Outdoor Activity Ideas

There are always times when you have to be inside, especially when the weather outside your window is less than ideal. As moms, dads, and caregivers, I think we all understand that kids with energy trapped inside can equal chaos and inevitable disaster. We are bringing you an epic list of active indoor games and activities that will get your kids up and moving, even on the gloomiest of days! These activities will not only fight boredom, but will also challenge your kids’ minds and muscles – strengthening their bodies and releasing all that pent-up energy!

Keep this list of outdoor activities for kids handy. There's no reason for kids to be bored when there's a whole world of outdoor play waiting for them. 

Looking for Indoor Activity Ideas instead? Look no further!

Chalk obstacle course

All you need is chalk and some vision! For literate children, write out an array of gross motor movements in a sequence, like you would hop scotch. For instance: jump like a bunny x 3, hold tree pose on one side, walk on your hands and feet, jump on one foot, hold tree pose on the other side, jump on the opposite foot, twirl x 2, jump up and try touch the sky x 4.

Hula hoop race & catch

This is such a simple activity for kids and it’s SO fun. You will need multiple hula hoops. Head to an area with lots of green space, and have the children line up. Holding the hula hoops vertically, roll them with as much force as you can along the ground. Call out each child’s name and have them run after the hoop to catch it. Every time they bring back a hoop, throw another one! This is amazing hand-eye coordination practice.

Sensory scavenger hunt

Collect items you’re sure to find around the park (wood chips, dandelions, leaves, pebbles), affix them to a piece of paper using tape, and have your children look for those items!

Toy-made obstacle course.

Grab hula hoops, a toy tunnel, cones, pylons, and anything else you can think of. Encourage your children to organize the obstacle course in a fun and challenging way.

 Kitchen utensil bubble wands.

Go through a kitchen drawer and collect slotted spoons, fly swatters, spatulas, and anything else that has holes to make bubbles. Make your own bubble solution and then head out to see which utensil creates the best bubbles!

Wet Sponge Designs

On a hot, summer day, gather up lots of sponges, provide a tub of water for endless resoaking, and have your kids throw their sponges on a wall or on a cement surface to make designs. Sponges can also be used to “paint” walls.

Simon/Simone Says

While the rules are simple, the options for movement are endless. Simon can have kids jumping like a kangaroo, standing as tall as a house, making funny faces, standing on one foot, or waving their hands over their heads.

Balance beam

Using an actual gymnastics beam isn’t the only way for a child to learn balance skills. Indoors, use painters tape to make a straight line on the floor. Encourage your child to walk forwards, backwards, and sideways. [link to tightrope activity] Outdoors, use a plank of wood, a rope, or make a line with chalk for the same activity. When your child masters a straight line, add semi-circles or zigzags to add a bit more of a challenge.

Hopscotch

A favorite with kids of all ages, hopscotch is a game that can be played inside or out. Inside, use painters tape on the floor to pattern your own board and use buttons, rolled up socks or bean bags instead of rocks. Outside, use chalk to make a court and use rocks or the chalk itself as a marker. The rules are simple and the game can be played alone or with friends.

Fill the Bucket Water Game

Provide your child with a cup and two buckets (one smaller, one larger). Place the smaller bucket a short distance from the larger bucket and fill the larger bucket with water. Have your child scoop water from the larger bucket and fill the smaller one. To make the game more challenging, put small holes in the cup or have your child dance as they move from bucket to bucket.

Ribbon Sticks

Tie a length of ribbon to the end of a stick or baton and watch as your kids dance and swirl their ribbons in the air. Help your kids develop better agility!

Obstacle Course

Indoors or out, let your imagination run wild as you set up an obstacle course for your child. Have them crawl under tables, climb over chairs, jump over ropes, hop from cone to cone, crawl through a cardboard box, jump through a line of hula hoops, throw a family of stuffed animals into a laundry basket, etc. etc.

NEIGHBORHOOD Search

Prepare a list ahead of time of items to search for as you and your child leave the stroller at home and take a walk through your neighborhood. Can they spot a stop sign, a blue flower, something with a tail, something round, a fire hydrant, etc.? Check off the items on the list or use your phone to take pictures to review later.

The Animal Kingdom

This game is quite fun and your kid will love to act like animals of the jungle. Ask your child to hop like a frog or walk like a penguin. Imitating the movements of different animals will develop his physical strength and he will even learn something or the other about the animals he imitates.

Let your kids plant a mini-garden.  

If they are in charge of it, then they will have to go outside to water, weed and watch over it.

 Keep the Balloon Up

This activity can prove to be a lot of fun for your child but you must make sure that your child tries this activity in an open space or in a room where there are no harmful toys or glass objects. For this activity, blow some balloons and then ask your child to keep the balloons floating up in the air and they should not touch the ground. If you want to make it more fun, you can turn it into a competition.

Play with water

Kids will jump at the chance to go outside and splash in water. There are lots of creative ways to do it: wash the car, water the garden, run through sprinklers, go down slip-n-slide, jump in blow up pool, or build a water table.

Use an outdoor toy rotation strategy

Kids are lot more excited to play with toys they haven’t seen in a while or can’t access. Divide your outdoor toys into 3 bins, and have one big bucket of toys out at a time. This might include bubbles, balls, kites, jump ropes, skateboards, sports equipment, and water squirters.

Outside Art Projects

If you are tired of your kids projects making a mess in your house, then bring them outside! A few fun ideas: a playdough picnic, where you let your kids make pretend food out of playdough. Nature art – collect leaves, flower, sticks, seeds, and pine cones to make natural artwork. Outdoor painting – bring an easel and paint out to your backyard so your kids can enjoy painting nature scenes.

Clean up Litter

Kids can be surprisingly passionate about caring for mother nature (and proud of their efforts!) You can also make it a game: a mission to save the planet!

Go Off-road with Toy Cars

When my son was a toddler, he and his buddies would take a few of their treasured vehicles to a park to vroom-vroom over rocks, dirt, and twigs. It was a more tactile experience than rolling them on a coffee table, and they liked sending cars careening on downward slopes.

Play Camp Kitchen

If your kid enjoys whipping up meals of faux food, he’ll love playing “campfire” in the backyard. Help him pack his play pots and pans, rubber chicken, and whatever else your little chef suggests into his backpack, then head out to collect kindling and build a “fire.”