Staying Active This Summer: Outdoor Activities for Kids
Staying Active This Summer: Outdoor Activities for Kids
Every year, kids look forward to summer vacation and the chance to take a break from school. Invariably, though, it's not long before they're complaining of boredom or falling back on indoor activities like video games and TV. Fortunately, there are dozens of outdoor activities just waiting for bored kids to discover them. Even if every one isn't a hit with your kids, at least they'll have fun trying new things. The best part is that you can adapt any of these activities for more or fewer players or to accommodate your outdoor space.
Doggy, Doggy, Where's Your Bone: Players take turns as the "doggy," who tries to get their bone (or some other convenient object) back. The other players may try to look guilty or innocent or even mislead the doggy, but they must answer honestly when asked if they have the bone. It's a simple guessing game, so it's mostly suitable for younger children. Make the game harder or easier by setting a limit to the number of guesses.
Mother May I: Another game primarily for young children, this game asks one player (usually an adult) to play the mother while the others play children. The mother stands with their back to the children, and the children take turns asking if they can move forward a certain number of steps. It's not much of a competitive game but can serve to teach young children about counting and following the rules.
Sidewalk Picasso: Most kids would love to scribble on the walls and floors if you let them, and this is their chance. Give each kid some sidewalk chalk and let them draw what their hearts desire. This can lead to other games as they draw things like hopscotch boards and mazes.
Digging for Dinosaurs: Kids love dinosaurs and getting dirty, so this is a perfect mixture of those activities. Bury toy dinosaur bones in the sandbox or garden and give each budding paleontologist a toy shovel. See who can find the most bones or who can piece together a complete dinosaur.
Scavenger Hunts: The beauty of scavenger hunts is that you can tailor them to your available space and items. Hide the objects, make a map or list of clues, and turn the kids loose.
Water Play: Kids love to play in water, and letting them do so outdoors cuts down on cleanup. An old plastic tub can be a makeshift water play area. Just make sure kids are always supervised around any amount of water.
Gardening: Digging in the soil, planting seeds, and watering are all kid-friendly activities. If some vegetables or flowers sprout later, that's just a bonus.
Hula-Hoop: Kids have played with Hula-Hoops for decades, and it's great exercise. Some of them will get bored this activity quickly, but it is something older kids can enjoy alongside their younger siblings.
Bubbles: Kids and adults alike love to see bubbles floating in the air. Fortunately, you can buy bubble solution readily online or at local stores, and you can also easily mix up your own.
Crayon Rubbings: This is a fun activity for any kid, but the artistic ones will probably take it to another level. Lay a piece of paper over a textured surface (such as concrete) and rub over the paper with a crayon. Use the side of the crayon (with the label removed) for the most surface area. Rubbings can make great backgrounds for drawings, too.
Octopus: A good party game, Octopus is best with lots of kids. It starts out like Tag, with one kid being "it" and trying to tag other kids. But each kid who gets tagged has to stand still and try to tag others as they run past.
Simon Says: When Simon gives a command, the player must obey, but only if Simon starts the command with "Simon says." Any player who follows a command that doesn't start with "Simon says" is out of the game. The last player left becomes Simon, and the game starts over.
Capture the Flag: This is another fun game for a large group of kids. Players divide into two teams, and each tries to nab the other team's flag while defending their own.
Ghosts in the Graveyard: A fun variation of Tag, one player is the ghost and hides from the others. The other players walk around chanting something like "Star light, star bright, I hope I see a ghost tonight" until the ghost jumps out at them. The ghost then runs around tagging players, who run back to safety as quick as they can.
Hide and Seek: A simple game with many variations, Hide and Seek is a classic. One player closes their eyes and counts to 100 (or whatever number is agreed on). Other players have that long to hide. With a cry of "Ready or not, here I come!" the seeker tries to find as many other kids as they can. Whoever hides the longest becomes "it," and the game restarts.
Kick the Can: This game is a combination of Tag and Hide and Seek. One player is "it," or the seeker, who sets up the can in the playing area. The other players hide while the seeker counts, like in Hide and Seek. When the seeker finds someone, they call out their name and hiding spot. Then, both race back to the can. If the seeker wins the race, the hider goes to jail (a nearby bench, chair, or tree). If the hider wins, they kick the can, which restarts the game.
Michelangelo's Madhouse: One player is Michelangelo and runs around turning other players into statues. To do so, Michelangelo spins the player and then lets them go. That player freezes where they fall. Then, Michelangelo walks among the statues and tries to get them to laugh without tickling or otherwise touching them.
Races of Every Kind: Even a simple race to a distant tree can be fun for kids. But for some variation, add in three-legged races (where two players race together with one of their legs tied to their partner's) or crab walk races (face up on all fours).
Weeping Angels: Also called "Red Light, Green Light," this is another variation on Tag. One player is "it" and can touch other players to send them back to the starting line. When their back is turned, all players can move forward. But when the "it" player is looking, all players must freeze.
Backyard Ninja Warrior Course: A good way to build fitness skills for all ages, this type of course can be fun as well. Combine climbing, jumping, races, and obstacles to keep it interesting.
Dog Training: Kids who love animals will enjoy teaching their dog new tricks. Start with simple commands like sit, stay, and roll over to build confidence.
Reading Outside: Kids who love to read (or who just need to read more) might enjoy a summer outdoor book club. For younger kids, read to them at first. Nothing beats a good book on a blanket out in nature.
Bird-Watching or Urban Animal Safari: Watching animals can be a good way to teach kids how to be quiet and patient as well as how to use binoculars. If you live in an area with lots of animals, kids can even keep a journal of all of the wild creatures they spot.
Sports Drills: Whatever sport your kids are into, you can find fun and educational drills for it. For baseball, that might be pitching and catching practice, while for soccer, it might be footwork drills. Either way, sports drills are a great excuse to get outside for some fresh air and exercise.
Science Experiments: Kids love science experiments, especially the ones that make a huge mess. If you're going to build a soda-bottle rocket, outdoors is the place to do it.
Learn to Juggle: With a few scarves, tennis balls, or bean bags, you can introduce your kids to the world of juggling. It's a terrific activity for improving eye-hand coordination, and they can add more objects as their skills improve.
Tennis, Anyone? As long as you have a tennis ball, a racket, and a wall, you can play (or at least practice) tennis. For two or more players, a court is a necessity, so check around for one in your area or draw your own with sidewalk chalk.
Hopscotch: A longtime staple of the playground, hopscotch is popular with younger kids, but even older kids can enjoy the game by adding time challenges and races.
Snake Bite or Helicopter: This jumping game calls for one person to stand in the middle and spin a jump rope on the ground. The other players jump over the rope when it comes to them; if they fail to jump the rope, they're out. Play continues until just one player remains, at which time they take over spinning the jump rope.
Water Jumping: Each player holds a cup of water while one player spins a jump rope in the middle (much like Snake Bite/Helicopter). After each player has jumped the rope five times, whoever has the most water left in their cup is the winner.
Make a Pulley System: Any kid with a tree house will appreciate the simple beauty of moving objects with a pulley system. All they need is a pulley, some rope, and adult supervision.
Tug of War: A simple game that's as old as time, Tug of War just needs at least two players and a sturdy rope. Whoever pulls the other team forward past a certain point wins. Supervise carefully to guard against rope burns and falls.
Limbo: Limbo is the game that asks "how low can you go?" Set up a broomstick or other horizontal object and challenge each player to slide under it.
Jump Rope Races: Bring a competitive element to jump rope by asking players to race to the finish line. Jumping rope is required: You can't just run.
Double Dutch: With two jump ropes, skilled players can turn jump rope into Double Dutch. Two players twirl the ropes while the others jump in and out. It's a great team sport that requires lots of coordination.
Jump Rope Tag or Cat and Mouse: Two players spin a jump rope while two other players (the cat and mouse) chase each other through the spinning rope. The mouse goes first, and then the cat must make the same number of jumps the mouse did. If the mouse fails to skip the rope, the cat can tag them.
Dodgeball: Dodgeball is a simple game in which players try to hit each other with thrown playground balls. The balls are soft and bouncy, so as long as no one aims for the head, it's relatively safe. If a player gets hit with a ball, they're out. But if they catch the ball that was thrown at them, then the thrower is out.
Kickball: This game features rules similar to baseball, but it's played with a playground ball. Each player kicks the ball (instead of batting like in baseball) and runs the bases (as long as their kicked ball wasn't caught). They're safe while on base but can be struck out when running if they're hit with the ball.
Horse: Played on a basketball court, Horse is a simple game of matching basketball shots. One player starts and makes a basket from anywhere on the court. The second player must then replicate that shot, followed by all other players. Anyone who doesn't make the shot gets a letter (first an H, then an O, and so on). When players collect all of the letters that spell "horse," they're out.
Four Square: Played like a miniature version of tennis, Four Square is a popular playground game. Four players occupy the quadrants of a square and bounce the playground ball into each other's squares. Players are out if they fail to return the ball or knock it out of play.
Piggy in the Middle: In this game, two players throw a ball back and forth while a third player attempts to intercept it. It works best when all players are around the same age and size.
Gaga Ball: Like a ground-based game of dodgeball, Gaga Ball is typically played in a pit or other enclosed space. The ball is kept low, which helps to reduce concerns about kids getting hit in the face.
Bowling: An outdoor bowling alley would be an expensive setup, but with a paved driveway, a ball, and some bottles, you can improvise. You can find outdoor bowling sets online, but sometimes, just rolling a ball at empty soda bottles is enough for an afternoon of fun.
Soccer: With just a soccer ball, any number of kids can play and practice all day. Set up a net (or just a pair of sticks) so they can practice kicking goals, or construct lanes and obstacle courses to improve their dribbling and passing.
Don't Drop the Ball: In this activity, players try to keep the ball in the air as long as possible. You can make it as free-form or rule-based as you like, but this is a good way to build volleyball skills.
Chase Fireflies: Watching fireflies is a magical part of summer. Finding the best places to observe fireflies can be a perfect outdoor activity for the whole family.
Run Through the Sprinkler: This is definitely one of the most-requested outdoor activities during summer. Kids love to run through sprinklers on hot days.
Study the Ecosystem Under a Stepping Stone: For kids who are interested in nature, a nature journal is a great start. They can track the sorts of animals they find in specific areas, such as under a flat stone or a log. Then, they can return to these spots and note how the insect populations have changed over time.
Raise Monarch Butterflies: Monarch butterfly kits (available online) take the guesswork out of getting started with this activity. Kids can learn about science while also helping to replenish the butterfly population.
Raise Tadpoles Into Frogs: Like with butterflies, an online kit is an easy way to get started with tadpoles. Raising a tadpole can teach kids about the frog's life cycle and help spur their interest in science overall.
Climb a Tree: If you don't have good climbing trees in your yard, check your local park. Most kids love the feeling of adventure and freedom they get from scaling a tall tree. Just make sure to watch them carefully in case they get in over their head.
Watch Clouds: It sounds simple, but cloud-watching can be a great way to spark a young imagination. Our brains are great at recognizing patterns and will try to make clouds into dragons, dogs, or castles. Ask your kids what they see and compare notes.
Roll Down a Hill: This is a simple activity for young kids but can be a lot of fun. Kids tuck in their arms and roll down a hill or incline, then get up and do it again. Competitive kids can see who rolls down the fastest. Check the hill prior to allowing any rolling so you can remove any sharp sticks or rocks.
Splash in Puddles: Sometimes kids just need to get a bit messy, and mud puddles are a natural attraction. Dress them up in raincoats and boots and turn them loose. They'll love being able to indulge in muddy fun. Be prepared to hose them off before letting them back in the house.
Skip Rocks: It's only natural to pick up a few nearby stones and whip them into the water. See who can get a rock to skip the most times or skip the farthest. Just make sure not to disturb wildlife or anglers.
Additional Resources on Outdoor Activities for Kids
