In this post I’m sharing 5 simple and free ways to enjoy some time outside with (or without, if you need a break 😉 ) your kids! These are SIMPLE & FREE outdoor activities– I’m sparing you the costly supplies and extravagant planning. You can do these with the things you already have at home. There are a million extravagant, creative ideas for kids activities, but sometimes it’s nice to keep it simple and not buy more things.
Anyone reading this will know that we are faced with a world-wide pandemic at the moment. In our City, Province, and Country, we are in a time of social distancing. What this looks like is our immediate family spending everyday together and seeing no one else. BUT, we are blessed to live in a beautiful place, and enjoying the outdoors never seemed incredible, really.
I hope you and your family enjoy these free outdoor activities!
5 FREE OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS
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BACKYARD PICNIC
They are going to eat anyways, right? This is such a fun and easy way to mix up meal time when the weather is nice! It can be as simple as packing your kids lunches (we are all pros at that, right?) and letting them create their own picnic space in the backyard. Or, for more of an adventure or a special occasion, head out to a local beach for a family picnic. On warm evenings we like to go for a picnic dinner!
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RELAY RACES & OBSTACLES
A fun way to burn some energy is with simple races and obstacles! You can use literally anything you have on hand to create the fun! This can be as simple or complex as you like. Â A few easy ideas we like are:
– Make a line of markers and have the kids weave in and out of them (and cheer for each other!)
– Place objects of different height, size or texture in a row, and have kids balance on them. Use buckets (upside down and right side up so kids can go in and on them); a 2×4 as a balancing beam; stools; blocks of wood; rubber maid containers; a rope to go under or walk on; bean bags to toss into buckets– get creative with your supplies! -
SCAVENGER HUNT
Keep it simple! You don’t need fancy printable and materials– all you need is a piece of paper, a marker, and a small bag to collect treasures in. Include one “surprise” item on your list and have kids choose something interesting to tell you about! You can keep the conversation going at home and talk about what you saw and found. Some fun scavenger themes are:
– Backyard (you can use existing items, or place things around like the Easter bunny for them to find!)
– Nature
– Neighbourhood (think of the things you see in your neighbourhood, from stop signs to fences, to house numbers!)
– Colours -
EXPLORE NATURE
There are SO many simple ways to explore nature with kids. Throw rocks in a stream, lake, or down a hill (safely of course!). Collect flowers to press in a book and look up what kind they are. Collect rocks, sticks, and leaves to make “soup” or a witches brew (my sister and I LOVED doing this and my girls do too!) Just let them explore, get messy, and discover interesting things!
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WATER PLAY
Kids love playing with water. Set out some buckets and funnels, cloths, watering cans– whatever you have and THEY will choose how they want to play! Some ideas my kids love: wash their bikes, car tires, or toys; water the flowers; or they just fill up cups and buckets and create their own games. At ages 4 & 6 my kids are less interested in water-table play, and more interested in making up their own games.
We hope you enjoy free outdoor activities to enjoy your time outside as a family. Tag me on Instagram @mamawrites of you & your family doing these fun activities so we can share them! We will continue to share fun ideas to help us all enjoy this time. Be sure to check out some more of our favourite spring activities. xo Raina
Such fun idea’s! Being outdoors is the best for kids and adults!
Love these ideas and ones that we do often! Water play is always a huge hit with my kiddos, no matter the time of year!
This is so helpful! I need to get the kids outside and these ideas all look so fun!