50 Things To Do Together
Exploring Together Outside
11 - 30 of our list is full of activities for you to enjoy together while outside
11. Feed some Ducks
Feeding ducks is a lovely experience for children and they can learn so much! You could talk to them about ducklings becoming ducks, count how many ducks you can see, talk about what ducks like to eat and where ducks like to sleep.
12. Go for a Picnic
Everyone loves a picnic! Pack up some of your favourite food and head outside. Plan your trip and prepare your food together then head outside whether it’s your garden or the park, your child will find lots of fun in this simple activity. Younger children may want to dress up or take their favourite toy to add to the fun. While outside this is a great chance to try some of our other 50 things like roll down a hill. Picnics can also be fun inside and a carpet picnic is a must for under 5's.
13. Pick your own fruit
In the countryside, there are lots of foods available to forage. There are lots of opportunities to pick fruit look out for local farms offering this over the Summer.
- Picking blackberries can free and carried out anywhere this can be a fun way to introduce your children to fruit picking all you need to do is look out in the brambles and hedgerows in August, September and early October. Take the berries home and give them a wash before eating.
14. Splash in Muddy Puddles
This is one of the easiest activities around and one which all children will love. Jumping and splashing will help children build up the muscles in their legs whilst having lots of fun in the process. Make sure your child is not jumping near roads and we recommend old clothes and wellies. Happy Splashing!
- Splashing in puddles is a great way to have fun with your child why not put your wellies on and join in with the splashing.
- Try out different types of jumps to practice a range of skills such as; star jumps, hopping or running on the spot.
15. Explore Sand
Children love playing with sand, You can see why as there is so much you can do with it like building, pouring, hiding, making marks and so much more. This means it appeals to all ages even big kids will enjoy sensory experience it provides. It’s a great source for creativity, building fine motor skills and provides lots of opportunities for imaginative play.
You don’t need to go to the beach to explore sand, there are lots of places that sell children’s play sand, fill up a tray or tub at home, add some objects for digging or scooping. You could even add water to explore the different textures or add some of their favourite toys such as cars or dinosaurs for imaginative play.
16. Roll down a Hill
One of the simplest activities in our top 50! Anywhere, any hill just make sure you can roll down safely. This can lead to hours of fun, races and distance competitions. Happy Rolling!
Just check its not too steep and there is nothing in the way.
17. Potion Making
We all remember making petal perfume and how many hours this would keep us entertained for. Well this is a really fun and engaging activity provide some old bowls , jars and spoons and a jug of water and see what potions / perfumes you can create. Encourage imaginative play and pretend to be witches and wizards making spells or jus create your own.
18. Paint the Pavement with Water
All you need for this challenge is a paintbrush, a bucket and some water. You can do this anywhere paint picture or make patterns with water and then watch them magically disappear as the sun dries the water. Mess free fun at its best!
Start for Life - Giving your child as many opportunities to draw or make marks will give them the best chance of developing the skills they’ll need when they start to write. Painting with water is a fun way for a child to explore mark-making.
- Baby activity with paper and water from BookTrust
19. Go on a Scavenger Hunt
Bring more fun to any outside adventure with a Scavenger hunt - You can use our scavenger hunt sheet or make your own, you could even do an indoor themed scavenger hunt! Try and set a challenge for your child e.g. find 6 items in the home that begin with a G or 6 things that are yellow.
20. Make your own Assault Course
Indoor or outside an assault course can be as testing or easy as you child needs it to be. It could be as simple as walking along a few cushions or as your child gets older jumping from cushion to cushion, crawling under, over tables or climbing steps. You could even set up a mini sports day in your back garden.
21. Go on a Bug Hunt
Even in our back gardens there will be lots of bugs or insects that are interesting to find and look at. Your child could save an old yoghurt pot or margarine tub, clean it and use it on a walk or in their garden to collect bugs. Once a bug has been collected, explored and talked about, return it to where it was and then let it be safe. We recommend looking under rocks or logs as a starting point on your hunt.
22. Play a Team Sport
Team sports are a lot's of fun and can help with confidence, fitness and self esteem. This can be as easy as grabbing a ball and heading to the park. Is it's parents v's kids or boy's v's girls either way your bound to have some good family fun together. You may choose to join an organized sport which will also teach important lessons like good sportsmanship, teamwork and perseverance.
23. Make your own Bird Food
This is a great way to encourage bird life into your garden. This cheap method would encourage birds to fly into your garden and feast on your treat. Making things like bird feeders is a good opportunity for your child to learn more about the world around them, for example, what animals like to eat or where they live as well as teaching them some basic baking skills.
24. Grow something from Seed
This is an excellent way of teaching your child about how things grow, how to look after things and to discuss the changes a plant may go through from seed to plant. Cress is always a good starting point as the seeds only need water and a little TLC!
25. Let's Go Fly a kite
When there's a bit of wind in the air it's the perfect time to fly a kite all you need is some open space and a kite. This does take a little practice and there may be lots of crashing as the kite crashes down but once you have it soaring you'll all feel very impressed with yourselves.
26. Make a Natural Collage
You can use anything and everything you find on walks, in a forest, on a beach or even in your garden. All your child will need to do is use their creativity and a selection of items to create their own 'work of art'. This can be made by sticking the items down or just created while you’re out and about.
You can collect all sorts of natural objects when you are in the forest, on a canal walk or at the beach and use them to create natural gifts. A simple way is to use a pinecone and cover it with glue and sprinkle with eco glitter or paint a stone.
27. Have a Paddle
Whether your at the seaside or by a river paddling can be lots of fun! Find an area that looks as though it’s not too difficult to walk in. Streams can be slippery and rough so you may choose to wear jelly shoes. Either barefoot or with shoes the this is a really sensory activity as the cold water runs between your toes.
Supervision is needed with this activity and make sure you are not paddling somewhere too deep and that you can always get out of the water.
28. Climb a Tree
This will help your child develop their problem-solving skills as well as supporting their physical development. ‘Risky play’ is also a part of a child’s learning. This will need adult supervision and it’s important that children don’t climb out of your reach.
29. Play with Bubbles
Using bubbles with young children is fun and is a great way of helping them learn words. Use words like, ‘pop’, ‘clap’ or ‘grab’ when you’re catching bubbles and your child will soon copy and repeat these words back to you.
30. Explore the Seasons
Whatever the season there's always lots to explore. Whether investigating frozen puddles, kicking leaves, blowing dandelions or making snow angels. By tuning into what's around us, we are taking the first steps to looking after our and our children's emotional wellbeing.
- create a sensory tray using all the things that represent the season. For example: Spring – daffodils, flowers, grass. Summer – create a beach in a tray using sand and water. Autumn – fallen leaves, twigs etc. Winter – snow, ice. Talk to your toddler about the weather: is it cold or hot, where have the leaves fallen from?
- Your children will begin to understand a bit more about the weather now. As we have a lot of rainy days, cut a bottle in half and leave it outside whilst it rains and see how full it gets over time.
- On the odd sunny day we get, why not explore shadows! Get your child to stand so they can clearly see their shadow, draw around them with chalk on the ground and then make them move and watch their shadow move. Let them draw around your shadow too!
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Page last reviewed: 01 March 2023