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FUN OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

FOR KIDS
" Messy Little Monster # July 22, 2021 $ No
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Being cooped up indoors is difficult for

little kids who need to get their wiggles
out. That's why we've put together an
incredible list of 30 fun outdoor activities
for kids that encourage movement,
creative thinking, problem-solving,
coordination, and so much more!

Not only are these outdoor activities tons

of fun for the kids, but they're educational
and good for their physical and mental
health. You can do these activities in your
own backyard or during a walk around the
neighbourhood or on a nature trail—it's up
to you. But even if you only have a tiny
outdoor space, you'll find so many ways to
enjoy your time out in the fresh air with the
kids.

WE HAVE ALSO WRITTEN

A PRINTABLE LIST OF 60 FUN
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES FOR
KIDS SCROLL DOWN FOR
YOUR COPY!

You might also like to check out these other

lists of activities for kids:

Outdoor art activities for kids

Indoor activities for kids
Fine motor activities for kids
Easy science experiments for kids
Summer Camp Crafts

What are you waiting for? Head outside

with the kids now for some quality time
playing and exploring all that nature has to
offer.

Outdoor Activities from

Messy Little Monster
We are big fans of getting outdoors to enjoy
nature with the kids, so here are some
favourite outdoor activities from yours
truly.

Squirt Gun Painting

This Squirt Gun Painting activity is a fun
activity that kids will love. Every painting
will be totally unique, and who doesn't love
the opportunity to use a squirt gun?

Colors of Nature Scavenger

Hunt
Go for a walk (or into your yard or garden)
and encourage kids to find and match
colors with this Colors of Nature Scavenger
Hunt. It's a wonderful way to practice color
recognition while enjoying some fresh air.

Mud Kitchen
Making mud pies is a classic kid activity
that's been enjoyed for generations. You
should try it with your kids, too! Take some
old pots, pans, and dishes outside to set up
a Mud Kitchen activity for your kids. They
can make mud pies, stir flowers and leaves
in water, and more.

Nature Paintbrushes
Create some art with Nature Paintbrushes
made out of flowers, leaves, grass, and
other items you can find. It'll be interesting
to see all the textures and patterns you can
create.

Bubble Snake Blowers

How much fun are these Bubble Snake
Blowers? This low prep activity will provide
hours of fun for your little ones. Blowing
bubbles is fun for kids and adults alike—I
enjoy it myself!

Sponge Water Bombs

On hot summer days, these Sponge Water
Bombs are an easy and fun way to cool off.
It just takes a couple of minutes to make
them, and then you can have a family water
fight.

Bug Scavenger Hunt

Kids who love all things creepy and crawly
will have so much fun with this Bug
Scavenger Hunt. See how many you can
scratch off the list! This is a wonderful
activity for spring.

Painting with Water

Do you have one of those easels with a
chalkboard on one side? Take it outside,
cover it with chalk, and then let the little
ones try Painting with Water. If you don't
have a chalkboard, you could also let kids
paint the fence, sidewalk, driveway, or
porch with a bit of water. It's a no-mess
activity that allows them to get lots of fine
motor practice.

Fizzy Sidewalk Chalk Paint

Paint the sidewalk or driveway in whimsical
designs by your kids! This Sidewalk Chalk
Paint not only look stunning outdoors, if
you add vinegar you can make your chalk
paintings fiz!

More Fun Outdoor Activities

for Kids
Let's not stop there! We've found a bunch
more outdoor activities for kids that your
little ones are going to love. They'll never
get bored with this list of possibilities!

Wacky Walk
Make a walk around the neighbourhood a
lot more fun with this Wacky Walk printable
from Play Party Plan that offers lots of silly
ways to mix up your walk. You'll also need a
deck of cards, or you can just pick an
option at random if you don't want to take
cards on your walk.

Finding North
If you have a compass, head out on a hike
with the family and try this Finding North
Hiking Activity by Go Science Kids. It's more
fun if you can find a trail with lots of twists
and turns.

Climb a Tree
It sounds simple, but although we so often
want to protect our kids, there are benefits
to letting them engage in risky play. This
post on 15 Reasons to Climb a Tree from
Rhythms of Play explains the benefits, such
as building physical strength, hand-eye
coordination, and gross motor abilities.

Backyard Chalk Twister

If you have pavers in your yard or a cement
or asphalt driveway, you should try this fun
Backyard Chalk Twister game from Danya
Banya with the kids. It's a great way to
encourage movement and silliness!

Rock Maze
Make playing with toy cars a lot more fun
by creating a Rock Maze. This activity from
Pink Stripey Socks is easy to set up and can
keep your boys or girls entertained for
hours outside.

Printable Nature Journal

A Printable Nature Journal encourages kids
to go outdoors to explore their
surroundings scientifically and record their
observations. The printable by Adventure
in a Box offers 10 creative prompts for kids.

Backyard Dinosaur World

Gather rocks, sticks, branches, and dirt
along with some toy dinos for this Backyard
Dinosaur World from Glitter on a Dime. Kids
can use the materials to build their own
version of Jurassic Park.

Sidewalk Chalk Outdoor Math

Game
Combine arithmetic and movement with a
rousing Sidewalk Chalk Math Game from
Look We're Learning. Work on addition,
subtraction, multiplication, or division—
whatever your kids need some extra help
with.

What Lives in Dirt?

What lives in the dirt in your yard? Dig
some up, grab a magnifying glass, and
observe by doing this What Lives in Dirt
activity from Go Science Kids! You'll be
surprised to see all the tiny crawly things
that never usually catch your eye.

Shadow Art
This Shadow Art activity from Rhythms of
Play helps children learn how shadows
form. Kids trace their shadows and paint
them for a fun and artistic STEAM activity.

Sidewalk Chalk Obstacle Course

A Sidewalk Chalk Obstacle Course is a low-
prep gross motor activity by Toot's Mom is
Tired that kids will have a blast with.
Toddlers and preschoolers will ask to do it
again and again. Older kids can play, too,
or they can help set it up for their younger
siblings!

Rock Balancing Stone Stacking

Art
Try this Rock Balancing Activity from
Rhythms of Play. It's a meditative art form
that doubles as a STEAM activity. It's a
wonderful, calming activity to do with the
kids outdoors.

Puffy Sidewalk Paint

You've probably made puffy paint before,
but have you tried Puffy Sidewalk Paint?
You only need a few ingredients to make
this fun twist on a classic by The Best Ideas
for Kids.

Telling Time Outdoor Clock

Make your own Outdoor Clock with natural
materials. Using just rocks, sticks, and a
Sharpie to write the hours, your kid can set
up an outdoor clock like this one from Sun
Hats and Wellie Boots in no time flat.

Outdoor Number Hunt

Hide numbers around the yard, and let your
toddler and preschooler find them. This
Outdoor Number Hunt from The Ladybirds'
Adventures is a fantastic way to reinforce
number recognition.

Frozen Ocean Sensory Bin

Do you have ocean animal toys? If so, make
a Frozen Ocean Sensory Bin like this one
from Natural Beach Living for the little ones
to play with. They'll spend hours trying to
figure out ways to melt the ice quickly to
retrieve the animals.

Journey Stick Craft

Your children probably collect lots of
souvenirs when you go on nature walks,
but have you ever thought of collecting
them all together in one spot? That's what
a Journey Stick is! Kids can collect things
like feathers, flowers, leaves, twigs, or
pinecones during the walk, and glue or
tape them to their journey sticks along the
way. Isn't this idea by Growing Family just
brilliant?

Cloud Viewer
Make your own Cloud Viewer to study the
different types of clouds during a weather
unit or just for fun. This view by Little Bins
for Little Hands makes cloud identification
so much easier. You may want to write the
names of each different type on the back of
the viewer to help you match the name to
the picture until you have them
memorised.

Scooter Maze
Here's a fun way to get the kids excited
about playing with their scooters again: a
Scooter Maze by School Time Snippets! Not
only is it fun, but it encourages gross motor
movement and coordination.

Fairy Houses
Building Fairy Houses is a magical,
fantastic way to spend a few hours
outdoors with the kids. This activity by Red
Ted Art shows several different ways to
make fairy houses out of natural materials.

Nature Wands
Speaking of magic, these Nature Wands by
Laughing Kids Learn certainly look magical!
Make them with sticks, leaves, flowers, and
other beautiful materials found outdoors.

As well as this collection of fun and easy

outdoor activities for kids we have also
written a fun tick list of 60 outdoor
activities for kids that you can print out.
There is also a blank version for you to add
your own ideas.

SCROLL DOWN FOR A

PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES FOR
KIDS LIST

List of outdoor activities for kids

(where possible we have added links for

you to click on for more details)

1. Draw with chalk

2. Make a fairy garden
3. Paint with water
4. Go on a scavenger hunt
5. Play hopscotch
6. Hunt for bugs
7. Make mud pies
8. Have a water fight
9. Make art from nature
10. Have a teddy bears picnic
11. Plant seeds
12. Make an obstacle course
13. Dance in the rain
14. Eat ice cream
15. Make perfume from petals
16. Run as fast as you can
17. Kick a ball
18. Blow bubbles
19. Start a nature diary
20. Make a rock collection
21. Play tag
22. Make a bug hotel
23. Paint BIG
24. Make clay & nature faces
25. Do a leaf rubbing
26. Make a suncatcher
27. Plant flowers
28. Make & fly a kite
29. Splash in puddles
30. Measure a tree
31. Make daisy chains
32. Run through a sprinkler
33. Wash the car
34. Look for images in clouds
35. Make a camp
36. Make shapes from sticks
37. Paint rocks
38. Grow vegetables
39. Make a bird feeder
40. Squirt water guns
41. Try a new sport
42. Make a rock pet
43. Sand play
44. Make a scarecrow
45. Dig a hole
46. Identify trees & flowers
47. Paint with ice
48. Squirt gun painting
49. Climb a tree
50. Paint with mud
51. Build a bridge
52. Do some gardening
53. Take photos of nature
54. Toast marshmallows
55. Draw & label a flower
56. Make a nature wand
57. Draw around your shadow
58. Have a race
59. Listen to the birds
60. Sit & relax

DOWNLOAD YOUR OUTDOOR

ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS
PRINTABLE BELOW

To download these printable list for free

click on the link below and use the
discount code- outdoor. For personal or
classroom use only. Not for redistribution.
All images are copyrighted. Thank you.

Now the big question is, which of these fun

outdoor activities for kids will you be trying
first!

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