The Great Outdoors: 6 Fun Outdoor Activities For Kids
Spring has truly sprung and to make sure your family has months filled with laughter and excitement, you can easily plan adventures outdoors. This can be something as simple as a walk through your local park.
Here are some of the best ways to keep your little ones entertained in the great outdoors during the warmer months.
1. Craft and complete a nature spotting sheet
Nature comes alive during spring. To educate your little ones about the beauty of this season, you can craft your own nature spotting sheets. The RSPB has created a spotting sheet for beautiful birds. If spotting blackbirds and magpies sounds exciting, this can be used as a template for your spotting sheet.
You could make your own sheet beyond spotting birds. This can include a range of flowers or plants, as well as butterflies and other insects. If your children enjoy arts and crafts, they will also have fun making these before going on the walk. So really, this is two activities rolled into one!
2. Build a fortress out of sticks and shrubs
Children love to play and be as imaginative as possible, so a few sticks and shrubs can be enough to entertain them for the whole afternoon. Depending on how many people you are with, you can even make rival fortresses and vote on which one is best.
The outdoors can be an unpredictable playground. Children will be using sticks and other natural materials from the ground, so these must be checked by an adult to ensure nobody gets a nasty splinter.
3. Have a scavenger hunt
What could be more exciting than a scavenger hunt? This is a great way to let children think imaginatively about the world around them. You could, for example, make a colour-coded sheet and let your little ones find items that match these. For example, set them off looking for green leaves, purple flowers, or brown sticks.
This can be a short activity, or it could last throughout the whole walk. We all know spring can be unpredictable though. To make sure you’re ready for any weather, remember to pack a reliable girl’s or boy’s waterproof jacket. Then you can scavenge in the rain and sunshine.
4. Barks and crafts
There are lots of opportunities to be artistic in the outdoors. Tree-bark rubbing, for example, is a simple and easy way to create a masterpiece. This imprints the textures of the bark onto a piece of paper, which can be cut into a collage and displayed on the fridge.
This is the perfect activity to do on a walk. Rather than bringing a bag full of paints, all you will need is some paper and a soft crayon. Crayons are soft, so it is easier to print the woodland textures. Even better, you can use these prints to create a guide on the different species of trees in the park.
5. Collect wildflowers to press and cherish
Sprouting flowers are one of the best things about spring. Flowers are beautiful, but unfortunately, they don’t last forever. To make sure you can see these all year round, your whole family can collect wildflowers on your walk. These can range from daffodils to primroses – or whatever you can scavenge.
There are lots of ways to press wildflowers. The most child-friendly option would be to place the flower between the pages of a book. It can take up to three weeks for the wildflower to flatten completely, but this will be worth the wait.
6. Enjoy a delicious picnic as a family
Walking can be tiring, especially when you’re taking part in so many fun activities. So it’s always a good idea to bring a selection of snacks and drinks. A picnic in the park is a fun break for your little ones to recharge their batteries. But remember to bring a picnic blanket to sit on to avoid damp grass, or you might have to eat your treats in the trees!
These are some of the best ways to make a walk exciting. It’s always a good idea to spend time outdoors, especially during the warmer months. Which activity will you do first?
Sources
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/pressing-flowers-guide#4-methods-for-pressing-flowers
Cover photo By kate_sept2004 on Canva
