Raking Leaves with Kids

Pile on the Outdoor Fall Fun

• What: Raking with Kids
• When: Leaves finish falling
• Why: Keep paths clear, burn extra energy, get outdoors
• Where: Your home

I personally don’t see the point in raking leaves until they’ve all fallen. But once your sidewalk, stairs, or yard gets covered, it’s time to put the kids to work. If you need a set of tools to get your little ones enthused, check out these kid-sized rakes to find the best fit for your child.

Does style matter more than function? Or maybe your taller child needs a longer handle to rake in more leaves. Either way, the Melissa & Doug kid-sized rake offers a long handle brightly painted with colorful stripes.

If you care more about function and durability, Spielstabil (my favorite bucket company) makes a garden rake for kids as young as two years old. With a shorter handle easier for younger kids, this sturdy option will last for several seasons or siblings.

Once you equip your kids, let them have some fun. Our kids love to jump in piles of leaves and see who can toss them the highest. As long as they are willing to make the pile again, I let them jump and toss to their heart’s content. Once they finish, we load up the compost bin. The kids can help here, too, by filling up buckets normally reserved for sand and water.

And if you want an even easier way to transport them (the leaves, not the kids), try using an old sheet. Simply rake the leaves onto the sheet, drag it to the next patch, and repeat until it gets full. Grab the four corners and you have a hobo bag to dump in the nearest compost bin or anywhere you’d like free mulch.