Best Times to Play Outside

The best time to play outside: 

 3 hours after dawn, 3 hours before sunset. (sunrise and sunset times here) 

The first 3 hours after dawn is when the light is full of fresh hope and new mercy. The wind tastes like hope. Birds are singing. Even the UV rays are attenuated by their long journey through our air. Even better is to start half an hour before dawn, when the light of our star mixes with the light of the far stars, as our atmosphere fades out of the view of the galaxy.

The 3 hours before sunset, the air is heavy with the heat of our star, now pressing around us with the fullness, like an ocean around a fish. Full, like a warm sea. The day is full. Children run about with the crazed emotions of those who don't know they are tired. Heated argument, epic adventures, or laughing hysterically at jokes too mystical to be understood by the narrow minds of adults. They are meant  run off this energy under the unconfined, ceiling of the heavens, as their forbears have for millenia. Gradually the birds wake up again, excited as our sky fades into the galaxy.

One by one the far stars show their faces through the blue veil. It fades, vanishing once more, and we see again through the viewport of our planet, as it hurtles through the stars.

Jan 15     7:32am,   5:43pm

Feb 15     7:12am,   6:12 pm

Mar 15    6:38am,   6:36 pm

Apr  15    5:58am,   6:59 pm

May 15   5:28am,   7:21pm 

June 15   5:18am,   7:39pm 

July 15    5:29am,    7:38pm 

Aug 15    5:50am,   7:14pm 

Sept 15    6:11am,   6:34pm 

Oct 15     6:32am,     5:54pm 

Nov 15    7:00am,   5:25pm

Dec 15     7:24am,   5:21 pm

Chief Obstacles:

1. Obstacle #1  Light shining sideways into your eyes. Strategically place trees, shadecloths, and trellises east of where you intend to hang out early in the morning, or west of where you hang out in the afternoon. Another option is to place play-structures, rose gardens, garden benches, picnic tables, outdoor work tables, such that they are shaded by the house at these times.
2. Obstacle #2 Mosquitos love twilight. 
1. Clothes. Nothing stops a mosquito like fabric. In the winter months we're bundled up like Rangers, and the mosquitos aren't out anyway. In the warmer months, wear long loose linen pants. You can even sew "extensions" of fabric (like really long cuffs) to the ends of pants (they get worn out and need to be replaced anyway). The length and swinging movement keeps mosquitos from feasting on yoru ankles, even if you are barefoot or in sandals. Li Ziqi wears these kinds of pants in many of her summer videos
2. Habitat-destruction During the rainy season, every evening, have the kids help me do a quick scout out the backyard, to make sure there isn't any secret standing water around.
3. Repel with plants Try growing the vaunted anti-mosquito plants (lemon balm, basil, etc) about the garden, around play areas and sitting areas in by garden benches. Secondly, try making some of that "hippie bug spray" as Josh calls it, the essential oils said to repel mosquitos. I'm going to be oiling my skin anyway, why not put in some nice smelling stuff mosquitos don't like.
4. Trap: Try leaving standing water with the mosquito dunks in them, like enlightenment garden channel does. Need to be careful its not drownable to toddlers though.
5. Chemical Spray: Last resort, if things ever get REALLY bad, use chemical repellant. That is where long loose pants come in, since spraying your clothes seems preferable to spraying the skin. But on kids in shorts, need to do what must be done. Aim for the ankles, calves, triceps, and back of the neck/back. And remember not to breathe it in.
3. Obstacle #3 Kids need to be schooled. Because we are homeschooled, this isn't as much of an issue. Schedule school to start at least 3 hours after sunrise, and end at least 3 hours before sunset. e.g. Start school after 8:30 in the summer months, and after 10:30 in the winter months.