Whatever the weather, it’s always a good time to get outside. From water play to crafts and more, there’s plenty of fun in the great outdoors to be had by all. Here are our favorite children’s outdoor activities to keep kids active and engaged all summer long.
FREE PRINTABLE
Free Printable Outside Activities Poster
Inspire your students with our printable poster of 34 activities to guarantee a fun time outdoors. Just click the button below to get the poster!
Outside Water Activities for Kids
When it’s hot outside, a water game can be the perfect way to be active and stay cool.
1. Play duck-duck-splash
It’s like Duck, Duck, Goose, but instead of goose, you’re carrying a water spray bottle or squirt gun, and you splash the person you want to chase.
2. Go fishing
Fill up a kiddie pool with magnetic animals (or cut out fish with paper clips attached to them) and use a magnetic pole to catch them all. Fill the pool with water or don’t, depending on your child’s preference.
Buy it: Magnetic Fishing Set at Amazon
3. Make a slip-’n-slide
Make your own slip-’n-slide with a plastic tarp, secure it on a hill, and run the hose down the middle. Have kids slide down on their bellies or on pool floats.
Buy it: Water Slides and Body Board Set at Amazon
4. Make a water blob
A water blob is a large piece of thin plastic, folded in half, taped shut, and filled with water. It’s essentially a huge water balloon that kids can play on. Make your own by folding and sealing plastic sheeting with duct tape. Then, fill the blob with water. If it springs a leak while you play, just seal it back up with duct tape.
5. Make bubbles
See how big a bubble you can create with homemade solution in a kiddie pool and a bunch of different bubble wands. A Hula-Hoop or rope both make good giant bubble makers.
Buy it: Giant Bubble Making Kits at Amazon
6. Clean the cars
Get a plastic tub. Fill half with dirt and trucks and cars, the other half with soap and water. Then, sit back and relax as your children put vehicles through car wash after car wash.
7. Make a water wall
Kids love outside water activities! A water wall is essentially a maze for water to trickle through. Hang different objects from your house—tubes, milk jugs and cottage cheese cartons with the bottoms cut out, funnels, and anything else that water could go through—on a pegboard or simply on the wall. Then, run water through it and see how it flows.
8. Play water balloon volleyball
Using a beach towel as a springboard, launch a water balloon over the net. The other team tries to catch it in their towel and launch it back over. If the balloon breaks on your side of the net, the other team gets a point.
9. Water limbo
Use a hose as a stick and spray water in a stream for kids to limbo under.
10. Make mud pies
All you need is dirt and water! Mix the two together in an old cake plan or pie pan and make all the mud pies you want. Decorate them with flowers and leaves.
11. Host a paper boat race
Create paper boats and race them in a kiddie pool, or if you’re bold, a big pool.
12. Break out the water balloons
There are so many ways to play with water balloons! Kids can toss them and see how many steps backward they can take before they drop their balloon. Or play water balloon dodgeball. Or set up an obstacle course with water balloons.
Buy it: Bunch O Balloons at Amazon
13. Have a sponge relay race
This game is great for a group of four or more kids. Put two buckets out for each kid or team. Fill one bucket with water and sponges; the other bucket stays empty. The kids have to transfer water from the full bucket to the empty one using just the sponges. Whoever fills their bucket first is the winner.
14. Make elephant toothpaste
Outdoor activities are great excuse to make a mess, and this recipe for elephant toothpaste is the ultimate mess!
Learn more: How To Make Elephant Toothpaste
Backyard Outside Activities for Kids
A backyard is the perfect place for any outdoor fun. These activities can be done in a small or large backyard or even a local park.
15. Read outside
Get blankets, chairs, tents, whatever you need to make a cozy reading nook. Bring out a pitcher of lemonade and a stack of books. This activity is best when it’s nice and cool outside—no bugs and no humidity.
Learn more: Check out our summer reading list for picture books through YA.
16. Play parachute games
Stretch out a parachute and put balls on top, then shake the parachute, but try not to let the balls roll off. Lift the parachute and see how many people can run under it before it comes down. Sit under the parachute and create a tent. These are just a few ideas for how to play with a parachute.
Learn more: 37 Parachute Game Ideas
Buy it: Multicolor Play Parachute at Amazon
17. Cook using the sun
When you have nothing but sun, it’s time to make a solar oven! Use these directions to see what you can cook (or melt).
Learn more: How To Make a Solar Oven
18. Have a picnic
Picnics are tried-and-true outdoor activities for kids. Bringing a blanket and a basket out into the yard or to the park makes any meal special.
19. Break out the Mentos and Coke
There is a point in every kid’s life when they learn about this experiment and have to try it. Take advantage of some outside space and let them go wild with a few bottles of soda and a pack of Mentos candy.
20. Make an obstacle course
Obstacle courses are fun outside activities for kids. Pull out all the outside gear for this one. Use jump ropes, Hula-Hoops, pool noodles, and whatever you have to create an obstacle course. Then, time kids as they complete it. Can they get better each time they go through?
Learn more: How To Build DIY Obstacle Courses
21. Play backyard tic-tac-toe
Turn an old sheet into a tic-tac-toe board with some tape, then use Frisbees (or beanbags) of different colors, or with Xs on half, to play tic-tac-toe. This is a game that you can put out during a backyard party or barbecue and let people take turns playing. Or make it more challenging by having kids stand close to or farther away from the tic-tac-toe board.
22. Start a garden
Gardens provide plenty of outdoor activities for kids that keep on giving. Plant seeds in the fall, then keep watch on the garden during winter. In spring, look for the first shoots, and take care of the garden until harvest in summer. Up in the Garden, Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner is a picture book that explains what’s happening under the dirt in your garden, and it takes you through the entire year.
Buy it: Gardening Starter Kit at Amazon
23. Build a sensory table
Use an old train table repurposed as a water table, or a coffee table, with bins for sand and water. Water and sensory tables are a fun way for kids to play creatively.
24. Build a fairy garden
Find things from around the house, like spools, clay, broken pots, and more, to create a fairy garden. Or purchase a fairy garden kit at Amazon to get you started.
25. Make frozen suncatchers
Gather items from outside—berries, evergreen boughs, twigs, leaves. Then, put out a plastic lid or pie plate as a mold. Fill the mold with water and arrange the elements. Leave it outside overnight to freeze in winter or pop it in the freezer in the summer. Then, remove the ice from the mold and you have a suncatcher to prop outside on your window to admire.
26. Play cornhole
Cornhole is the classic game that involves throwing beanbags at a target. The team that gets the most beanbags in the holes wins. You can make your own or buy a set. Either way, cornhole is a game that kids will work to master.
Buy it: Junior Cornhole Game Set at Amazon
27. Play field hockey with pool noodles
Use pool noodles as sticks, balloons for the ball, and two laundry baskets for goals. The pool noodles move the balloons across the lawn to score goals in the laundry basket. This game can be made easier or harder by changing the length of the court or changing how kids use the pool noodles.
28. Go on a bug hunt
Scavenger hunts are classic outside activities for kids. In this version, they’ll hunt for bugs. How many different types of bugs can they find in the backyard? Bring a magnifying glass to observe them.
29. Play tag
There are so many kinds of tag to play, all you need is a wide-open space and a group of friends. Try:
- Blob Tag: When you’re tagged, you join the blob.
- Hot Dog Tag: One kid is the hot dog, and they tag two “buns.”
- Animal Tag: Kids have to act like animals when they are tagged.
- Dragon Tag: As kids are tagged, they link arms to form a dragon.
Learn more: Fun Tag Game Variations
30. Play bocce ball
Make use of a flat area in your yard to set up a bocce ball game. Each player needs two same-color balls. Then they toss the ball to see who can get it closest to a white marker.
Buy it: Bocce Ball Set at Amazon
31. Play backyard mini-golf
Create a real mini-golf challenge around your yard, taking all the hills, dips, and obstacles into consideration. Either use objects you already have—croquet wickets, boxes with holes cut out, PVC pipe, cups—or you can purchase a mini-golf kit.
Buy it: Mini Golf Kit at Amazon
32. Jump rope
Jumping rope is great exercise, confidence building, and fun.
33. Capture the Flag
Capture the Flag’s rules haven’t changed since you were a kid. Each team tries to take the other team’s flag and get it back to their territory. But if a player gets tagged by the other team while on that team’s side, they get sent to “jail.” The game ends when one team gets the other team’s flag to their home base.
34. Have a tea party
Bring out the fancy dishes, make iced tea or lemonade, and put out platters of crackers and cookies to add a bit of fancy to your summer. Invite teddy bears, dolls, and even dump trucks to the party to encourage pretend play.
35. Make a worm farm
Worms are easy enough to come by. Fill a mason jar with dirt, make sure you have some worms to observe, and watch them wriggle!
36. Camp in the backyard
Set up a tent, or bring out blankets so the kids can make one of their own, and spend the day outside. If it’s an actual tent and your kids are old enough, let them sleep out in the backyard for a night (or two).
Learn more: Fireside Camp Songs for Kids and Camping Activities for Kids
Nighttime Outside Activities
Nighttime is the right time to get outside and take advantage of the cooler temperatures. Bring the bug spray and a lantern to enjoy the great outdoors at night.
37. Go stargazing
A clear night is the perfect opportunity to get outside and find constellations. Use an app to spot and identify the various stars, constellations, and even planets. Also, check the radar to see if there are any comets or stellar activity to look out for.
38. Outdoor movie night
Outside movie nights are memorable activities for kids. Set up a projector screen (could also be a white sheet) or pull a TV to where you can see it from outside and cue up a favorite movie.
39. Make s’mores
Start up the fire pit and make s’mores, the quintessential outdoor dessert. You can stick with the classic—graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate—or make your own s’more recipes. Think: jam, Nutella, leftover marshmallow peeps … what else can you add to a s’more?
40. Catch fireflies
Poke holes in the top of a jar and head out into the night to catch fireflies (but let them go afterward!). This childhood activity is one of those that creates memories for kids.
41. Get your glow on
When it gets dark, break out a few glow sticks, put on some music, and dance the night away!
Buy it: Glow Sticks at Amazon
Outside Activities Using Chalk
If you have a patch of pavement and some chalk, you can have a lot of fun with these children’s outdoor activities.
42. Play snail
Play a version of hopscotch that involves a snail shell.
43. Kick hopscotch up a notch
Make hopscotch more challenging by writing directions for what kids should do when they land on each square. You can write “Turn around,” “Do a jumping jack,” “Stomp like a dinosaur,” etc., all the way down the sidewalk. Then, kids complete each task as they hop and jump. For younger kids, use simple words like run, hop, and skip.
Learn more: Old-School Recess Games
44. Throw sponges at a target
Draw a bull’s-eye on the driveway and give points to each circle. Then, put a bunch of sponges in a container of water. Have kids stand at a starting line and throw the sponges at the target.
45. Stage a car race in the driveway
Have a car race and amp it up using a balloon to power your cars. Use chalk to draw different race tracks and courses for your cars to navigate.
Learn more: Balloon-Powered Car Experiment
46. Make sidewalk chalk art
Use painter’s tape to mark off shapes on the sidewalk. Then, have kids color in each space with chalk. The result is a Pinterest-worthy chalk art design.
Buy it: Colored Sidewalk Chalk at Amazon
Outside Art Activities
There are lots of ways to make art that you can keep and art that washes away. Whatever art you make, the mess can stay outside.
47. Paint with flyswatters
First, spread out large pieces of white paper. Put paint on paper plates or in pie tins. Then, dip a flyswatter in paint, or put dots of paint on paper, and use the flyswatter to spread the paint around.
48. Melt crayons in the sun
Looking for outside activities that incorporate repurposing items you no longer need? Gather up old crayons and paper plates and aluminum foil. Place the aluminum foil on top of the paper plates. Then, put the crayons on the foil and place it in the sun. You can put the crayons inside of cookie cutters to give them shape. Once they are done melting, you can take them out of the cookie cutters and have new crayons.
49. Build a birdhouse
It’s easy to create a bird feeder using materials that you have around the house, from plastic containers and spoons to oranges and birdseed. To make it more interesting, make a few bird feeders and hang them in different spots in your yard so you can see what kinds of birds visit each.
50. Build a cardboard playhouse
Get a bunch of cardboard boxes, tape, paint, and markers and see what your kids can make out of them.
51. Paint with squirt guns
Fill a squirt gun with paint (or paint mixed with water if the paint is thicker), then aim it at a piece of paper or bedsheet to create spray art.
Buy it: Squirt Guns at Amazon
52. Make a rock garden
Search for rocks—the smoother the better. Then, paint them and create a rock garden. You can also get a rock-painting kit that comes with inspiration from Target.
53. Make slime
There are infinite types of slime to make. And it’s the perfect children’s outdoor activity because the mess stays where it should be.
Learn more: 4 Slime Recipes
54. Make tie-dyed masterpieces
Tie-dying activities are best for kids to do outside, so take advantage of warm, sunny days to tie-dye shirts or pillow cases, or tie-dye a sheet and put it over a frame to make a tent.
55. Weave with nature
Use sticks, string, and materials you find in the backyard to create woven art pieces.
56. Make sun silhouettes
Collect leaves and plants, put them on sun-print paper, and leave them in the sun to create silhouettes.
Buy it: Sun Art Paper Kit at Amazon
57. Make dandelion crowns
Pick dandelions and other flowers with long stems and weave them together to make crowns, necklaces, and bracelets.
58. Make shadow drawings
Use sun and your child’s toys to create shadow drawings.
Outdoor Activities for the Neighborhood
Especially if you have a lot of kids who are looking for fun things to do, these activities will keep everyone busy.
59. Host a bike parade
Decorate bikes with beads, streamers, holiday lights, and balloons and take a ride through the neighborhood. This is a great 4th of July activity but could really be done any day.
60. Map the neighborhood
Look at maps of your city. Then, have your kids take a paper and pencil and walk through their neighborhood, making their own map. Use the grids in the map skills worksheets to provide kids with structure for their map.
61. Hold a neighborhood scavenger hunt
Use the Five Senses Scavenger Hunt printable and kids can go on a scavenger hunt every day if they want to experience new sights and sounds. This is a great activity to do at different times of day, or at the beginning and end of a season, to see how the neighborhood changes.
62. Start a business
Encourage your entrepreneurial kid to set up a lemonade stand, or decide on something else to sell. First, survey neighbors to find out what they’d like to buy. (Maybe people want Popsicles in summer but hot cocoa in winter.) Then, have your kids price out the ingredients and go shopping with you. Figure out what time of day is best to sell. And put up advertisements around the neighborhood.
63. Host a kickball tournament
Sometimes the best games are the classics. If your child has a bunch of friends over, organize them into two teams and start a game of kickball.
Get your free printable outside activities poster!
Ready to get your kids outside? Grab our printable outside activities poster to help inspire a new outdoor game or activity. Click the button below to receive your copy!
What are your favorite outdoor activities for kids? Share them in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.
Plus, check out Wet and Wild Outdoor Science Activities.
