We’re smack dab in the middle of summer and a big part of summer for many of us is spending time outdoors! But I know from experience that it can be easy to run out of things to do outside with your kids, especially when they are little and not super good at entertaining themselves.
So I did a little brainstorming and came up with a list of some fun activities for you to try when your kids (and you) are getting a little bored!
16 Things to Do Outside With Your Kids
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Take blocks/cars/trains etc. outside
Sometimes just taking some of your “indoor toys” outside can spark some new creativity and create more fun for your kiddos.
Let your child mop (aka paint) the sidewalk with water
Or give them a paint brush and water and let them paint your fence. This can entertain my kids for awhile!!
Search for “treasures”
Sometimes we grab a little bucket and all search for treasures together. (Treasures usually being things like little rocks or flowers or funny shaped leaves.)
Do a scavenger hunt (printable)
Take your treasure hunt to another level by doing an actual scavenger hunt with your kids. There are a bunch of adorable printables on Pinterest for simple scavenger hunts – this one is super cute for little kids!
Get wet!
One of the best things to do outside with your kids during the summer is get wet! This list could be a lot longer if I were to list all the different water possibilities (pool, sprinkler, etc. etc.) I wrote a guest post over at Keri Lynn Snyder’s blog last summer with more water ideas so feel free to go check that out!
Bubbles
What kid doesn’t like bubbles? We love these bubbles – whoever came up with the idea of a spill-proof lid was a genius!
Trace your kids with chalk
My kids love it when I do this! Our driveway looks like a mini crime scene when we’re done, ha!
Practice obedience
This probably sounds random, but one of the ways we work on obedience with the kids is to practice when we’re playing outside. I’ll have the kids run down the driveway and practice stopping when I yell stop. “Red light green light” is another great way to practice listening and obeying outside.
Find sticks and make “instruments”
Sticks make great drums, flutes, violins . . . whatever your child can imagine. Caleb loves the cello (thanks to The Piano Guys!) and loves finding sticks to use as a pretend cello and bow.
Search for bugs (and then watch them)
There’s not much that’s more thrilling than finding rolly-pollys and lady bugs and beetles when you’re a little kid, am I right? (Or maybe it’s just my kids, haha!)
Take a snack outside for a picnic
My kids love it when I bring a snack outside. Well, let’s be honest, they love snacks anywhere, anytime, ha!
Ice cube play
Give your kids a few tupperware containers filled with ice cubes and some big spoons or soup ladles and let them have fun playing with the ice. It sounds random but my kids always have fun with it!
Read books together outside
Yay for reading books with your kids! Moving your reading outdoors can make it extra fun, as long as it’s not too hot of course!
Water the flowers (grass, etc.)
I picked up a little watering can from the dollar spot at Target and my kids love to water the flowers with it. A little spray bottle works great as well.
Wash the car
Get your kids’ energy out and accomplish something at the same time! My kids love to help spray and wipe down our car. If I’m working on cleaning out the inside of the car they always want to get in too and climb over the seats or pretend to drive.
Video the kids running/jumping/etc. in slow-mo
Does anyone else do this with their kids? Mine love to watch themselves in slow-mo!
Well, there you have it, those are my ideas for things to do outside with your kids this summer! What are some of your favorite ways to keep your kids entertained and having fun outdoors??
If you enjoyed this article you should also check out this one about one thing that saves my sanity as a mom!
