Fun Activities for the Outdoors - Pennsylvania State University

Fun Activities for the Outdoors

1. Take a nature walk and look for colors, sounds, and shapes. Don't forget to smell and touch too.

2. Dig in the dirt and add some water to make mud pies. Make sure you wear old clothes for this activity.

3. Collect items on your nature walk to make a collage when you get home.

4. Water and sand play ? If you don't have a sandpile, get a low-sided storage container and use it to hold the sand.

5. Play "Name that Object" or "I Spy" ? Start by saying "I see something brown." Let the child guess. Add a clue: "I see something round and brown." Keep adding clues until the child guesses the object.

6. Bug jar ? Wait until dark and catch lightning bugs! They can be caught by hand or with a net. Put them into a jar with holes in the top, and they will light up the whole jar. Remember to let them go before bedtime.

7. Nature bag ? Collect leaves, rocks, feathers, etc., to put in your nature bag. Then use them to make a picture on cardboard or paper using tape or glue.

8. Nature songs ? "Itsy, Bitsy Spider", "Deep and Wide", "Five Little Ducks", "Farmer in the Dell", and many others. Words and tunes can be found by searching the titles on the internet.

9. Nature in color ? Look for things that are orange, red, brown, green, etc.

10. Name that sound ? Listen for sounds and identify them: birds, wind, dog bark, etc.

11. Fill a pail with water and add a few drops of baby shampoo for tear-free suds. Throw in some clean sponges and wide paint brushes. Let the cleaning or painting begin.

12. Grow a mini garden ? Use pots for tomatoes, green beans, and basil, all reliable, kid-friendly options. Flowers are also a good choice. Let the child plant, water, and harvest.

13. Play "Hide and Seek."

14. Roll down a grassy hill, do somersaults, or crawl like animals. (Do this in the grass or on another soft surface.)

15. Go fishing ? Go pretend fishing in a small baby pool by using a stick with some string attached and a magnet on the end of the string. Just make sure your fish are metal so you can catch them.

16. Sidewalk chalk is a lot of fun. You can draw houses, games, and pictures.

17. Set up an obstacle course outside. You can make it by using items you already have in your yard.

18. Hula hoops or circles drawn with chalk make the perfect place to hop from circle to circle. Great for the obstacle course too!

19. Hopscotch on the sidewalk ? Use chalk to draw the squares. Draw two squares together, then one square, two more squares together, then one square, and end with two squares. You can make it as long as you want to.

20. Play ball with different sized balls. You might try batting the ball also. Use a soft bat with little children.

21. Bowling with plastic water bottles ? Fill the bottles with colored water and use them for the bowling pins. Roll a ball to knock them down.

22. Bikes, big wheels, and riding toys are always fun outside.

Think creatively and the outdoor activities will appear right before your eyes!

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