Let’s Get those Kiddos Outdoors!
Getting kids out of the house can sometimes feel like a mission impossible. But fear not; we have some outdoor activities that’ll have your little ones ready to explore!
Fun outside activities don’t have to involve grand adventures or epic journeys. For outdoor fun for kids, head to the backyard or the nearest park! Trust us; the possibilities are endless!
We know finding time for outdoor activities can be a challenge. But let’s make it a priority. Your child’s development and happiness are worth it!
Ready for some inspiration? Check out our awesome kids’ activity ideas that guarantee outdoor excitement. And remember to bring along a set of compact, wooden nesting blocks with magnification for even more fun outdoor activities. It’s the perfect combo!
Outdoor Activities For Kids
Looking for fun activities to do outside that foster your child’s love of nature? Check out these outside activities to get you started.
Nature Scavenger Hunt: Work with your kids and create a scavenger hunt list of things to collect in nature. You can build lists around different categories like the color (things blue in nature), texture (soft things in nature), or shapes (square things in nature). Next, head out on a walk to see how many items your child can find. Be sure to bring along something to collect all their riches! When you are finished collecting, consider these wooden blocks for kids to showcase their treasures and add beauty to your block play area.
Grab Our Fall Nature Walk Scavenger Hunt Printable
Backyard Bingo: Create various bingo cards with items found in your backyard or favorite park. As your child sees an item, they will mark it off on their card. A Bingo is scored when your child finds 5 things in a row.
Nature Tic-Tac-Toe: Collect multiples of the same items from nature, such as rocks, leaves, pinecones, pods, shells, or feathers. Use sticks to create a tic-tac-toe board. Then, play a game with your child.
Nature Walks: Go on a walk with your child and look for things found in nature to collect. Consider taking a nature book (from home or the library) to help identify items found along the way. Save all their treasures for their nature tray or the outside crafts for kids below.
Nature Trivia: Create a set of age-appropriate nature trivia questions. You may want to create a set of nature trivia for kids and nature trivia questions for adults. Place each inquiry along a trail in your neighborhood, park, or backyard. Provide an answer sheet for each participant or group. Depending on the age of the children, you can do this individually, in pairs, or as a family.
Miniature World Discovery: Mark off a small area (2 feet x 2 feet) for exploration. Then, watch your child as they dig up and examine their discoveries.
Outside Crafts For Kids: Many indoor craft activities can be easily adapted into outside art activities. Here are a few examples:
- Paint Rocks: Gather relatively flat rocks with a smooth surface and paint them! For children who know how to print their names, have them write a letter on each rock and then use the stones to spell out their names in the garden.
- Paint Leaves: Collect large leaves and decorate them with paint, glitter, beads, feathers, and more!
- Leaf Rubbings: An alternative to painting the leaves is to use them to complete leaf rubbings. Simply lay the leaf between two pieces of paper and run a crayon or colored pencil over the top paper. The leaf details will magically appear!
- Create A Nature Collage: Have the kids collect things on their nature walk and then glue them to a piece of paper, creating a one-of-a-kind collage.
- Paint A Hiking Stick: What kid doesn’t love having their own hiking stick to take on their outdoor expedition? Help them find the perfect stick to create a one-of-a-kind with paint.
- Painting with Nature: This technique uses things found in nature, like pinecones, grass, flowers, leaves, or twigs, to create a unique art piece.
Sidewalk Chalk Ideas: Keeping a bucket of sidewalk chalk on hand means you always have plenty of chalk activities to keep the kids busy. Chalk art ideas might include creating murals, patterns, paintings, or designs on the sidewalk, driveway, or fence. Sidewalk chalk games are a fantastic way to spend an afternoon outside. Think sidewalk chalk hopscotch. How about drawing a maze or obstacle course on your driveway? Whichever you choose will require only chalk and a little effort to create. You can make them as simple or challenging as needed to suit your child’s skills. Plus, they will love moving through it over and over.
Plant a Vegetable Garden: With your kids, consider planting some easy-to-grow vegetables like carrots, green beans, peas, radishes, zucchini, or cherry tomatoes. You might also try strawberries! Check what works best for your growing zone, and then plant away.
Get Dirty: Playing outside might mean the kids will get dirty! A little dirt never hurts anyone, so encourage them to dig a hole, make mud pies, or find worms and bugs. To make clean-up fun, let them run through the sprinklers!
Go On A Bug Hunt: Suggest that your child lead the family on a bug expedition. Encourage them to find as many different bugs as possible and then tell you what they know about each one.
Outdoor Activity Cards: Make an ideal solution to the dreaded “I’m Bored!” statement. Create individual cards with fun, simple outdoor activities your child can complete when they can’t think of anything to do – for example:
- Read a book outside under a tree
- Catch raindrops on your tongue
- Jump in puddles
- Make a maze with sticks or rocks
- Play hopscotch
- Fly a kite
- Blow bubbles
Stargazing Adventure: Head outside on a clear night to gaze at the stars and create magical memories and cosmic curiosity. Use a constellation app or a star chart to identify constellations together.
Get Physical: Encourage kids to play outdoor games like Red Light, Green Light. Additionally, you could use these gross motor activities for more outdoor activity ideas. Remember, outdoor play is beneficial to adults too! So join the fun.
While this list of outdoor activities is just a sampling of all the fun things to do outside, we are sure you will find plenty to do.
For even more activities, check these outdoor activities for fall.
Outdoor Activity Ideas
While there are many things to do outside at home, sometimes it is nice to experience new fun outdoor activities for children. Consider exploring your local zoos, gardens, farms, parks, and hiking trails.
Google “outside activities for kids near me”, “things to do outside in your neighborhood,” “free outdoor activities for kids,” or “nature activities for kids” to discover ideas from the visitor’s bureau, chamber of commerce, nature center, or local parks and recreation sites.
Outdoor Fun
Being outside sparks your child’s curiosity as they climb trees, pick flowers, toss rocks, splash in streams, and look for animals.
Part of the fun is using cool tools for exploring. Things like bug catchers, butterfly nets, a magnifying glass, kids-size binoculars, a flashlight, and something to carry all their supplies like a backpack or vest. If age-appropriate, add a child-safe digital camera for recording their findings.
With their compact nesting storage, these nesting wooden square blocks are ideal for taking along on your next nature hike.
Our magnification blocks:
- Are perfect for examining natural, tactile, and other detailed materials found in nature.
- Encourage exploration of the small wonders of nature. With their unbreakable acrylic inset windows, your child can investigate their surroundings.
- Unlike traditional magnifying glasses, this wooden block set is safe and sturdy for all your preschooler’s fun outdoor activities.
These wooden blocks for kids, will help you introduce your preschooler to science, inspire them to examine nature closeup, and display their special nature trinkets.
The Benefits of Outdoor Play
Outdoor play isn’t just fun; the benefits of outdoor play are essential to your child’s healthy development. With many exciting activities awaiting, your kids will fall in love with nature in no time!
So, get outside with your kids and join their world of adventure. It’s time to unlock nature’s beauty and experience the thrill of the great outdoors. Here’s a bonus: it’s a fantastic break from those screens!
No need to be a camp counselor 24/7—Just get them outside and let them use their imagination and creativity. Watch as their creativity blossoms amidst the wonders of nature.
Soak up the sun, breathe fresh air, and engage in fun activities outside. By incorporating daily outdoor fun, you’ll naturally reduce your child’s screen time. It’s a win-win!
Try engaging in constructive play and bring the excitement of indoor play outside! Our incredible wooden building blocks are ideal indoors and out! Construct, create, and let your imaginations run wild!
Remember when your parents urged you to head outdoors and play? They were absolutely right! The benefits of outdoor play are endless, and it’s time to pass on the tradition to your children.
Children Who Spend Time Outdoors In Nature Are More Likely To:
After all your exploring, be sure to save those things your child found outside. The materials collected can be used in nature crafts, including this nature tray.
So, what are you waiting for? Let’s embark on outdoor discovery, laughter, and endless memories. Adventure awaits, my friend!
Grab this wooden block set or these wooden blocks for kids, and head outdoors with your kids today!
It Is Time To Get Outside And Play. Let’s Go!
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