15 Play Ideas to Encourage Young Kids to Get and Stay Outside
This past year has held a lot of change for my four-year-old. A big move, a new sibling, going from full-time preschool to staying home, and then of course a major pandemic. These changes have many affects, but the biggest one is that he’s just not as active. Being inside more, has affected his behavior, in a less than exciting way. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a great kid, but he was not meant to be an inside kid! Due to this shift, I’ve been trying really hard to make sure that he gets outside, runs around, breathes in deep, and soaks up as much sun as possible.
We’ve succesfullly stayed outside longer and happier with the following ideas:
Hiking! This is a major activity for our family. We love exploring together and we’ve found that our favorite way of doing that is on the hiking trail. Everett loves to hike and knows that’s where he has his biggest adventures. If the weather is nice, you’ll find us on a trail throughout the weekend!
Bubble chasing. What kid doesn’t love bubbles? Running after bubbles, popping those soapy spheres, laughing as bubble juice explodes through the air… it’s my kid’s favorite pastime.
Water table play. Everett loves getting a little wet and playing with his toy boats, action figures, or even rocks.
Snow play in the backyard - specifically with a shovel. My kid loves to dig and move the elements around with tools. Don't have a shovel? A rake will do. Don’t have a rake? Honestly, I think he’d be happy with a spoon!
Rock collecting. Kids love rocks…. it’s just a fact of life. Challenge your little one to find the most/shiniest/biggest/etc. rocks and they’ll be entertained for hours.
Sidewalk chalk. Sometimes we go completely freeform, sometimes we break out the painters tape to map out killer designs. Both options are throughly enjoyed!
Driveway painting with water. Grab a paintbrush and a bucket of water, and watch your kid light up. Squeals of joy abound when watching their art fade away from the magic of the sun.
Magnatile designs on the garage door. Just like rocks, kids love magnets. While this is usually an indoor activity, bringing them outside makes the activity feel new with the bonus of fresh air.
Backyard picnics. Something about taking your food outside brings joy to little ones.
Water play with the hose. Make sure your hose is set to mist and hand it over. Super easy and super fun!
If all else fails, a walk around the neighborhood will do just fine! Bump it up a notch by racing, or searching out natural elements, or counting cars lined up along the street.
These ideas are on our docket to try:
Lego play in a kiddie pool. Legos during bath time is a special treat at our house, so I can only assume that there would be excitement surrounding legos outside in a pool.
Frozen toy excavation. I’m planning on freezing some of Evy’s more durable toys in large blocks and allowing him to use his tools to carve them out.
Nature collages. Collecting flowers, grass, leaves, and seeds to make a colorful, natural collage.
Pewer practice. Everett loves to play with his little nerf guns (he calls them pewers) inside, but I have to imagine that taking them outside will be even more fun. Perhaps we’ll put together targets to aim at.
Bonus tip: Have a baby you’re trying to keep entertained outside? Take their favorite activity center outside. My daughter can stay outside for her entire wake window in her bouncer, and does so with massive joy.