Raking Leaves

Yard work is not usually the most exciting thing you do during the year. It is part of having a yard though - keeping it at least somewhat presentable and usable. Yes, it can be hard or monotonous sometimes (mowing the lawn every week is a bit of a drag), but having a place to play with your kids can make it worth it. Have your kids help as they get older - it should be something they learn to do.

It’s that time of year where the leaves are going to start falling (if they haven’t already fallen yet). That means that your yard will start to be covered in leaves. Generally, it’s best to clean those leaves up before the snow comes as it’s a real pain to clean them up after the snow melts. If you leave them out for the snow to cover them, they become a real sticky mess that is not fun to clean at all.

Depending on the size of your yard and how many trees/leaves you have, this can be a fairly easy task or a big project. Whatever the case is, cleaning leaves up doesn’t have to be all work and no play. Ideally, you make work as fun as you can at least on occasion. If you can figure out how to at least make yard work fun some of the time, then it will make it easier for you to want to do it in the future.

Perhaps kids' favorite way to play in the leaves is to simply jump into a huge pile of them and throw them all around. If you are raking leaves up, plan that at least one time they will get blown up to be played in. If your pile of leaves is large enough, then you should jump in as well. Playing in leaves is one of those things that must be done when you’re raking them up - it simply makes the job more fun.

If the leaves aren’t wet, then bringing leaves together can make for a great chance to get some fun pictures of your child as well. Have them throw the leaves in the air and snap several pictures as they smile and laugh with the leaves falling back down. Take a video as well if you want and then set it to slow motion - it’s a fun way to keep those enjoyable memories with your kids and it looks pretty cool.

Of course, once the play is done, you need to get to work. Have your child help you to rake the leaves up and to put them in the bags. Your child should learn that being able to play in leaves also requires work as well. Most kids who can walk can help in some manner with cleaning leaves up - simply have them carry a leaf or two at a time and put them into the garbage bag - a simple way to help.

Older children can rake up the leaves (your toddler may be obstinate that they want to) and help to put them into the bags as well. It’s much easier to get leaves into bags when you have at least two people working together on it. Teach your child how you can work together to make the job easier to get done. You’ll be glad to have a little help and you’ll be teaching your child an important lesson about teamwork.

Try to make a not so fun activity more fun by letting your kids play in the leaves while you clean. It will make things more enjoyable for everyone.