Science says spending time outdoors is beneficial for our health in so many ways, but when you live in an apartment without a yard, getting your family enough outdoor time can be tricky. While it may be a small space, apartment balconies can be set up to be amazing little outdoor areas for your family to enjoy. Here are a few ideas for making your apartment balcony an enjoyable space for your family:
Container Gardening
Who says you need a yard to have a garden? Use your outdoor space to grow an herb garden, or flowers, or even container friendly veggies.
Some plants that do well in containers are:
Herbs- basil, oregano, mint (any variety), rosemary, lemon balm, thyme, and parsley.
Flowers- begonias, marigolds, zinnia, and petunias
Fruits and Veggies- strawberries, tomatoes, peas, beans, potatoes, lettuce, bell peppers, radishes, garlic, and cucumbers.
Succulents like aloe vera and jade plant also do well in pots, just bring them indoors for the winter.
You can maximize space by using hanging pots or shelves to place plants on.
Make a Bird Oasis
If you have any bird lovers in your household, consider turning your apartment balcony into a bird oasis. Get a few different types of bird feeders and maybe a small bird bath to attract birds to your balcony. You can also add some potted flowers to attract nectar eating birds like hummingbirds. Some hummingbird favorites are petunias, geraniums, verbena, and begonias.
You can even make a fun family activity out of making your own bird feeders. Here are few simple feeders that even kids can make:
-Pinecone Bird Feeders
-Cookie Cutter Bird Feeders
-Garland Bird Feeders
Mud Play Station
Back before we were living the apartment life, we had a house with a yard, and one of my kids favorite outdoor activities was playing in their little mud kitchen. When we ended having to move into the apartment I wanted to figure out a way for them to still be able to play in the mud. And so I came up with a way to set up an "easy to clean up" mud station.
In the corner of our porch I have a large plastic tote filled with dirt from my parents yard and some simple mud play toys like plastic shovels, bowls, buckets, wooden spoons, and plastic tractors. When we want to play, we lay out a plastic tablecloth on the balcony, dump a bucket or two of dirt out, and add a little water. When we're done, I just leave the mud to dry back out, and then dump it back into the tote.
When we're not using it, we use the tote as a table for some of our potted plants.
Fairy or Dinosaur Garden
Kids love fairy or dinosaur gardens, we actually have one of each!
There are tons of different ways to set up a fairy or dinosaur garden. Start with a few succulents or herb plants that do well in smaller sized pots, and add some fairy or dinosaur decor around them. Our fairy garden has some mushroom houses (just little ceramic mushrooms from the garden center with doors drawn on with permanent marker. It also has a little bridge and a well (both found at Dollar General), with roads made from white pebbles my girls have collected on our walks. Just get creative and see what you come up with. Here are a few links for inspiration:
-Fairy Garden Ideas
-How to DIY a Dinosaur Garden
Sensory Tables and Sandboxes
If you have toddler or preschool aged kids I highly recommend getting a water table, my kids love ours. Even my 9 year old enjoys it. When it's too cold for water play, they can be used for other types of sensory play. Some of our favorite things to play with in it are:
-sand
-dry rice (here's simple instructions for making rainbow rice if you want to add some color to your play)
-dried beans
-gravel
-slime
-nature items like seashells, pinecones, pebbles, leaves, etc....
Small sized sandboxes also work well on balconies and can be filled with lots of fun sand toys.
How do you use your balcony space? Share your ideas in the comments!
If you enjoyed this post, check out:
-Tips for Homeschooling in Small Spaces
-Set Up Your Own Creation Station STEAM Table
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Who says you need a yard to have a garden? Use your outdoor space to grow an herb garden, or flowers, or even container friendly veggies.
Herbs- basil, oregano, mint (any variety), rosemary, lemon balm, thyme, and parsley.
Flowers- begonias, marigolds, zinnia, and petunias
Fruits and Veggies- strawberries, tomatoes, peas, beans, potatoes, lettuce, bell peppers, radishes, garlic, and cucumbers.
Succulents like aloe vera and jade plant also do well in pots, just bring them indoors for the winter.
You can maximize space by using hanging pots or shelves to place plants on.
Make a Bird Oasis
If you have any bird lovers in your household, consider turning your apartment balcony into a bird oasis. Get a few different types of bird feeders and maybe a small bird bath to attract birds to your balcony. You can also add some potted flowers to attract nectar eating birds like hummingbirds. Some hummingbird favorites are petunias, geraniums, verbena, and begonias.
You can even make a fun family activity out of making your own bird feeders. Here are few simple feeders that even kids can make:
-Pinecone Bird Feeders
-Cookie Cutter Bird Feeders
-Garland Bird Feeders
Mud Play Station
Back before we were living the apartment life, we had a house with a yard, and one of my kids favorite outdoor activities was playing in their little mud kitchen. When we ended having to move into the apartment I wanted to figure out a way for them to still be able to play in the mud. And so I came up with a way to set up an "easy to clean up" mud station.
In the corner of our porch I have a large plastic tote filled with dirt from my parents yard and some simple mud play toys like plastic shovels, bowls, buckets, wooden spoons, and plastic tractors. When we want to play, we lay out a plastic tablecloth on the balcony, dump a bucket or two of dirt out, and add a little water. When we're done, I just leave the mud to dry back out, and then dump it back into the tote.
When we're not using it, we use the tote as a table for some of our potted plants.
Fairy or Dinosaur Garden
Kids love fairy or dinosaur gardens, we actually have one of each!
-Fairy Garden Ideas
-How to DIY a Dinosaur Garden
Sensory Tables and Sandboxes
If you have toddler or preschool aged kids I highly recommend getting a water table, my kids love ours. Even my 9 year old enjoys it. When it's too cold for water play, they can be used for other types of sensory play. Some of our favorite things to play with in it are:
-sand
-dry rice (here's simple instructions for making rainbow rice if you want to add some color to your play)
-dried beans
-gravel
-slime
-nature items like seashells, pinecones, pebbles, leaves, etc....
How do you use your balcony space? Share your ideas in the comments!
If you enjoyed this post, check out:
-Tips for Homeschooling in Small Spaces
-Set Up Your Own Creation Station STEAM Table
Follow me on:
Making a dinosaur garden is such a fun idea!
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