Get Outside and Play! 75 Fun Outdoor Activity Ideas for Kids

Warmer weather is finally here, which means it’s time to spend more time exploring outside! To help you and your kids make the most of the nice weather, I’ve compiled 75 outdoor activity ideas that I found on Pinterest. Whether you’re looking for simple activities or more challenging ones, this list has something for everyone.

Please note that these are just ideas, and it’s perfectly okay to do as much or as little as you want each day. Use this list as a resource to inspire you whenever you need it, and bookmark it for future reference. Whether you’re feeling motivated or just need a little push, these outdoor activity ideas are a great way to make the most of your time outside.

To help break up the boredom, I searched all over Pinterest and put together 75-ish outside ideas for you and your kids to do as the weather gets nicer.

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[Printable] Scavenger Hunts

Printable scavenger hunts are a great way to add some excitement and adventure to your outdoor time with kids. With a variety of themes and difficulty levels, scavenger hunts can be tailored to suit different ages and interests.

• Color Walk | Buggy and Buddy
• Bug Scavenger Hunt |Preschool Powol Packets
• All About Birds Scavenger Hunt  | Inspiration Laboratories
• Sight and Sound Scavenger Hunt |Inspiration Laboratories
• Nature Walk Scavenger Hunt  | The Preschool Toolbox
• Outdoor Scavenger Hunt  | Buggy and Buddy
• Hiking Scavenger Hunt  | Make and Takes
• Recycling Scavenger Hunt  | Babble Dabble Do
• Nature Scavenger Hunt | Montessori Nature
• Nighttime Scavenger Hunt | Adventures with Kids

Arts & Crafts

Arts and crafts are a great way to stimulate creativity and imagination in kids, and can provide hours of entertainment at home. With just a few basic supplies, you can create a variety of fun and educational projects that kids will love. From painting and drawing to making paper crafts and DIY jewelry, there’s no shortage of possibilities. And with the added bonus of having a keepsake or decoration at the end, arts and crafts can be a rewarding and memorable activity for the whole family to enjoy.

• Make a homemade bird feeder. You can find six ideas from The Spruce Crafts here.
• Use what you found on your nature hunt and create nature sculptures with modeling clay. Idea is from Plum Pudding.
• Paint Rocks. Color Made Happy has 25 Creative Rock Painting Ideas here.
• Create a DIY Bouncy Ball in five minutes with this great recipe from The 36th Avenue!
• Catch the sun with these DIY spiral sun catchers from  Fun Craft.
• Make these homemade rainbow colored wind chimes with sticks found around the yard/on walk. They’re so cute and might just be the perfect decoration for your patio! Happy Hooligans
• Paint with ice chalk. You can find a recipe for this fun twist on traditional sidewalk chalk here.
• Work on fine motor skills while using a water pistol to spray paint on a fence or maybe put up a poster board? Messy Little Monsters has all the details.
• Create beautiful piece of art with bubbles.  Check out how at A Piece of Rainbow.
• Shaving Cream Painting calls for minimal supplies, but brings maximum fun.
• First you paint with chalk and then you make it erupt with this recipe from Learn Play Imagine.
• Upcycle your tin cans into fun, homemade wind chimes that the kids can make!
• This fingerpaint butterfly craft activity and  butterfly printable is sure to get your kids laughing and exploring their senses. 
• Make a set of DIY Nature Paintbrushes and see what painty patterns you can create.
• A DIY nature collage suncatcher is the perfect craft to display your treasures after exploring your yard or neighborhood.

Educational

The backyard can be a great space for educational activities that help kids learn while having fun. From nature walks and scavenger hunts to planting a garden or observing insects, there are plenty of ways to explore and engage with the natural world right in your own backyard. You can also use the backyard to practice math and science skills by measuring distances or conducting simple experiments. With a little creativity and imagination, the backyard can become a rich learning environment for kids of all ages.

• Teach tally marks outdoors with sticks from The Educators’ Spin On It.
• Let your kids plant a mini-garden and be fully in charge of it. Or mostly in charge of it! 😛
• If you are looking for simple Science experiments and activities, add this one to your list. Kids love bubbly, messy, erupting, fun. Which makes this Watermelon Volcano Activity perfect every time you do it.
• Here is a great list of simple outdoor number activities from Fun-a-Day.
• Practice Prewriting with Movement with these ideas for outdoor games from Center Cut Cook.
• Work on letter recognition or letter sounds with a Water Spray Alphabet Hunt.
• Enjoy some fresh air while practicing letter recognition with a Garden ABC Hunt.
• Measuring Mother Nature: Take a ruler on your walk and measure the natural objects you find along the way. (Mother Natured)
• Harness the power of the sun and make your own crayons with Heat Wave Science Magic.
• Make an easy DIY mystery bag and fill with natural materials for a fun way to explore sense in nature.
• Learn about constellations with rocks and chalk by making Chalk Constellations.
• Fill a tub with water, collect items, and see if they sink or float. Buggy and Buddy has a free printable to keep track of the results.
• Add some hands-on STEAM to your outdoor time with Shadow Art.
• Practice your letters and shape with with magnets on the garage door.

DIY Games

Playing DIY games outside can be a fun and easy way to get kids active and engaged in imaginative play. With just a few simple supplies, you can create a variety of games that encourage movement, problem-solving, and creativity. Some ideas include building an obstacle course, creating a mini-golf course, or playing outdoor versions of classic games like tic-tac-toe or giant Jenga. And the best part is that DIY games can be customized to suit your child’s interests and abilities, making them a great option for outdoor playtime at home.

• Giant sized rhyming memory game | Growing Book by Book
• DIY Outdoor Chalk Board Game | Days with Grey
• DIY Lawn Scrabble |Constantly Lovestruck
• Plastic Kite Bags |Munchkins and Moms
• 10 Fun Tag games to Tire Kids Out | What Do We Do All Day
• DIY Dice Game |Days with Grey
• At-home Carnival |Landeelu
• Bowling with Recycled Bottles| PBS
• Balloon Darts | This is Doable
• Cheap and Easy DIY Tetherbal | Simply Kierste
• DIY “Water Blob” | Clumsy Crafter
• Backyard Twister |You Plus Me For Always
• Ice Block Treasure Hun | Macaroni Kid

Minimal/No-Prep

When it comes to outdoor activities for kids at home, sometimes the simplest ones are the best. That’s why we love a good no-prep activity that can be done on a whim, without any planning or supplies needed. Whether it’s a game of tag, a nature scavenger hunt, or a spontaneous picnic in the backyard, these activities can be a great way to break up the day and get kids moving and exploring. And the best part is that they require no preparation or cleanup, so you can jump right into the fun.

• Have a picnic with your favorite foods.
• Learn to hula hoop.
• Blow bubbles or if you’re like me, just get a bubble machine. As much as my girls love bubbles, I can not keep up with “manual” bubbles. 😛 Here is a link of a machine that is the same brand. I couldn’t find the exact one on Amazon at a legit price.
• Let them take pictures outside on an old camera.
• Count pine cones or any other things that have fallen from the trees.
• Get some old pillow cases and have a sack race.
• Go on a walk, see how many birds you can find/count.
• Play tag and make up some fun rules.
• Follow the leader.
• Have an egg and spoon race.
• Set up wash the car/toys stations.
• “Bake” mud pies and muffins.
• Turn on your favorite songs and have an outside dance party.
• Lay on blankets and cloud watch.
• Let them help with yard work or give them their own special task.
• Investigate your yard with a magnifying glass.
• Fly a kite. You can get fancy ones online or I just pick them up safely from the dollar tree.
• Make and fly paper airplanes. If you don’t remember how to from elementary school, here is a tutorial.
• Make an obstacle course.
• Go on a bug hunt.
• Do your normal everyday activities outside.
• Ride scooters, bikes or tricycles. 
• Just let them run around the yard!

If you’re struggling to come up with outdoor activity ideas or your family can’t agree on what to do, try making an outdoor activity jar! One idea that I always did with my nanny kids was to write activity ideas on popsicle sticks and place them in a big mason jar. Whenever we needed inspiration or couldn’t decide what to do, we’d pick a stick at random and that would be our activity for the day. It’s a simple and fun way to add some excitement to your outdoor time!

Tip: The Dollar Tree has a TON of things you can get to play with outside. I’m talking gardening kits, kites, hula hoops, chalk, etc…..

And if you find that the weather doesn’t cooperate with your plans or you run out of activity ideas, don’t worry! Remember that sometimes the best memories are made when things don’t go according to plan. So, if all else fails, why not dance in the rain? It’s a fun and freeing activity that can be enjoyed by all ages. So, don’t let bad weather or a lack of ideas get you down – just put on your rain boots and start dancing!