This backyard activity will provide hours of fun for the kids. Simply tie a rope to the handle of a bucket. Toss the rope up and over the branch of a tree, and secure the loose end of the rope to something at ground level. You can use a clothesline pole or the base of the tree. Kids will fill the bucket with whatever treasures they can find. Think pine cones, sticks, stones, mud, dirt, water etc.
Basically, if it’s not tied down, it’s likely found itself in the bucket at one time or another. Then the kids hoist the bucket as up as they can, and they lower it down again. To prevent anyone from getting bonked on the head, encourage the kids to lower the bucket slowly, which is an added exercise in coordination. This activity can be done individually or in pairs as children can collaborate over a joint task.
