Moving With Children

Neighborhood Icebreakers and Friend-Makers

After five moves in nearly as many states, there were several things that stood out as great ice breakers for our children to make friends in new neighborhoods.

We started with a sandbox. It’s ageless, timeless fun and children are drawn to a sandbox like a giant magnet. It’s an instant friend-maker and the “ON” button for imaginations and the adventures pretending can bring. Just toss in some shovels, pails, blocks, cars and trucks and you’re golden.

#1. We usually built ours. We wanted it big enough for several children. Fill it with clean sand, white if you can find it, and make sure you have something for a cover at the end of the day to keep cats out —to them, a sandbox is a giant litter box. (Please don’t ask how I found that out …)

#2. A sturdy treehouse, high enough to hang a swing, rings, and a trapeze from the underside. We used to get a slide from a second-hand shop for down and a ladder for going up.

It’s a clubhouse, a pirate ship, a rocket to Mars, or any adventure their imaginations might invent.

#3. Add rope to an old tire for a swing to hang from a thick tree branch.

#4. If you don’t have a tree to work with, you can also build a free-standing treehouse. Children don’t care if it has 4x4 posts holding it up and not a tree. Lowes and Home Depot have a lot of books that show how to build a simple treehouse, with or without a tree.

#5. A backyard waterslide. Any kind, any length.

All of these are like child-magnets. It didn’t take long for my girls to have friends in our new neighborhood.

I loved having all the children play at our house. That way, I always knew where my girls were and I got to meet their parents —new friends for me!.

Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions. I’m happy to help.

Poet/Writer/Author of 5 books.
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