Kids love the outdoors.
Regardless of the weather, they are naturally drawn to the yard, the park, the beach, or any other outdoor spaces.
As an adult, the pull towards the outdoors might not be so strong!
Yep, while it is great to get out and about, we also love our creature comforts like the couch and a warm cup of coffee enjoyed indoors!
Good news! There is a happy medium.
We have put together a list of fun family outdoor activities that even the most non-outdoorsy parent will love! Plus, we have also thrown in some rainy day activity ideas too. Check them out here:
Fun Family Outdoor Activities For The Non-Outdoorsy Types
Scavenger Hunts
Scavenger hunts are a go-to activity in any environment. You can get organised and prepare something before leaving the house, or simply do them on the fly, I-Spy style.
Kids love the feeling of finding everything on the list and it is a cool way to discover new things each time you leave the house. Not only are they becoming more aware of their surroundings while hunting, but you are sharpening their observation skills and comprehension too!
Plus, it can easily kill an hour or more. Perfect for when you are waiting in line, going for a walk, or arriving at a new place.
Blow Bubbles
Bubbles are such a fun outdoor activity and you can make a simple bubble mix at home. All you need is:
- 5 cups of water
- ½ cup of dishwashing liquid
- 2 tsp of sugar (the bubbles will form without the sugar, but the sugar makes them last longer)
Make the mixture in a jar, by first adding the dishwashing liquid, then the water and sugar. Stir it gently so it doesn’t foam. If possible, leave the mixture overnight. When ready to make bubbles, pour what you need into a shallow dish or tray.
Try blowing the bubbles through different things like a bubble wand, a rope loop, a straw, cookie cutters, even slotted spoons, a little imagination goes a long way here!
Take The Inside Out
Take the things you would normally do inside, but do them as outside activities instead:
- Read a book under a tree
- Have a picnic lunch
- Play board games in the yard
- Set up a canvas and paint - try finger painting, popping balloons filled with watered down paint, spray guns, blow coloured bubbles to pop against the canvas, or go traditional with a paintbrush
- Film a family movie or do a selfie photoshoot
- Play hide and seek or spotlight
- Set up a play scene with toys
- Paint rocks and then hide them in the neighbourhood for other families to find
- Have a dance party
- Build a fort
- Fold paper aeroplanes to see who can fly them the farthest
Get Inspired
If you are looking for some great new ways to extend your outdoor play activities, or to bring nature indoors, then the Your Wild Child and Your Wild Imagination could be perfect for you! It prompts children to use their imaginations by creating dozens of things from one activity. Easily adaptable to any location, Your Wild books are a wonderful resource for kids 2-10 years old.
Explore Your Environment
There are lots of cool things to find in the great outdoors, why not try some of these exploration ideas:
- Check out a neighbouring suburb as an “explorer” and see what is the same as at home and what might be different
- Hunt for shapes in the clouds
- Visit a playground in another town
- Hunt for bugs, birds, butterflies, or anything else
- Pick a bouquet of flowers from your garden
- Make homemade bird feeders
- Hunt for treasures like leaves, twigs, seashells, and rocks to take home create artwork
- Photograph the most interesting things you can each find
Take Care Of You
Just because you are out of the house, it doesn’t mean you need to go without your favourites! Simply take them to go. Prep a delicious smoothie and pop it in one of our insulated smoothie cups, take your coffee with you in a reusable coffee cup, stay hydrated with a stylish drink bottle, or take a snack in a snack pack.
Don’t forget an insulated tote bag to keep it all in and an ice pack to keep everything cool!
Rainy Day Ideas
If there is one thing we can be sure of here in NZ is that you will get four seasons in one day during Spring and Autumn. It is just as likely for the sun to be scorching down as it is for a downpour or a thunderstorm.
That’s why it can be super handy to have some rainy day ideas up your sleeve!
Indoor Scavenger Hunts
Building on the idea of an outdoor scavenger hunt, you can create the same activity indoors. Get those little brains working by getting them to hunt for things like:
- Something blue
- Something with stripes on it
- An item made of wood
- Something starting with ‘C’
- 5x spoons
- The place you put your clothes away
The variations are endless and you will be amazed by the learning your kids will end up doing!
Keeping Little Hands Busy
When you can’t do outdoor activities, sometimes you need a cool creative outlet to keep little hands and minds busy. That’s when you want to have some fun things on hand.
Play Dough: Creating has never been more fun or better for the kids than with The Dough Folk’s natural, hand-crafted
play dough. Let their imaginations run wild with a range of colours in this super buttery soft dough. Plus, they also have a whole heap of cute cutters and stamps to double the dough fun.
Water Beads: Want to show the kids some magic? Then simply hydrate our No Nasties Water Beads. They come to you the size of a poppy seed, then once immersed in water, they grow to be about 150 times their original size! Suitable for children 3+, these are great for sensory play, colour sorting, counting, fine motor skills, bouncing, rolling, fairy gardens and more!
Colouring:Do you secretly get excited when the kids want to colour because you get to do it too? Then, the Honeysticks range is for you! Made from 100% natural and food grade ingredients, Honeysticks offers paints, crayons, colouring books, and coloured bath drops that you and the kids will love.
Get Wet!
Even if it is raining, it can be super fun to get amongst it outdoors. Throw on a raincoat and some gumboots to explore a whole new world outside.
- Jump in the puddles
- Make mud pies
- Let outdoor-capable toys (like dinosaurs, cars, bath toys or non-fabric dolls) explore nature’s creations of leaf piles, puddles, mud, grass etc.
- Float boats made from leaves and twigs in the puddles
- Draw with chalk for intense colours that blur into interesting shapes
- Measure the rain by catching it in a jar
- Make some music by letting the rain hit various household items (like pots, containers, or cardboard)
- Rescue worms from the pavement and return them to the grass or dirt
So, the next time your little one is hunting for something to do at least you have a whole heap of ideas to inspire you! To do it in style, you can browse our out and about range here.
Happy outdoorsing!
Stacey x
