If there is a little money to spend, I would recommend a pop- up tunnel, a pop-up tent and a small trampoline. Beanbags, hoops, plastic cones, laundry baskets and bubbles to blow are cheap additions to play resources.
Children can dig and water the soil in a special part of the garden and plant seeds or bulbs. They can use whatever they are allowed to pick outside to make miniature gardens on trays, 'magic potions' in old containers or pretend meals for toys.
For imaginative play, provide children with cardboard boxes of all sizes to build up, crawl through, sit in, hide under and throw things into. Add blankets, rugs, masking tape and clothes pegs and let them make houses and dens. Take dressing-up clothes outside too.
Give children old paintbrushes and a bucket of water and allow them to 'paint' the garden fence, wall or paving slabs, or provide chunky chalks for drawings on the path or patio. The sun or rain will remove all traces, leading to early scientific discussions.
Debbie Chalmers, Girton, Cambridge
