50 Outdoor Activities for Kids to Make this Spring a Breeze

Jill Holtz

January 16, 2019

outdoor activities for kids

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Spring has sprung, and the weather gets better, it’s easier to head outdoors and have fun. Here are some delightfully chirpy ideas for 50 Outdoor Activities for Kids to make this Spring a Breeze and guarantee to get them scampering about with rosy cheeks.

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It’s so nice when Spring finally arrives and flowers are starting to bloom, baby animals to appear and you can get outdoors with the kids to enjoy that fresh air and warmer weather. Here are 50 fun ideas to do outdoors with your child.

50 Outdoor Activities For Kids To Make This Spring A Breeze

#1. See Some Baby Animals

Spring is the perfect time of year to visit a pet farm, to see all the cute baby animals. Kids might even be able to help out with feeding the young lambs or calves.

#2. Play in the Rain

Don’t be afraid to get right out in the middle of a rainy day. Walk, run, skip, or dance through the droplets. Here are our Top Ten Things to do Outside in the RainGaloshingly Good Rainy Day Activities for Kids Outdoors.

blow bubbles#3. Blow Some Bubbles

Blowing bubbles should lead to giggles! Use different blowers for a range of bubbly fun.

When all the bubbles are used up, why not try making your own bubble mix using washing-up liquid, sugar and water.

#4. Head to the Beach

A trip to the beach is always a fun day out, no matter what the season! We always make a mermaid on the beach, drawing an outline then using seaweed for her hair and stones and shells to decorate her tail.

Why not collect some stones and paint them when you return home to make some garden decorations? Here are 50 Interesting Things to do with Kids at the beach.

#5. Read Outside

Once the weather warms up, pick up your book or e-reader, find a nice comfortable spot to sit, and get to reading! There’s no need to stay cooped up indoors when you could be out getting some fresh air while you read.

#6. Go Cloud Watching

Watching clouds is a very relaxing way to spend some time outdoors, for all ages. Get the kids to lie on their backs, and try identify some cloud shapes.

You Might Also Enjoy 20 of the Best Outdoor Activities for Toddlers

#7. Jump Rope

Head outside with a skipping rope. Use a short, single-person rope or find a longer rope so the whole family can get involved, alternating who’s turning and who’s jumping.

#8. Climb a Tree

The world looks a whole lot different when viewed from the heights of a sturdy tree. Get some exercise as well as a bird’s eye view of your neighborhood!

You Might Also Enjoy 11 of the Best Outdoor Activities to Ensure Kids Stay Fit

#9. Jump in Puddles

Get on the wet gear and rain boots and have a good old splash and jump around the puddles in your neighbourhood. You can always stick the kids in the bath afterwards and have some hot chocolate to warm them up too.

You Might Also Enjoy Rainy Day Games for Kids Outdoors

#10. Do Some Star Gazing

On a clear night, bring the kids outside for some star gazing. See if you can recognise any of the well-known constellations – see our tips on Fun Astronomy for Kids.

#11. Have Some Water Fun

If the weather is warm, most kids love playing with water, or having water fights. Turn on the sprinkler and let the kids jump through it, or small buckets make perfect containers for “soaking the enemy”.

Alternatively, fill up some water balloons and let the kids get wet.

Keep younger ones occupied “painting” things with water – either pictures on ground, or get them to “paint” the shed or fence.

You Might Also Enjoy 10 Wickedly Wet Water Games for Kids & 27 innovative & Fun Water Play Ideas for Water Play

#12. Go to a Playground

Going to the playground is a great way to get the kids active outdoors. Most towns have a local playground, but for a change, why not try a different playground in a nearby town? Pack a picnic and make a day out of it.

#13. Have a Teddy Bear Picnic

teddy bear picnic_0

Photo credit: Mrs Logic via photopin cc

If the weather is good, get the kids to host a teddy bear’s picnic out in the garden. 

You Might Also Enjoy Terrific Teddy Bear Picnics for Really Playful Family Fun

#14. Plant Some Seeds

Gardening with kids is great fun – they love to get mucky and see the result of their work. If you have room, why not assign them their own flower bed and help them plan out their planting? Or give them their own pot/planter.

Herbs and salad leaves are quick to grow, and most kids enjoy eating what they have grown! Here’s how to grow your own pizza garden.

You might also enjoy: 50 Eggstra-Fun Easter Activities for Kids

#15. Make a Camp/Den

Let your kids make a camp/den outdoors, using old blankets/duvets, cushions and the garden chairs  for props.

Or gather some sturdy sticks from the wood and use some old tarpaulin as a roof.

#16. Go For a Cycle

Strap on the helmets, grab the bikes, and go for a cycle. You can head out in your local area, here are some Family Friendly Cycling routes in Ireland.

#17. Go For a Walk

Head out to your local woods or park for a family spring walk, or try some of the Coillte forest park walks. Why not check download our free nature scavenger hunt list to occupy the kids while you are out walking.

#18. Sound Scavenger Hunt

How about something a bit different to do outdoors? Here’s our free Sound Scavenger Hunt to download and enjoy while you are out in the forest or woods. Springtime is a great time to hear birdsong as all the birds come back from their winters elsewhere.

You Might Also Enjoy 10 Mega Fun Scavenger Hunt Ideas

#19. Have a Big Bug Hunt

scavenger-hunt

Love them or hate them, bugs are fascinating to kids! Here’s our free Big Bug Scavenger Hunt List to download and enjoy while you are out in the garden or on a family walk in the woods.

You might also enjoy reading 20 things for kids to do outdoors

#20. Be Mad Scientists!

Homemade science experiments can get messy, so why not move the “lab” outside? We have 5 fun science experiments for kids to try. Or you could try making a “volcano” with breadsoda and vinegar.

#21. Sand Play

Kids love to mess around in the sand, particularly if in your back garden. Even if you don’t have a sand table, it’s easy to make your own, with a large shallow plastic container, and some play sand. Just remember to cover when finished, to keep the cats away!

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#22. Go for a Picnic

Car journey picnic

We all love to dine alfresco, and kids especially love a picnic. Put on fleeces and have some raingear handy, grab a waterproof blanket, pack a basket of homemade goodies, a flask with tea for yourself or hot chocolate to keep everyone warm. Why not try our easy recipes for homemade sausageshomemade lemonade and yummy chocolate chip cookies?

#23. Have a Backyard Hunt

Scavenger hunts are a great free way of entertaining the kids. Download our free backyard scavenger hunt and let them loose in the garden!

#24. Go Horse-Riding

Find a kids’ riding school nearby and take the kids go horse-riding. Most equestrian centres offer beginner lessons to let your child try it out.

#25. Find Some Ducklings

Take a trip to your local park, river or lake, and feed the ducks and look for their cute ducklings.

#26. Fly a Kite

flying a kite

Who doesn’t love watching kites fly? Wait for a windy day, and head to an open space, to fly a kite. You could even try your hand at making the kites.

#27. Get Arty With Some Pavement Chalk!

Let the kids loose on your pavement or driveway, with some pavement chalk, and stand back and watch their creations unfold!

#28. Try Nature Activities

Encourage your child to try some fun nature activities, when you are on a walk, or even at home in the garden. You will find lots of ideas in our 15 Fun Nature Activities for Kids.

#29. Go Camping

A night out in a tent is definitely a must for all kids – I still remember my first night out camping, and having to run back inside when the worst ever thunderstorm erupted! Even if you don’t get away, you can set up your tent in the back garden (or even inside!) and enjoy a sleepover outside.

#30. Have a Treasure Hunt

A much loved activity in my house, treasure hunts are great fun! All you need are some pens, paper and of course, treasures! Here are some tips on setting up a Kids Treasure Hunt.

#31. Go Fishing

Fishing is a great outdoor activity, but remember, it requires lots of patience on your part. Gear the day/expedition to their level, and assume they will want to get wet, and look for everything else but fish!

However, can be a great way to spend time with your child, and you might even bring home dinner! Fishing nets on the beach are ideal for catching crabs in rock pools, and a lot easier too!

#32. Play Outdoor Games

fun games to play with kids

Remember Tip the Can? Queenie? Mr Wolf? If not, have a read of our 20 Great Childhood Games and have some fun teaching your child some of the games you used to play.

#33. Have a Mini Fun Sports Day

Round up a gang of kids, and host a mini fun sports day, with obstacle courses, long-jump, and novelty races like 3-legged, sack, and egg and spoon. Hours of fun and exhausted kids guaranteed!

#34. Car Racing

Most houses have a toy box full of cars. Bring it outside and let the kids have car races down the driveway, seeing which car goes furthest. They could even award “cups” to the winners!

#35. Measure a Tree

measure a tree

You could also get the kids to measure a tree (much easier than it sounds!).

#36. Skim Stones

Head to a beach and get everyone to try skimming stones. It’s not as easy as it looks, there’s a technique to making a stone skim! Challenge the kids to see who can make their stones skim the farthest or who can have the most skips.

#37. Run a Stall

A fun activity and a great way for your kids to learn about money. All they need is a table/box, sign, and something to sell. Maybe they could make cupcakes or homemade lemonade or set up a used book stall to sell off some unwanted books they no longer read.

You Might Also Enjoy 10 Ways for Kids to Make Money in their Free Time

#38. Make Your Own Bird Feeders

Provide some treats for the birds and help the kids make some bird feeders.

#38. Upcycle Your Wellies

upcycling wellies

Gather any old welly boots your children have outgrown. Poke a few drainage holes in the bottom of them and then fill them with some compost. Choose which flower seeds you would like to plant.

Sunflowers are a favourite among kids as they grow very quickly and are very easy to grow. Place them along your path or outside your front door. Your kids will love to see their old wellies blooming!

#39. Crazy Golf

If you don’t have a crazy golf course near you how about getting the kids to let their imaginations run wild and set up a crazy golf course in the garden, using buckets, plastic cups/glasses, ramps, car tracks, boxes etc. Anything will work, to make the hole as crazy as possible! Aim for 3 or 4 holes minimum in their course, and then have a competition, counting lowest number of shots to reach hole as a win.

#40. Make a Scarecrow

This is a lovely project for the kids to do, particularly if they have helped you with the gardening. And even if the scarecrow is never used in the garden, it’s a fun project to do. All you need is some old clothes, hat, canes, straw or old newspapers for stuffing, needle and thread, and plastic bag. See how to make this simple scarecrow.

#41. Get Artistic

Always good to move the “messy” crafts outside, so if the weather is good, set up a paint table in the back garden. Use lots of outdoor interesting shapes for painting, like grass blades, or sticks, or unusual plant leaves. Get them to gather some leaves and do leaf patterns. If weather a bit windy, might need some heavy stones to pegs to keep the pages on the table.

#42. Go on a Tadpole Hunt

tadpoles

Visit your local river or pond, and see if you can find some tadpoles. Bring a bowl or clear jar/container and scoop some up with the water. Once you have enjoyed looking at them, return them gently to the stream or river.

#43. Hunt for Animal Tracks

Look around your garden or if you are out for a walk, and see if you can spot and animal tracks. Borrow a book from the library to help you identify the different animal/bird tracks.

#44. Make a Waterfall

Let the kids make a temporary waterfall in the garden, using large stones, hose, plastic tubing, and any other props they might require. They could also make a marble-run but use water instead of marbles.

#45. Do Some Limbo Dancing

Set up a couple of poles with a string across outdoors, stick out some music and have a limbo dancing contest!

#46. Whistle on a Blade of Grass

Learn to whistle with a blade of grass. Not as easy as it sounds, place the flat grass leaf between your 2 thumbs and blow through, to make a most unusual sound. All these ideas will hopefully have given you some more outdoor ideas of your own.

#47. Go Geocaching

Geocaching is just like a treasure hunt, but on a global scale! Get everyone involved calling out directions and scouting out geocaches. Here’s a guide to geocaching.

#48. Brush Up Math Skills

Sneak some math lessons into your child’s day through games, pretend play, and more! Reading Confetti has some great ideas for outdoor maths games.

You might also enjoy reading 7 Cool Math Games Websites

#49. Make a Terrarium

Using a large glass or plastic container with a wide mouth, spread some potting soil or dirt on the bottom then add little plants and bits of grass from outside with the roots still on them. Give them a little water then cover with the jar lid or cling film and an elastic band. Place in a sunny spot and spray lightly with water every week and watch the plants grow. You could measure the growth every week to see how quickly they grow.

#50. Play “Pooh-Sticks”

Find a nearby stream with a bridge and play “Pooh-Sticks”. This is where you each choose a twig or stick from the ground and on the count of 3, everyone drops their stick at one side of the bridge and runs to the other side to see whose twig or stick wins the race.

Over to you now! What’s the best spring activity you’ve done with your child? Tell us in the comments below

50 Outdoor Activities for Kids to Make this Spring a Breeze

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