Winterize Your Backyard For a Fun Family Activity
As the leaves continue to pile up faster than dishes in the sink after a Thanksgiving feast, the pressure to winterize your backyard starts to mount. Of course, the dread that comes with chores often comes from a feeling of fighting an uphill battle. Fortunately, you can winterize your entire backyard quickly and efficiently by turning the project into a game the whole family can enjoy.
To get the game going, create a list of things that need to be done and assign a point system for each chore. Set a prize to the top point getter (may I suggest a gift card for some extra holiday shopping money) and get the entire family motivated to hit the ground running. It’s important to have tasks that everyone can do, so be sure to be age appropriate. If you have younger kids, something as simple as removing rocks, sticks and toys can be great chores. Chores provide a real way to provide your children with structure and purpose and keep them away from their smartphone or tablet for a little bit.
When it comes to the actual types of chores and point system, it’s completely up to you and will change based on what part of the country you live in. Fortunately, some winterizing chores are universal. Below is a list to get you started:
- Cleaning Outdoor Furniture
- Storing Outdoor Furniture
- Storing All Planted Plants
- Collecting All Hanging Plants
- Reorganize the garage
- Rake Up Leaves
- Weed and Feed The Lawn
- Mow The Lawn One Final Time
- Unhook the hose
- Clean Out The Gutters
These chores may seem tedious, but they are extremely important. Consider, for a moment, how much money you will save by securing the integrity of something like your patio. A quality patio sectional cover can ensure that when the seasons change, there will be no downtime whatsoever. When the sun is back and spring has sprung, you can get right back to enjoying your outdoor space.
Clearing the leaves from your yard is about more than staying in your neighbor’s good graces. It’s also going to keep your lawn healthy over the winter. The mold that comes from damp leaves can be devastating to the quality of your lawn. Clearing the leaves also presents the opportunity to reseed so that spring will bring in a green, luscious lawn you’ll be proud to call your own.
It’s time to take the plunge and winterize your lawn. Like most things in life, it simply gets better when you do it with the entire family. Once you get started, you’ll surely see why!