What to Actually Do Outside 🌳

nine imaginative ways to play

This month’s focus on Peacefulness and Awe might have you thinking, “Okay, fine, I’ll spend more time outside. But what am I supposed to tell my kids to do?”

As discussed on Monday, a rule of thumb on good-weather-days is to ask yourself, “What can my kids and I do outside that we would normally do inside?” Eat? Read? Do art? Play video games? YES! All these experiences tend to be more enjoyable for the senses when you do them outdoors. (Yep, I let my kids have screen time outside sometimes. It hits different 😅)

Another tip is to invite friends. Your kids are much more likely to figure out what to do outside when they have other creative little brains imagining alongside them. A range of ages is ideal!

Let Your Kids Figure Out What To Play

I’ve bought so many books and scoured so many articles to find ideas of what to do outside with kids. But do you know what the best ideas were? The ones that my kids just made up on their own.

Interesting recent research: it can take kids an average of 45 minutes before they figure out what they’re going to play. (Cogorno, 2021)

If you build up the courage to spend a chunk of time outside, and you get there and your kids look around bored and confused, let them. You can say something like, “We are going to stay for at least 90 minutes to get some exercise and enjoy nature. I believe in you; I know you’ll be able to come up with some fun things to play.”

Here are some ideas our kids have come up with:

Bird’s Nest

Simply gather sticks and arrange them into a huge nest. Make flooring out of pine needles, leaves, or moss. Then the kids can go inside and act like little birds. It also works as a playpen for toddlers 😜

Village

Each person has a home and a shop, and the children exchange little seeds/acorns (my kids call them “Dollar Bucks”) for goods and services. Time moves quickly in the village, so every few minutes they all go to sleep for the day and then wake up again. They also have town hall meetings and elect leadership. (Yes, drama typically ensues. It’s an opportunity for them to learn peacemaking skills and humility 😉)

Inventory

It’s fun for kids to just find things and arrange them. It’s incredible that colors from every part of the rainbow are able to be found in nature.

Squishing berries and playing with natural dyes is fun, too. Are some plants toxic? Yep! Be aware of them (especially if you live in Australia 😬) But even if your kids do grab a poison ivy leaf, they’ll probably be okay. Worst-case scenario is usually not really that bad. I’d argue that a sedentary indoor life is a lot riskier in the long-term!

Measuring Cups and Water

Don’t underestimate how much fun a toddler can have with a tub of water and Dollar Tree measuring cups. Sprinkling in some water beads helps! (Older kids can’t resist, either.)

Taco/Sushi Shop

It’s so satisfying to roll up ingredients onto large leaves. Kids can come up with the cutest names for their menu, too. My kids presented me with dishes such as “The Hawaii Special” or “Toucan Tuesday.” (No clue 🤷🏻‍♀️)

Tiny Village

If you bring dolls and stuffed animals out, you can make a village for them. You just have to make everything really small.

Twig Messages

Telling kids to write out words with twigs can keep them busy for awhile.

Drawing in wet sand is fun, too! (Shoutout to our Florida friends!)

Make Cards Outside

Make an encouraging card for someone because natural light is just inspiring…
Plus, no fear of staining the table or floor!

Provide Fun Toys

And, of course, you can buy things like a dodgeball, a kite, or a backyard excavator. You will be very popular with toddlers if your yard has a digger 😅

And remember, though it can take some effort to go outside instead of putting on a movie, you get to sit around and eat fake tacos while your kids don’t mess up your house. It’s a pretty great deal.

Hopefully some of these ideas helped you! You can simply suggest something like “how about you make a village?” and see where they take it. I’d love to hear about what your kids like to play outside!

Warmly,

Hope from Family Scripts

P.S.Could you help spread the word and share this post in a Facebook group that might appreciate it? Thanks!

P.P.S. Contentment and grit are crucial life skills, so I hesitate to say this, but…if you live in an area that’s not rich in nature and outdoor enjoyment, the grass might literally be greener somewhere else. If you feel your family’s health and enrichment are stifled because of your environment, is a move possible? It took our family a lot of sacrifices, years of waiting, and a difficult job transition to be able to move to somewhere with public parks, beautiful seasons, soft grass, and lots of hiking trails, but it’s been almost two years and I’m still blown away with gratitude! Moving doesn’t take away all your problems—and new ones will pop up—but chasing outdoor opportunities might be a worthy reason to uproot and replant your family someday if you’re in an area that’s not conducive to spending lots of time outside. Just a thought! ❤️