Fun Ideas to Try Outdoors with Your Kids

Playing outdoors with children is an essential part of growing up. Not only does it help to create great memories, but it allows them to try new things, be exposed to risk in a safe way, harness any competitiveness, and keep them physically active. Now more than ever, we need to look after the physical and mental wellbeing of our children, and being outdoors is part of that. To emphasise how important being outside in green spaces is for children, a study in 2019 found that children who spent very little time outdoors were 55% more likely to develop things like anxiety, mood disorders, and other psychiatric issues. With busy family life it can be difficult to get all children involved all at once, depending on ages and abilities. But there will be some things that are going to work well for your family. 

If you’re looking for some new ideas and inspiration for things to do outdoors with your family, then here are some things to try. Next time the weather looks good, which will you be trying first?

Camping

There is a lot of fun that can come from camping. Children can learn how to pitch a tent, make a comfortable bed, and cook al fresco. Starting a campfire can be fun too, as well as making things like s’mores. Of course, travel is off the cards for now, but you could make plans for a camping trip later this year, or perhaps pitch up a tent in your backyard.

Treasure hunting

Looking for treasure is a great pastime for children, as there is such a fun element to following a map and then finding something special if they follow it correctly. Of course, this can be something that you set up yourself, but it could also be something that you could do with a metal detector. More and more kids enjoy metal detecting, so you could think about getting the equipment that you need, so that your children can enjoy this outside. You never know what buried treasure you could find when out on a walk in the woods.

Scavenger hunt

On a similar note, scavenger hunts can be fun too. They are less about what you might find, and all about what you do find. Send the children off into the yard with a list of things to find, which could be anything from a piece of trash to a pinecone or a leaf. This can be made simpler or more difficult, depending on the ages of your children, so it is something to do, as it can work for all ages.

Car wash

A car wash can be really enjoyable, as it usually ends up in a water fight, but it also serves a practical purpose too, which makes it a great choice. Assign out jobs to everyone and then it can make a big difference, but the fun will be much more likely, if everyone knows their role.

Back to nature

Making things like homemade bird feeders, using things like pine cones, birdseed, coconut oil or peanut butter, can be a really fun thing to do. You not only spend the time outside creating, but then you can enjoy seeing what happens when they get hung up. How many birds can they count?

Gymnastics

Being outdoors means more chances to move around and try something new. How about gymnastics? With space to do handstands, cartwheels, and forward rolls, it is often a safer space to try out such things, rather than in the home. If you decide to start learning more advanced moves you may also want to utilize an Air Track tumbling mat.

Painting

Being outdoors and painting is a winning combination for parents, as the mess is outdoors, and can’t ruin furniture like it can if it was inside the home. You could paint rocks to then hide around your neighborhood, or perhaps do something simple like water painting on the fence or patio. Using chalks is a similar thing, but it can all be easily washed away if needed.

Build

The building options in the garden are endless! You could build a fort using furniture, as well as using trees to drape blankets over in order to build a den. You could also take sticks, wood, leaves, and anything else that you can find outside, to build some amazing creations. It gets children to explore, and gets children to be creative.

The options are endless when it comes to children in the outdoors. Just make sure that they are out there and that they are making the most of it, as it will make such a difference.