Skip to main content

101 Things to do Outside With Your Kids

Spending time outside is beneficial in so many ways. Outdoor time is linked to lower stress levels and increased creativity and mental clarity.  It can help boost the immune system and vitamin D levels, and encourages exercise. A 2019 study suggests that as little as 20 minutes of time spent in nature can reduce stress hormone levels, and that the more time spent in nature, the more profound the effect. 

 Unstructured outdoor play gives kids opportunities to develop strength and coordination, to interact with peers and practice  communication and positive behavioral skills, and to improve sensory skills. Outdoor time also gives children a chance to explore and connect with the natural world around them. 

 Too many kids today spend huge portions of their days in classrooms or other indoor spaces, with little outdoor play time. Let's try to give our children back their childhood, and make more time for outside play. Let's give them more opportunities to breath fresh air, soak up the sun, and learn to love the natural world around them! 
#thebarefootmom


Here are 101 things to do outside with your kids:

 1. Take a nature walk
2. Pick blackberries
3. Go apple picking
4. Plant a garden
5. Practice identifying plants
6. Go bird watching
7. Swim in a creek
8. Play on the playground
9. Read a book 
10. Make a fairy garden
11. Hang a bird feeder
12. Plant a tree
13. Take a hike
14. Go for a bike ride
15. Build a snowman
16. Go sledding
17. Go camping
18. Go rock hunting
19. Go on a picnic
20. Play in the sprinklers

21. Watch a meteor shower
22. Pick dandelions
23. Look for shells on the beach
24. Visit a farm
25. Walk the dog
26. Visit a farmer's market
27. Collect fall leaves
28. Stomp in rain puddles
29. Build a tree fort
30. Roast marshmallows over a fire
31. Barbeque
32. Camp in the back yard
33. Play in the mud
34. Build a sand castle

35. Make nature art
36. Go roller skating in the park
37. Play in the rain
38. Sleep under the stars
39. Build a fort
40. Go on a scavenger hunt
41. Go ice skating
42. Skip rocks
43. Collect nature treasures for crafts
44. Watch an eclipse
45. Go star gazing
46. Search for four leaf clovers
47. Make a daisy chain
48. Cook over a fire
49. Go canoeing 
50. Play with water balloons
51. Visit a zoo or animal sanctuary
52. Fly a kite
53. Forage
54. Go geocaching
55. Hide or hunt for painted rocks
56. Play with remote control cars
57. Play with walkie talkies
58. Watch the sunset
59. Watch the sunrise
60. Go fishing


61. Catch fireflies
62. Play with sidewalk chalk
63. Blow bubbles 
64. Play hopscotch
65. Go to a sporting event
66. Hunt for ladybugs 
67. Search for animal prints
68. Go to the carnival or fair
69. Make nature prints
70. Have a snowball fight
71. Play frisbee 
72. Play catch 
73. See a concert in a park
74. Watch a movie on a projector in your yard
75. Hula hoop
76. Visit a splash pad
77. Watch a parade
78. Race toy sail boats in a creek or pond
79. Feed the birds in the park
80. Play hide and seek
81. Go metal detecting
82. Collect leaves for leaf rubbings
83. Make a compost bin
84. Make mud pies
85. Play in fall leaves

86. Make a sundial
87. Play Hide and Seek
88. Play frisbee
89. Take a night hike
90. Catch tadpoles in a creek
91. Set up an easel and paint 
92. Hang a tire swing 
93. Swim in a pool
94. Build a mentos and soda rocket
95. Eat dinner on the patio 
96. Set up a worm farm
97. Rent a paddle boat
98. Play with toy tractors in the dirt or sand
99. Play with vinegar and baking soda
100. Nature journaling
101. Paint pictures with liquid water color paints in squirt guns

What are your family's favorite outdoor activities?



 If you enjoyed this post, check out:
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Water Relay Races For Kids

I don't know about your kids, but mine absolutely love games involving water and getting wet in the summer time. In  this post I share 5 of our favorite water relay races to play with friends. These are perfect for birthday parties, homeschool get togethers, and other group events. Sponge Relay: For this relay you will need: - 2 teams of several kids each -2 large sponges -4 small buckets or containers of some sort Divide your participants into 2 teams and have each team line up single file at a predetermined starting place.  Hand out a sponge to the first participant in each line. Set a bucket of water by each team. Set an empty bucket about 20 ft away from each team.  The two empty buckets should be the same size and should have a "fill line" marked half way up. On a count of 3 (or ready set go) the first participant in each line should dip their sponge in the bucket of water, run to the empty bucket, squeeze the water from their spo...
2 comments
Read more

STEM Art: 21 STEAM Project Ideas

My kids love STEM projects and we're always looking for ways to add more art to our homeschool days, so I decided I am going to try to dedicate one morning a week this year to STEM art activities. In this post I share some of the ideas we're planning to try, plus a few favorites we've done in the past. What is STEM Education? STEM education is a blended and often hands on approach to teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, which are some of today's fastest growing industries. STEM education offers students the opportunity to problem solve and work on real world problems and questions. Sometimes the acronym STEAM is used, to include the arts. Adding art to STEM education encourages creative thinking and problem solving skills. It can also help make the other included subjects more appealing to some students. STEM Art Projects  Penny Spinners-   Learn about centrifugal force and make your own spinning tops with this fun post from Teach Beside Me. Explo...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Ultimate List of YouTube Learning Channels for Kids

As a homeschooling mom whose family lives on a fairly tight budget, I am always looking for more free or low cost educational resources. YouTube is one of my favorites. There are videos on just about every topic under the sun, and there are tons of educational channels specifically made for kids. Here are all the educational channels I could find, organized by subject. And please let me know if I'm missing any great channels, I would love to keep adding to this list! *Disclaimer: I cannot personally vouch for all the content on all these channels (especially considering that values and needs vary from family to family). As a parent, it's important to preview videos before showing them to your kids. General Education - Free School - Homeschool Pop - Khan Academy - Khan Academy Kids - Smithsonian - The Brain Scoop - NPR's Skunk Bear - Varitasium - Crash Course - Crash Course Kids Science  - SciShow - SciShow Kids - Nat Geo WILD - National Geographic Kids ...
6 comments
Read more

Make Your Own Mineral Identification Kit

One of my family's favorite hobbies is rock hounding. We love collecting and trying to identify neat rock and mineral specimens that we come across. You can put together your own simple kit for identifying rocks and minerals with materials you likely already have around your home. In this post I will explain how to put together your own mineral identification kit and how to use it to identify rocks and minerals you find on your adventures. Making a Rock and Mineral ID Kit Grab yourself a printable Rock and Mineral Journal for recording your observations here:  Printable Rock and Mineral Journal ,  and then gather the following supplies: -A pencil -A coin -An iron nail -A piece of glass (an old pocket mirror works well) -A ceramic tile -A small watertight bottle or container -Some vinegar -A magnet  -A magnifying glass -A dropper (optional)  -Rock and mineral guide (optional)  -A small container or bag to keep it all in Fill ...
1 comment
Read more

Turmeric Anthotype Prints

In this post I share instructions for a really cool science based art project- turmeric anthotype prints. If you've ever used Sunprint paper, this is the same concept, except you are making the photosensitive paper yourself. For this activity you will need: white paper, turmeric, alcohol (rubbing alcohol or vodka), a paint brush, something to print (leaves, sticks, rocks), baking soda, water, a spray bottle, a tray, and sunshine. *Turmeric stains, so be sure to work in old clothes or use a smock. Start by making a turmeric based ink/paint by mixing about a teaspoon of turmeric powder into 1/4 cup of alcohol. If you end up having a lot of chunks of turmeric after stirring well, you can strain it through a coffee filter, but we have found that this step usually isn't necessary. In an inside space, away from direct sunlight, paint your entire sheet of white paper with the turmeric ink. Then set it aside to dry in a dark space. While it dries, collect items to print. Leaves, fern f...
Post a Comment
Read more