100 Outdoor Activities To Do With Your Kids :: Ultimate Summer Bucket List

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The weather is getting warmer, which means it’s time to get outside! I don’t know about you, but I long for spring and summer when we can spend most of our time outdoors. My kids are the happiest and the most content when we are playing outside, especially when we do fun things as a family. As we head into spring and summer, you might be feeling overwhelmed about your kids being out of school AGAIN, or maybe your kids never went back and you’re running out of things to do with them. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered! Here are 100 kid-friendly outdoor activities to do with your kids this summer.

100 Kid-Friendly Outdoor Activities

1. Have a Picnic
2. Go to a Park
3. Go on a Nature Walk
4. Swim in a pool or lake
5. Visit a beach
6. Plant a fruit or veggie garden – you could also plant an herb garden
7. Create a fairy garden – a fairy garden starter kit is a great way to spark creativity
8. Go boating – rent a boat or do a sunset cruise
9. Explore a new city
10. Play i spy – wildlife, insects, or nature
11. Draw with sidewalk chalk or sidewalk paint
12. Water table play or water sensory bin – check out this blog post all about sensory bins
13. Run through a sprinkler – create a rainbow with a hose
14. Play in a sandbox – build your own or create one with a sensory bin
15. Ride bikes
16. Fly Kites
17. Blow bubbles
18. Play Backyard Games – build your own with these step-by-step directions for Yardzee, Dominoes, Tic-Tac-Toe
19. Hula Hoop
20. Roller Skate
21. Hopscotch
22. Outdoor painting/crafts – paint the scenery or use nature to paint (leaves, twigs, flowers, etc)
23. Make a bird feeder with pinecones, peanut butter, and birdseed
24. Have a bonfire and make smores
25. Make homemade popsicles and eat them outside
26. Have a water balloon fight
27. Play wiffle ball or t-ball
28. Make mud pies or mud sculptures
29. Have a nature photoshoot
30. Stargaze
31. Make fresh squeezed lemonade and make a lemonade stand
32. Find cloud shapes
33. Lay in a hammock – read a book
34. Camp in the backyard or plan a camping trip
35. Paint Rocks
36. Try a new sport
37. Bowl in the dark – fill 2 liter bottles with glow sticks
38. Catch lightning bugs
39. Go berry picking at a local farm
40. Play flashlight tag
41. Play putt putt
42. Jump rope – learn a trick
43. Play simon says
44. Play red light, green light
45. Paint flower pots
46. Plant flowers
47. Make twig frames
48. Create a nature journal – draw pictures of things you see outside or collect leaves and flowers to tap into your journal
49. ABC scavenger hunt – find something that starts with every letter of the alphabet
50. Shaving cream wars
51. Skip rocks at a local creek or pond
52. Climb a tree
53. Go kayaking or canoeing
54. Have a trike/bike wash
55. Make rain art – smash up old or broken chalk pieces and sprinkle it on the sidewalk. watch what happens
56. Create a boat and float it
57. Create paper airplanes and fly them on a breezy day
58. Design your own obstacle course in the backyard
59. Egg drop – make a safe structure for your egg and see how high you can drop it from without breaking
60. Dig for worms
61. Visit a local farmers market
62. Play at a local splash bad or make your own
63. Go to the zoo
64. Visit a theme park
65. Go horseback riding
66. Build a sandcastle
67. Crayon rubbings – put different objects under your paper, color the paper with a crayon, and see what design the leave behind. you could also put paper on different surfaces to see what it leaves behind
68. Build an outdoor fort
69. Make a slip n’ slide – use a tarp, dish soap, and garden use.
70. Bird watching
71. Dance in the rain
72. Watch the sunrise or sunset
73. Visit somewhere new
74. Go to a local festival
75. Find four leaf clovers
76. Walk a preserve or nature trail
77. Go on an eco tour
78. Have a backyard movie night
79. Play capture the flag
80. Organize a neighborhood game
81. Host a themed playdate
82. Go geocaching
83. Visit a local farm
84. Go to a petting zoo
85. Create a treasure map – hide treasure somewhere in your backyard or that park, create a map and have someone else look for your treasure.
86. Have a bike parade – decorate bikes and ride around your neighborhood
87. Go shell hunting
88. Go for a hike
89. Play board games or card games outside
90. Have a grill out
91. Collect rocks/leaves
92. Plant a tree
93. Go to an outdoor show or concert
94. Go to a carnival or fair
95. Read a book under a tree
96. Go sightseeing around your town/city
97. Have an ice cream or shaved ice date
98. Go fishing
99. Jump on a trampoline
100. Play your own version of survivor

You can print out or write down these ideas and see how many you can fit into your summer, or you could use this as a guide to create your own summer bucket list. Another great way to use it is to create adventure jars. I would create three jars – home adventures, local adventures, vacation adventures. Write each adventure on a slip of paper, fold it up, and drop it into the jar. When your kids are bored or you are trying to plan your week, let your kids pick out of the adventure jar. Wide mouth jars are the best to use for this because your hand fits in and out easily. For a little extra fun, you can grab some chalk markers and let your kids decorate the jars. Make that #101!

There are so many unique ways to make connections with your kids and have a blast this summer. Remember, these years go by quickly and you will never get this summer back. If you use this list, tag us on instagram so we can see all of your adventures and share!

Happy Summer!