you are in the area make sure to check them out!
- 1 Crazy Stitch
- Prairie & Pearls
- A Single Stitch
- ME Creations
- The Hobnobber – go visit the store and find locally made water balloons and more.
- Joyne Collective Marketplace – Visit this location as well for water balloons and more
2| Fun with the dog
My little one and our dog get along best outside (mostly because my pup is ready to pick up any food my son drops.) We love playing catch and tug with the puppy.
Check out Caring Creations YXE for all your pet supplies.
3| Outdoor Kitchen
This one is a little harder to take outside your yard, but just grab some wooden spoons and bowls, and find a mud pile in a park! My son loves bringing me mud soup. We recently made a kitchen for him out of an old desk. It’s not perfect, but it’s got a sink and stove so he loves it. (As seen in the feature photo.)
4| Ladybug houses
My son loves collecting bugs – especially ladybugs. He collects rocks anytime we are away from the house, and our backyard is covered with ladybug houses made by his rocks. It’s one of his favourite activities, and he makes sure the ladybugs are free to leave at anytime.
5| Gardening
My kiddo has been gardening with me, basically from just after he was born (I planted my garden at 38 weeks pregnant). He loves seeing the plants grow as much as I do. He loves planting seeds and he loves watering the flowers. (He’s definitely drowned a few poor little ones as well.) If you aren’t sure where to get started in gardening, check out our list of Saskatoon Greenhouses. If you don’t have room for a garden, be sure to check out the community gardens near you.
6| Ice Cream
There’s nothing better on a hot day than having some ice cream. Both my kiddo and I love ice cream. We’ve made it our goal this year to try all of the local Saskatoon Ice Cream Shops.
7| Sticks
We’ve been trying not to shy away from playing with sticks. As long as my son knows not to swing at others, and to stay safe, we will continue to use sticks in our adventures. This includes gentle sword fights, walking sticks or anything else that the stick may look like at the moment. My son even built a pretend fire with a bunch of logs and sticks.
8| Sidewalk Chalk
In all seriousness, who doesn’t love sidewalk chalk? We chalk our walk every year. Sometimes every day. My son is more interested in it this year than he has been in other years, and we’ve been having a lot of fun. I like to leave inspirational messages, and he likes to make action scenes.
9| Bubbles Bubbles Bubbles
We like bubbles in any way they come. Little ones, big ones, fast ones, slow ones. Chasing bubbles is a family favourite. Both the doggo and the kiddo can spend an hour trying to catch the bubbles. I’m hoping to find a good recipe to make my own bubbles so we don’t have to keep buying more.
10| Mud Mud and More Mud Plus Puddle jumping
We love getting muddy. He loves it more than I do, but somedays we’ll get in some outdoor clothes and play in a big mud puddle. He also loves making my puddles for his toys to play in. If my kid is around, you can never go wrong with mud. We also love jumping in puddles.
All these activities help us toward our goal to have 1000 Hours Outside, but with or without the goal to be outside as much as we can, we love summers outside, and when we can’t be exploring the world, we can certainly be exploring our own backyard. From my birthday boy, and I: I hope you find something fun to do with your family this summer. If you have a fun backyard activity, please share!
