A daily dose of outdoor play allows children to interact with their environment, builds physical strength, and encourages kids to creatively solve problems. Shared below are Outdoor Play Ideas for Kids. For more inspiration, consider following Kids in Nature, a collaborative Pinterest board devoted to nature-inspired crafts and activities.
Play Outside in the Winter
With just twenty-minutes of outdoor play in crisp air, your child will sleep better at night. Being outside will ground and calm them.
Free Play in the Forest
Free play outside doesn’t have to be complex; you don’t need a forest or natural stream to enjoy it. It can be as simple as dragging a toy truck around in a sand box or playing tag with friends in the park.
Make Maple Candy
Learn to make traditional Sugar on Snow with snow and maple syrup!
Feed the Birds
In winter, food and water become scarce for many species of birds. Bird feeders not only provide essential nourishment for winter birds, but provide people with free entertainment (and therapy).
Learn Colors through Nature
Not only does this activity reinforce basic colors, but it provides children with an excellent sensory experience: soft milkweed, prickly pine needles, smooth rock, bumpy acorns.
Play with Sticks
Playing with sticks not only provides a child with a tactile connection to nature, but sharpens fine and gross motor skills and provides them with an opportunity to use critical thinking and problem solving skills.
Play with Bubbles
Any day is a good day to play with homemade bubbles. For bubble fun in winter, learn how to blow frozen bubbles!
Play in the Rain
Puddle jumping provides exercise and is the perfect activity for children who seek sensory experiences, and perhaps even for children who need some encouragement in that area.
Create Art with Natural Materials
My boys loved creating Camouflage Art with paint, dirt, leaves, wood chips, and cattails.
Take a Nature Walk
I’ve acquired many tricks essential for taking children on enjoyable and educational nature walks. Whether your family lives in a city and enjoys access to public parks and gardens, or lives in a rural setting like my family does, making time to be outside with your children each day is refreshing for everyone.
Play in the Mud
Playing in the mud has been documented to boost a child’s immune system and lower rates of childhood asthma and allergies.
How do your kids like to play outside?
Ann @ My Nearest and Dearest says
Beautiful photos and great ideas, Melissa. 🙂
Emma @ P is for Preschooler says
I loved your simple, fun outdoor play ideas! And those pics are great – my favorite is the puddle jumpers!
Fireflies and Mud Pies says
Thank you, Emma! So glad you stopped by!
Juliet Robertson says
What a super blog post as there’s another 10 posts within it. Nice to meet you via the blog hop Melissa.
Fireflies and Mud Pies says
Thanks for visiting my blog, Juliet!
Kierna says
Love it & thanks for joining in our linky too – the outdoor revolution is growing!
crayonboxchronicles says
Hi Melissa. This is such a wonderful post! I love the puddle jumping (my son too)! Beautiful photos as well. Thank you for sharing on our Facebook page. Pinned!
Hannah @ Makingboysmen says
Great ideas and all really simple (as the best ideas always are!). Thanks for sharing at the Outdoor Play Party, I’m off to pin
Penny says
Oh my, that photo of your son jumping in a puddle is awesome! Not that you can see his face very well but you can just imagine it lit up with joy! Wonderful ideas for every child, in any destination!
Linda says
So many great ideas here, Melissa, and your photos are stunning as usual! I’ll be sharing this on social media next week. Thanks for linking up to the #outdoorplayparty!
Fireflies and Mud Pies says
Thank you for the sweet compliment! I’m determined to get back to some of my “outdoor/nature” blog roots this year! 😉 We live in the suburbs now, so it’s been tricker than it was when we lived in the middle of the woods!