Playing In The Garden Is Not Just For Kids

The long, lazy summer days, the sounds of the ice cream van, the odd grazed knee and family picnics in the park. But it's recalling the games we play in garden that really bring the past to life. As long as you can move around, even slowly you're never too old to find time to play on the lawn.

The Toddler Years

The younger the child, the more happiness can be derived from even the simplest games. A spot of tick, hide and seek or statues can make an afternoon fly by, and they give you mptor skills that will prepare you for more serious sports later on. Or you could lay out some planks and other odds and ends on the lawn, to all the world a random mess, but to you and your friends a fully built Roman Camp. If there's a paddling pool nearby, the fantasy is complete. And finally there's the secret den made from tree cuttings and old carpets, which is most people's first taste of the property ladder - and oh, how you wish it was your last.

Childhood
Once toddlerhood is over, garden games start to take on a more sporting streak. Whether you're beating your friend in the FA Cup final or being timed in the imaginary Olympics to prove your athleticism, you're driven by a sense of one-upmanship that might never leave you. The time-served way of never losing, of course, is to be the owner the ball, racquets or whatever other item is essential to the game; that way you can retire in a sulk when the going gets tough. Childhood is the age of the water fight, too. Or more accurately, the age when the innocent splashing of your toddler days gives way to a primal urge to leave no thread of your opponents' clothing dry. Buckets, hoses, garden Sprinklers and sponges all develop new value in the water fighting season.

Adolescence
The opportunities of playtime seem to be overtaken by the temptations offered by adulthood.

Adulthood
Once adulthood is reached, garden play is either a means to let off steam or a way of proving to the kids that you've still got what it takes. There is a wealth of options, from lawn badminton and croquet to the near-violent pastime of Swingball, the closest most family members get to open warfare. With a little more space, a communal game of softball or the mysteriously named French cricket must feature in any game organiser's repertoire.

So whatever your age, as soon as the sun makes an appearance, getting out into the garden is more than just a way to relax - it's a way to appreciate the joy of playing around in the garden, improve your skills and spend time with your family and add to your collection of playtime memories.

Callum has written about gardens and garden accessories for many home and garden publications.The choices of garden play equipment and other children's garden items is growing all the time but the common items of slides and climbing frames seem to be continual favourites