Typical Outside Activites For Young Kids (Phoenix: houses, employment, neighborhood)

[MCP46]

We're a family of 5, potentially relocating to the Phoenix area in the coming months. Already have employment in the works, and working with a local realtor with respect to housing options, contingent on the location of said employment. That said: We have 3 young boys, 7, 3, and 1. We currently live in the Northeast (upstate NY), and enjoy a large front yard, as well as a large fenced-in backyard. My kids spend a lot of time outside in the backyard on the swingset, in the sandbox, running around, playing ball, and digging in the dirt (ex garden) with their toy trucks. While summer humidity can be an issue, no real backyard concerns aside from ticks, black flies and mosquitoes (which can be mitigated by bug spray), and the occasional yellow jackets. Can pretty much send the kids into the backyard to play for hours. We also have a long driveway on which they can ride their bikes, scooters, etc...

As with eveything else, we fully realize a relocation would be a sigificnant shift in lifestyle for us as parents, and for our kids, as well. Particularly going from an environment where we're typically indoors between November and April due to snow,to one where we don't go out much during the summer months due to the heat. But in the winter, at least the kids are in school which keeps them busy to some extent.

So, first question: what kind of activities to the younger kids do in the summer months when they can't play outside (aside from swimming)?

Second question: Aside from the summers, is outside "play" at home typical in AZ? Where do younger kids usually ride their bikes? I would imagine depending on critter potential, backyard play could be limited - paricularly anything "digging"-related?

Thanks in advance.

[sandy6879]

We are from the northeast too - it's an entirely different world here. A lot will depend on the size of your yard. Yards here are just not that large. You'll have to specify that to your realtor in terms of how important it is to you to have a larger (comparatively) yard here. I don't necessarily recommend the digging in the dirt here...I'm sure kids have but the dirt is where the scorpions and other bugs are - bugs here are quite different than in the northeast as well.

Driveways also aren't that long - typically 1-2 car lengths. There however are sidewalks just about everywhere, which is nice. Summer months - I'll be honest, I never ever see kids in our neighborhood. Not outside playing at least - they are always inside unless they are in someone's pool. We have neighbors all around us that have kids and they hibernate all summer long.

Most HOA's offer neighborhood parks of some sort (quite small compared to what we were used to, usually just 1 small playscape at a park with 2 or 3 benches) so many kids will end up there in the other months. Hope that kind of answered your question - it's just a different world here than in the northeast, in many many ways.

[Bungle]

Kids play outside here no different than anywhere else. My neighborhood is full of grade school age kids and they rode bikes, played basketball, etc...all summer long. Critters are not a concern here more than anywhere else really.

[Bungle]

Originally Posted by sandy6879

We are from the northeast too - it's an entirely different world here. A lot will depend on the size of your yard. Yards here are just not that large. You'll have to specify that to your realtor in terms of how important it is to you to have a larger (comparatively) yard here. I don't necessarily recommend the digging in the dirt here...I'm sure kids have but the dirt is where the scorpions and other bugs are - bugs here are quite different than in the northeast as well.

Driveways also aren't that long - typically 1-2 car lengths. There however are sidewalks just about everywhere, which is nice. Summer months - I'll be honest, I never ever see kids in our neighborhood. Not outside playing at least - they are always inside unless they are in someone's pool. We have neighbors all around us that have kids and they hibernate all summer long.

Most HOA's offer neighborhood parks of some sort (quite small compared to what we were used to, usually just 1 small playscape at a park with 2 or 3 benches) so many kids will end up there in the other months. Hope that kind of answered your question - it's just a different world here than in the northeast, in many many ways.

It's odd how backwards this is from what I've always seen in my neighborhood.

[observer53]

They do the same stuff your kids have been doing. Perhaps not in the intense heat of midafternoon, but with shade, they can be out then, too. And, no yellowjackets, and fewer and smaller mosquitoes.

And, it's safe to dig in the dirt here... but it's a lot harder to do because of the nature of the soil.

[sandy6879]

Originally Posted by Bungle

It's odd how backwards this is from what I've always seen in my neighborhood.

That's why I mentioned "from what I've seen" - other areas may be different. It just depends where you end up.

[asufan]

My kids are outside 12 months of the year. They do not necessarily play a bunch in the backyard because we have a pool/spa in the middle of the yard, BBQ/patio on one side and grass area on the other side. However like much of the Phoenix area, there are community parks, city parks and greenbelts mixed in with the houses. We are probably less than 50 steps from a community park with a playground, HUGE grassy area, small basketball area, ramada, etc. It's big enough for many groups of kids to play ball, so I would encourage you to find a house close to a community park/tot lot if you can't find a large yard.

In addition to the swimming, my kids are outside all the time playing. In fact last Summer my then 6 year old played a flag football season outside which meant he was running around from about 4 PM to 6 PM every Tuesday and Thursday. He never complained once, just hydrated and had a blast. Never heard any of the kids complain actually (a couple parents perhaps ). It's probably a bit more uncomfortable here for the kids in the Summer than in NY, but then again it is better here the other 8 months of the year.

[MCP46]

This is all very good information, and very much appreciated. It's quite amazing all of the perspectives to consider when conteplating a move across the country, and potential adjustment for kids with respect to their "customary activities".

I've seen some housing developments around the Phoenix area (both west and east valley) promoting walking paths,. I'm sure specific to the respective HOA, but to they typically allow bikes on them, or are there more "bike specific" paths around the different cities in the area? Just curuios, as my 7 year-old and I enjoy biking together on the local bike paths around here.

Thanks again for the replies.

[asufan]

Originally Posted by MCP46

This is all very good information, and very much appreciated. It's quite amazing all of the perspectives to consider when conteplating a move across the country, and potential adjustment for kids with respect to their "customary activities".

I've seen some housing developments around the Phoenix area (both west and east valley) promoting walking paths,. I'm sure specific to the respective HOA, but to they typically allow bikes on them, or are there more "bike specific" paths around the different cities in the area? Just curuios, as my 7 year-old and I enjoy biking together on the local bike paths around here.

Thanks again for the replies.

I don't know of any HOA's that do not permit bikes on the walking paths. The cities have designated bike lanes and some communities are planned better than others with bike/walking paths. Fulton Ranch is one example of a recent community that has extensive meandering sidewalks for walkers/bikes. There's several like this throughout the valley, you will just need to let your Realtor know that is what you are looking for.

[ElleTea]

Just like anyone making a big move to an area with a different climate, you will be better off (and less frustrated) to adjust your activities according to the new environment than to expect things to be exactly the same as where you came from. Just because they like to dig in the dirt there, doesn't mean that is what they will have to do here. Kids are adaptable.