10 Fun Outdoor Activities for Kids

Sending the kids to play outside is a pretty generic thing to do. Kids might get into any number of problematic situations. I know my girls tend to find trouble if I don’t either tag along or give them something specific to do. While going outside represents fun, excitement and exploration for most kids, it becomes even better when you think up something awesome and new. Old favorites have their places, but my girls always look for something that they have not done before. Here are ten unique ideas for kids to have fun outdoors:

10 Fun Outdoor Activities for Kids

1. Go on a nature walk – The wonderful thing about nature walks are that they are never the same. When one nature walk becomes old hat, find a new stretch of woods or body of water to explore. Nature reinvents itself all the time with new things to see. Kids love going for a walk and the exercise will do you good as well.

2. Go clouding – Clouding is a ton of fun and requires nothing more than a clear view of the sky. All you have to do is lay on your back on a blanket and find various shapes up in the sky. The clouds usually offer up some great artwork and kids are really good at finding the various shapes. You won’t burn up a whole afternoon doing this, but it makes a great thirty minute distraction of fun.

3. Find a good sandbox – When I was growing up, sandboxes were all the rage. I loved playing in the sandbox more than anything. Now, it seems they are going away in many areas. If you look around the parks, however, you will still find them. Go out and locate a great sandbox and turn your kid loose. They will spend hours enjoying the blissful creativity of a sand box.

4. Break out the magnifying glass – A magnifying glass changes absolutely everything outside into something interesting. That includes blades of grass, bugs and even dirt. They are also relatively cheap to get now so you can get several to enjoy together.

5. Build a bug book – Bug books are awesome and all you need is a small sketchbook or notebook and a pencil or crayon. The idea is to go out and locate bugs together and give each species a page. Draw what they look like, the colors, numbers of legs and so on. When you are finished, you will have had a great time while educating your kid about the various bugs. Be sure to explain the dangers as well including bees, caterpillars and various others that might sting or bite.

6. Have a scavenger hunt – Gather up a group of kids and some paper and pencils and you will have a scavenger hunt loaded with fun. Simply line up the kids and give each of them a list of ten items that you know are found in your backyard. This list might include a particular color of leaf, rock, etc.. Have them all start together and the first one back with all items correct wins the hunt!

7. Plant something – Right in line with our green living ways, I love letting my girls pick something to plant. Find a flower or food item and teach them to plant it correctly. Also make sure they understand they will need to nurture it, water it and so on. This will teach them about nature and responsibility all at once.

8. Climb a tree – Kids simply don’t climb trees any longer. If you are there and can show them the safe way to do it, you should let them have that experience. Nothing compares to a good tree to climb. Make sure it is solid and won’t be harmed. Also make sure you are there to spot them.

9. Have a fashion show – My girls love to show off and organizing a neighborhood fashion show is right up their alley. Have them make invitations, recruit other models and set up the locale outside. An impromptu stage can be made rather easily by Dad or Mom and a few lawn chairs will finish off the fun. Kids have a blast with this and a talent show is an alternative form of the idea.

10. Catch crawdads – I grew up catching crawdads in my creek out behind my house and I have to admit, it is a lost art. My girls were a bit nervous about trying but once they did, they loved it. Catching crawdads is not dangerous although you do have to keep an eye out for snakes. You simply look under rocks in a shallow creek until you find them. Once you do, you can capture them with your hands or with a bucket. Just the fun of catching and releasing them is memorable and a great time.

These ten ideas are all fun and exciting but I bet you have your share of ideas too. Share them with us in the comments below!