50 Fun Outdoor Activities For Toddlers
Pulling your hair out with what to do next with your toddler? Toddlers are BUSY! Kids are creative, and letting them have ‘down’ time to kickstart their imagination is so important. But sometimes, they just need a little help from mom too. Here are fifty FUN outdoor activities for your toddlers to keep them entertained, focused, and playing outside.
1. Stroller Ride Around The Block
My boys are always down for a stroller ride! Getting around, seeing new things, and breathing fresh air – stroller rides are great all around.
2. Chalk On The Sidewalk
Pick up some chalk at the dollar store and let them go crazy on the sidewalk. Most likely it’ll brighten someone else’s day as well.
3. Blow Bubbles
Small balls that mysteriously come out of that thing you’re blowing? Awe and wonder happens with bubbles! Hear their squeals of delight as you create a sea of floating bubbles.
4. Collect Stones, Sticks, Leaves
…And make art on your driveway! Nature has so much to offer to kids. Collect anything in your backyard and make wreaths, towers, art, and more on the driveway.
5. Finger Paint Outside On Old Boxes
Painting with toddlers gets messy real fast, so bringing it all outside does wonders to the clean up. If weather permits, strip them down to diapers for a fast and easy cleanup.
6. Water Bin With Cups
A large storage container or cooler works for this. Fill with water and give them old containers and plastic cups from the kitchen. Something is so fun to toddlers about pouring water out!
7. Sensory Bin With Sand Or Rice
Kids love feeling the sensation of touching different things. Give them spoons, cups, or little tractors and trucks for them to play with.
8. Wagon Ride
Bring a friend or two and stroll around town in the wagon. Give juice cups or snacks and pretend their on a train ride.
9. Make Mud Stew
Mud stew was so fun for me as a child. Give them an old bucket or container, and let them use their imagination to make a wonderful stew 🙂 Dirt, sand, stones, grass, anything they want – they’re the chef.
10. Pick Flowers, Greens, And Twigs And Make An Arrangement
Have old salsa jars or juice bottles and create ‘arrangements’ from your pickings.
11. Watch The Birds And Squirrels
Point out all the birds and squirrels you see outside. Notice the sounds they make and talk about it with your child.
12. Play Chase In The Yard
So much delight happens for kids when you simply chase them!
13. Kick And Throw Soft Balls
I love kicking a ball back and forth with my toddlers. Gets them active, excited, and energized.
14. Pretend ‘Camping’ With Blankets & Pillows
Grab sleeping bags, sheets, or old blankets and set up ‘camp’ in the yard.
15. Make A Fort
Use trees, bushes, and hedges if available. If not, make a fort with what you do have!
Lawn chairs, patio furniture, large boxes, etc.,
16. Dig In The Dirt
Spoons, shovels, sticks, anything that digs. Let the kids explore the ground.
17. Draw A Road Map With Chalk
Let them drive their favorite truck or car around your chalk map on the driveway.
18. Collect Acorns Or Stones And Put Them In Empty Bottles
Give them empty milk or juice bottles and let them drop stones or acorns into them.
19. Lay In The Grass And Watch The Clouds Go By
Point out the different clouds and shapes you see.
20. Stomp In Rain Puddles
My boys go crazy for a good rain storm. They’d run through it all day if I’d let them. Let them jump in the puddles and laugh in delight as they make a huge splash.
21. Look For Earthworms, Caterpillars, And Butterflies
Are your toddlers captivated by creepy, crawling things? Let them look for insects outside. Maybe even stick one in a container for a short time so they can watch it more closely.
22. Float Toy Boats Down A Stream
Make homemade boats or float containers down a small stream. Watch how fast they go.
23. Make A Mini Beach With Sand, Water, And Seashells
Get a shallow box and fill it with all things related to the beach. Let them have small toy people to ‘play at the beach’ with.
24. Create A Play Kitchen With Old Containers And Sticks
Give them old containers for pots and mixing bowls, and long sticks for stirring spoons. Outdoor play kitchens can be fancy or simple. Either way, the kids will love playing outside, pretending they are the chief chef!
25. Go For A Walk
Down the block, or at the park, hold your toddlers hand and observe what you see.
26. Eat Outside On A Blanket
Make it a picnic! Have snacks, lunch, or dinner out in the yard.
27. Have Them Help You Plant A Small Garden Box
Plant some easy things in egg cartons or small planters.
28. Water & Soap Slide
Get some plastic, bubbly soap, and water. Lay it out on the yard and the kids will have a blast!
29. Wash The Car
My boys love anything involving water! They’ll help scrub the car, and they love getting sprayed every now and again too.
30. Have Them Wash Their Toys In A Bin
A large storage tub or cooler and some soap is all you need to encourage your kids to wash their toys. It’s so fun to them!
31. Fly Homemade Paper Airplanes
Show them how you can make an airplane out of paper. Fly them outside and see who’s airplane flies the farthest.
32. Get Silly With Singing And Dancing
Sing nursery rhymes, campfire songs, or Jesus Loves Me. Dance to your own music.
33. Catch Fireflies Or Lady Bugs And Watch Them Crawl
If it’s firefly season, you definitely have to catch these with your toddlers. Not firefly season? Look for another bug that is friendly and catchable 🙂
34. Learn Somersaults And Flips In The Yard
Bring out a pillow or blanket to make it a softer landing space.
35. Watch Airplanes And Helicopters In The Sky
Point out the white lines they make. Ask your toddler to identify airplanes versus helicopters.
36. Teach Them To Ride A Bike, Trike, Or Scooter
Teach them how to peddle with training wheels, or help them balance on a balance bike.
37. Go To A Park And Watch For Animals
My boys love seeing dogs and puppies when we’re at the park! So many different kinds and varieties, it never gets boring.
38. Help Them Start A Mini Campfire
Obviously, always make sure it’s a safe environment for your toddler! But they will love watching the magic of a fire come to life, and it’s a great teaching opportunity for fire safety. Make it twice as fun by making s’mores over the fire.
39. Hit A Tennis Ball With Junior Hockey Sticks
Teaching kids hand-eye coordination is important for them as they grow and learn new skills. Styrofoam noodles at the dollar store work for light, easy sticks.
40. Mini Basketball
Set up buckets or clean trashcans outside and have fun throwing a small ball into the cans.
41. Obstacle Course
Set up an obstacle course in the back yard for them to run, jump, and crawl through. Use buckets, hula hoops, lawn chairs, and whatever else you have lying around.
42. Hop The Snake
Wiggle a garden hose back and forth on the driveway and have them hop over it or run away from it, without actually touching the snake.
43. Build Obstacle Course For Small Balls
Using old pipes, used paper-towel rolls, or cardboard, create a path for the ball to go through. Watch it roll along.
44. Play ‘Harvest’ Using Scissors To Cut The Grass
Give your toddler a safe child scissor and let them cut grass and leaves around the yard. They can put it into a container and ‘collect their harvest.’
45. Play Catch Feet In The Yard
Lie down on the grass and have your toddlers run around you. You try to ‘catch or tag their feet’. Or, just wrap them up in a big snuggle! You’ve got to be committed for this one.
46. Make A Long Line
Collect sticks or stones and see how long of a line you can make.
47. Paint With Water
Give your toddlers brushes and let them ‘paint’ using water. They can paint the sidewalk, cardboard, paper, or the side of the house.
48. Water Plants Using Spray Bottles
Something about a spray bottle makes water extra fun. Give them spray bottles and let them have fun spraying each other and the plants.
49. Build Cairns With Small Stones
Collect stones and rocks and build small towers with them. See how high you can get it without falling or being knocked over.
50. Watch Traffic Go By
Sit by the road and watch the traffic go by. Trucks, buses, motorcycles, bicycles, and sometimes even a horse and buggy.
Conclusion
Toddlers keep us moms on the move almost constantly (Hallelujah for nap time!). Get creative with what you can do for your young kids when they are playing outside. These 50 fun outdoor activities for toddlers will keep them entertained for awhile.
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