While it might have felt like winter was never going to end, spring has finally arrived and summer will be here before we know it. Now that the weather is nicer it’s time to start planning outdoor activities for the kids!
Here are 15 fun outdoor activities for your classroom or camp group to enjoy.
#1: Tie Dye
Today’s tie dye kits don’t require boiling water or expensive dies. The options are much more kid friendly! Some dies are pre-mixed, and others involve mixing water and powdered dye in a squirt container. Kids can have fun making tote bags, shirts, and much more using tie dye techniques.
#2: Dinosaur Dig
Wrap up a dino themed week at camp or reward students at the end of their dinosaur studies in science class with a dinosaur dig. Kids will have fun pretending to be paleontologists as the dig and chisel to find the hidden dinosaur toys.
#3: Ring Toss Game
This carnival favorite is an activity that children love to play! Turn a wood tray and bottles into an inexpensive DIY game that kids will love. Paint the rings different colors so that kids can play in teams and have a friendly competition.
#4: Fairy Gardens
This creative activity will get kids outside and keep them going outside to check on their garden. Turn pockets of the playground or the landscaping into adorable fairy gardens. If there is not a lot of greenery at your school or camp, use pots to create gardens in. Kids will enjoy creating their own miniature fantasy world and playing with it outside.
#5: Derby Car Race
Kids and teens will have a blast building, embellishing, and racing their very own cars. Set up tracks outside and have a fun derby car race. There are a variety of kits that can be used to build cars, including the Avenger Derby car design kit, the Black Widow derby car kit, and the Batcar Kit, to name a few.
#6: Water Balloon Toss
A water balloon toss is a fun way to practice gross motor schools while (possibly) keeping cool outside. Kids can work in pairs to carefully toss a filled water balloon back and forth to each other. Popping the balloon and getting splashed is all part of the adventure!
#7: Make Stepping Stones
Kids can be creative and help create a path by making stepping stones. Use the stepping stones to decorate a school garden, create a path from the playground to the door, or to take home. Kits are available, or buy supplies in bulk so larger groups can create their personalized stepping stones.
#8: Treasure Hunt
Dress up like a pirate, grab your treasure map, and head outside for a treasure hunt! This activity could follow a lesson about maps or about the compass rose. It makes a great outdoor activity for a pirate-themed week at camp, too.
#9: Petanque
Petanque is a French game that is great for playing with groups of kids. The game is played on a hard surface using chalk and tennis balls. Click here for the complete explanation and rules for how to play this outdoor game.
#10: Frisbee Golf
Also known as “disc golf,” this game is a fun twist on traditional frisbee throwing. Set up containers outside and encourage kids to practice their aim and toss the frisbee into the “hole.” Use buckets, laundry baskets, and other containers to mark the frisbee landing locations.
#11: Water Blob
This activity is great for smaller groups of kids. The children can “play” with water without getting wet. Plastic sheeting, duct tape, and water come together to create an outdoor “waterbed” for kids to jump on. Modern Parents Messy Kids share their tips for “water blob” success.
#12: Cornhole
You might remember this game from your own childhood! Kids still love to play cornhole. Make your own custom cornhole board to match your school or camp colors. Provide plenty of bean bags and let the kids have fun!
#13: Bean Bag Toss
Turn plastic containers into a colorful game of bean bag toss! Kids can practice their aim and their math skills when they toss the bean bags and tally up their score. You can buy bean bags in bulk so you’ll never run out.
#14: Sponge Relay
A sponge relay is a fun way for kids to run outside and cool off at the same time. Divide the kids into two teams, and line them up behind a bucket full of water. The first child in line will have to dunk the sponge in the bucket of water and race to a second empty bucket. They will drain the sponge into the empty bucket, run back, and pass the sponge to the next person in line. The team that fills their second bucket up first is the winner. For a wet twist on the game, tell kids that they have to carry the wet sponge over their heads as they run!
#15: Rainbow Tag
This game is part tag and part scavenger hunt. Place cups of water-based paint (or use face paint) in different locations outside. Kids have to find a cup and paint a line of color on their arm. The person who is “it” has a sponge and can remove one line of paint when they tag a person. The goal of the game is to paint a rainbow of color on your arm.
What are some of your favorite outdoor activities to do with kids?
Morena from MorenasCorner.com is the kind of girl who would rather have paint on her fingers than get a manicure. Morena’s passion is using thrifted and inexpensive finds to craft designer inspired creations, and she enjoys creating colorful, bold pieces of home decor. The Italian-American daughter of two DIYers, she and her husband strive to pass the tradition and value of handmade to their four children.
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