21 Outdoor Activities Ideas For Kids
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This article talks about some of the best ideas for outdoor activities for kids. With the weather warming up and school ending, it’s a great time to plan for some outdoor time with your kids. Having a list of ideas that are quick, easy, and engaging for warmer weather will help everyone have a wonderful time.
As a mom of four kids with #5 on the way, getting them all outside is one of my secret weapons. Even when they’re all fighting with each other, making messes inside the house, and I can feel my stress levels steadily rising, a simple change of scenery and some fresh air can make all the difference and really turn our day around. We spend time outside very single day.
My priorities for outdoor activity ideas are easy setup, low cost, and of course, engaging! I also love activities that prioritize creative play, physical activity, or both. Nothing is worse than spending a lot of time setting up an extravagant activity only for your child to play with it for a few moments before becoming disinterested. There is something in this list for everyone, so I know you’ll find something that you and your child will love. Lather on the sunscreen (here’s my all time favorite kids sunscreen), get the kids outside, and let’s get to the fun!
Outdoor activities for kids
Outdoor Activities For Kids
Have a Picnic
If you’re looking for a fun and easy activity, don’t underestimate the novelty of setting up a picnic right in your yard! I love to find a shaded area and pack a picnic lunch for my kids. They are always so excited to have a picnic and don’t mind one bit that we never leave the comfort of our own yard! There’s something magical about making everyday things like meals or snacks more exciting by doing it outdoors and calling it a picnic.
I love using a picnic blanket with a waterproof layer to help with any lingering dew or wetness that might be on the ground and that also wipes off easily in case of spills. My favorite one is also machine washable, which has come in handy many times!
Having a picnic basket is fun but of course not required. I love this insulated one.
2. GO On An Adventure walk
In our family, an adventure walk is simply a walk outside in which we make an extra effort to notice the world around us. One of my favorite things to do with my kids on our adventure walks is to have them look for something specific—in the fall, it might be colorful leaves. On our walk, they may each find and pick up 5-10 of their favorite colorful leaves for their “collection”. In the spring, we love looking for “signs of spring” and pointing them out—buds, new green grass, early flowers, etc. And for summer, we love looking for colorful wildflowers or berries.
An adventure walk is an easy, free activity that can get your little one enjoying the outdoors. It can be done in your neighborhood or on a more natural trail or path. Both a great for exploration!
3. Play With Bubbles
This wouldn’t be an outdoor activity list without bubbles. A classic activity, and for good reason. Whether you have a basic bubble wand or a fancy bubble-making contraption that may be easier to use for younger kids, kids LOVE bubbles! Bubbles are inexpensive, require zero setup, and accessible for kids of many ages.
I personally prefer these toddler-friendly bubbles that reduce the likelihood of spills for younger kids.
If you’re looking for a bubble blower, here is a lawn mower one that we’ve used and love.
4. Set Up A Sprinkler
Two of my daughters using their favorite sprinkler in our yard
This is one of my all-time favorite outdoor activities for summer!
Again, let’s take advantage of the fact that water + kids is magical in the summertime. Setting up a sprinkler in your yard can be an easy way to generate a lot of laughter and excitement on a hot summer day.
The smiles on my daughters’ faces say it all.
Of course, the options for sprinklers are endless. Here is one that is similar to what you see in the photo above. It’s their favorite sprinkler they’ve ever used, but it isn’t the easiest to set up. Here are a few other options that are excellent for toddlers.
Option 1 - Toddler Sprinkler With Wiggle Tubes
Option 2 - Inflatable Rainbow Cloud Sprinkler
Option 3 - Rotating Spray Nozzles Sprinkler
5. Go ON A Scavenger Hunt
Setting up a scavenger hunt in your yard is a great activity for kids in the summertime.
Think Easter egg hunt—but it doesn’t have to be Easter eggs. I’ve used small animal figurines other small-ish toys. Depending on the age of your child, you can decide how difficult to make the hiding spots for the items. Your child will have so much fun running around and searching for the hidden toys!
You could even extend this activity into a second one by having kids design and decorate their own scavenger hunt bags. I would use brown paper bags or something similar for this and let them color or paint on the bags to personalize them before doing the scavenger hunt outside.
6. Play with Sidewalk Chalk
Sidewalk chalk is a much-loved outdoor activity for all 4 of my kids!
Many a summer day at hour house have been spent in the driveway using sidewalk chalk. The possibilities are endless! From drawing large pictures to writing their names, to creating racetracks for their bikes or hopscotch boards for playing, this is an incredibly versatile activity that promotes creativity.
We go through a LOT of sidewalk chalk in our house and so buy it in bulk. Here is a pack on Amazon that is a great value for the money.
7. Play A Game
Some of our favorite outdoor games that can be played with as few as three people, require exactly zero equipment, and are easy for young kids to understand include Tag, Stuck In The Mud, Duck Duck Goose, and Red Light Green Light. I have many fond memories of playing games like this with my siblings and neighbor kids from when I was young, and my kids are also huge fans.
8. Enjoy a Cold Treat
There’s nothing like enjoying a cold treat outside on a hot day! From freeze pops, to popsicles, to ice cream sandwiches, to healthier options such as watermelon, the options are endless, and this is always a hit with the kids.
9. Play Water Balloon TOss
This one does require a bit of setup and adult intervention on the front end, but it can be a fabulous outdoor activity for kids of many ages.
Water balloons are ALWAYS a hit, however, there are two minor downsides compared to some of the other activities on our list—they do require adult assistance to set up (unless your kids are older and can manage to fill and tie balloons on their own), and they can result in a mess in your yard once the balloons are thrown and popped. Picking up balloon debris can be a team effort after the fun.
That being said, water balloons provide a nearly endless amount of creative and active play opportunity for your little ones, and so they deserve a place on our list.
I like to buy a large water balloon set with plenty of balloons that will last us all summer. This set is rapid-sealing and quick-filling. If you want to avoid the post-water-balloon cleanup mess and want a more environmentally friendly option, you may like these reusable water balloons with a magnetic seal that have nearly a perfect 5 star average review on Amazon.
10. Use A Water Table
Playing with a water table is one of my kids’ favorite outdoor activities
Water table is another summer water activity classic that my kids simply adore. It’s amazing how much use they’ve gotten out of our water table and how many hours of play this has seen.
It’s best to have some cups, bowls, and large kitchen spoons or ladles available for use with the water table to maximize the fun and play. These don’t have to be specialized toys or anything; I just use whatever I have available.
I don’t typically put my young toddlers in a swim diaper for this activity. Typically, although they do get wet, it doesn’t result in complete diaper saturation.
11. Use A Slip-N-Slide
Slip-n-slides can be fun for children of many ages. They can be used in a flat yard, but if you have a small slope in your yard (or even a steeper hill for older kids), that can make it even more exciting! Here is one that we love with built in sprinklers and another that is slightly higher in price due to it being larger and more geared towards older kids.
Fair warning—this is one activity that can take a toll on your grass if you use it for a long period in the same place. This can be avoided by adjusting its location to spread out the grass damage.
For this activity, I would recommend your kids wear swim suits that have longer sleeves, if you have one. A rash guard or wetsuit can work great for this activity to prevent any scrapes from vigorous sliding.
12. Coloring Outside
Don’t overlook the simple genius of bringing a traditionally indoors activity outside for a bit of novelty and natural inspiration. My kids love it when I set up a picnic blanket in the shade and bring out the crayons, markers, and paper for some outdoor coloring. They enjoy finding items in the yard such as pinecones, flowers, and leaves to draw.
13. Let THem Paint Rocks
I can’t tell you how many hours of fun my kids have gotten out of this activity—and how much I chuckle to myself each time they get so excited about painting rocks!
I have them first search for a few rocks in the yard and rinse them off with the hose. Once they’ve assembled they stony canvasses, I give them washable colored paint so that they can create their beautiful masterpieces. Best of all, the entire paint mess stays outside and you don’t have any floors, tables, or handprints on walls to clean up afterwards.
You can also try one of these rock craft kits which even includes smooth, flat rocks that are perfect for painting, coloring, or crafting!
14. Set UP A BackyArd Tent
This is a fun outdoor activity for kids of many ages, even if you have no intention of using the tent for sleeping! You’ll be amazing with how much creative and pretend play can come from playing with a tent outside. Some kids might like to use it as a secluded reading nook or secret hideout. This does require a bit of setup, but it can provide hours of entertainment and creative, active outdoor play for kids.
15. Build An Outdoor Fort
Lawn furniture and some old blankets or sheets are all you need to build an outdoor fort! I have many fond memories of doing this particular activity for HOURS at my grandparents’ house with my siblings, and it’s something that my kids also love. Let their creative juices flow when it comes to building the fort, and then of course they can play in it once it’s built! This activity has the potential to be several hours long and checks all our boxes of creative play, active and engaging play promoting physical activity, and low parental setup required. Similar to the tent idea above, the options for playing the fort after it’s built are endless!
16. Draw “Roads” On your Driveway
With a bit of sidewalk chalk, your driveway can be transformed into a roadway perfect for bikes, scooters, or roller blades. My kids have had endless fun with drawing complex streets with twists, turns, and intersections using sidewalk chalk. They love doing laps, pretending to be crossing guards, or pretending to give each other “speeding tickets” for fast driving or for driving off the road. This is a great way to promote physical activity and creative play!
17. Play In A Kiddie POol
All four of my kids playing in our kiddie pool.
The beauty of setting up a kiddie pool for your kids is that it’s low cost, easy setup, can be done right in your own yard, and it doesn’t require any special toys or equipment other than a pool and a hose to fill it up. My kids have spent literally HOURS at a time in our kiddie pool, and it’s always a hit. I’ve had my little ones sit in our kiddie pool even under age one (starting from when they can sit up consistently without falling over), and my nearly 8-year-old still loves playing in it.
You can purchase a hard shell one like what I have pictured at Walmart or even many grocery stores for under $10. There are also many other options for online shoppers such as with inflatable sides, like this one.
Here are some of my best tips for using a kiddie pool with your kids:
Adding toys, bowls, cups, etc to the pool can add extra fun, learning, and play. You don’t need any special toys; I often use cups, bowls, and ladles from my kitchen. I’ve also thrown our favorite bath toys into the kiddie pool. You can get creative with “pool toys”!
I use swim diapers when my babies or toddlers are in the kiddie pool since they are typically all the way in it. For some other water activities, you can get by with a normal diaper, but I highly recommend using a swim diaper in this case
Be prepared to stay close by to any babies or toddlers in the kiddie pool. Babies who can sit reliably still need close supervision, and young toddlers may have issue stepping in and out of the pool on they own without your assistance. I like to put a lawn chair for myself right next to the pool and get some relaxation in while I supervise.
18. Catch Bugs With A Bug Net
Giving kids a bug net and encouraging them to go bug catching is a fun and engaging outdoor activity that is easy and low cost. My kids love going after butterflies (although they haven’t been very successful, they love trying!). They’ve had more success with moths. Of course, I always recommend teaching kids to safely catch and release and to avoid trying to catch bees. Here is one of our favorite bug catching sets that is relatively inexpensive and also comes with a magnifying glass and holder to help your child examine any successful catches.
19. Set UP An Outdoor Sensory Bin
Outdoor sensory bins are a fun activity with endless possibilities! You and your kids can search for your own sensory bin items from items you find in your yard such as leaves, pinecones, flowers, or rocks, or you could bring more traditional sensory bin items such as grains of rice, noodles, uncooked beans, etc that you’d typically find in your kitchen.
You could also keep it super easy by purchasing a ready-made sensory bin for about the price of two large lattes at your favorite coffee shop. I love using a sand sensory bin for outdoor play because my kids love sand, but it’s something I’d rather not have inside of my house. Setting this up as an outdoor activity is a perfect compromise. Here is my favorite low-cost, ready-made sensory bin that is perfect for outdoor play.
20. Toss And Catch Ball Game
This can be a great outdoor activity that promotes being physically active and developing hand-eye coordination. I love this toss-catch set, which is perfect for my 4, 6, and 7 year old who haven’t yet fully mastered the ability to catch a small ball using a baseball glove. This is a classic game that will help them spend more time playing catch and less time chasing after errant balls. Here is the set we have with 4 paddle and 4 balls.
21. Bean Bag Toss Game
Rounding out our list of favorite outdoor activities is a bean bag toss game. This activity is great for physical activity, motor skills, and keeping kids entertained. This set is a great animal-theme set that comes with plenty of bean bags and fun, colorful boards. Best of all, it’s super low cost.
Now that you’ve read our list of 21 fun outdoor activities for kids, you’re ready to have the best summer ever with your family. Your kids will be physically active, able to play creatively, and have plenty of good old-fashioned fun without becoming bored this spring, summer, and fall while the weather is nice.
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