The 12 Best Ways to Get Kids Outside

The big hack for helping kids to stay engaged comes down to seeing that place we call the great outdoors as your child’s free pass to adventure. Prioritizing outdoor play and exploration can help kids be healthier, experience better moods, and learn new skills.

While it may seem like a simple concept, many parents struggle with finding safe, productive options for keeping their kids engaged outdoors. The problem is so common that the term nature deficit disorder has been coined to describe how children’s behavior may be suffering from lack of access to outdoor space.

This guide to getting kids outside will cover everything you need to know about fostering safe, fun outdoor adventures for kids all year long!

Why Play Outside?

On average, children ages eight to 12 in the United States spend four to six hours a day watching or using screens, and teens spend up to nine hours, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP).

That fact alone would inspire anyone to find ways to get kids outside. While screen time can offer some benefits for learning and peer engagement, getting kids off their screens to connect with the world around them is critical to their development and well-being.

Physical Benefits

According to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, school-aged children require around three hours of outdoor play each day. According to information shared by Sanford Health, studies show children burn more calories outdoors. This is important for preventing obesity. The sun exposure that kids get while outside provides vitamin D which is crucial for helping to build strong bones and muscles. Additionally, vitamin D can help to prevent some chronic diseases.

“Fifty percent of children ages one to five and 70% of children ages six to 11 have a vitamin D deficiency,” according to a CNBC article published in 2023. Excessive indoor time may be to blame.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) shares that children play harder outdoors than indoors. This allows them to get bigger benefits from play when they step outside. Additionally, the AAP shares that more outdoor time is linked with improved motor development, lower obesity rates, and a reduced risk for myopia (nearsightedness). It’s also known that many outdoor games and activities help to promote coordination, agility, balance, dexterity, and other core motor skills.

In addition to providing many benefits for healthy physical development, outdoor time helps promote brain health and mental health in youngsters. Children who spend time outdoors show reduced symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). One study conducted at the University of Illinois found that children with ADHD demonstrate greater attention after a 20-minute walk in a park. The AAP reveals that research shows children have reduced anger and aggression after spending time in natural settings. Impulse control also improves.

Environmental Appreciation

Little adventures outdoors can help kids develop a big appreciation for the natural environment. Time in nature helps to activate a sense of wonder in children. While kids have spent the majority of childhood in outdoor environments for most of human existence, children today are cut off from nature due to the fact that staying indoors to be entertained is simply easier. Everything from urban development to a culture of fear among parents may be responsible for the fact that children’s access to nature has been dwindling in recent decades.

When kids are able to cultivate a love of nature, they get all the physical, cognitive, and emotional benefits of connecting to the Earth. This appreciation also encourages them to become advocates for preserving nature. A 2017 study exploring the relationship between childhood experiences in nature and young adult environmental attitudes and behaviors found that children who play outdoors are more likely to take steps to protect nature as adults. It just goes to show that the scientists of tomorrow are being made in the parks and playgrounds of today.

Emotional Development

“Spending more time outside playing can also have many positive effects on young children’s emotional development and build their confidence,” according to the Children’s Museum of Sonoma County.

First, we all know that fresh air and sunshine can make us feel better compared to being cooped up in the house. There’s also endless research to back up the link between time spent outdoors and positive emotional development. Researchers believe the emotional benefits of being outdoors are linked with stress reduction and attention restoration. When spending time outdoors, children are also given an opportunity to take risks that help them gain confidence by moving outside of their comfort zones.

Social Interaction

Time spent outdoors doesn’t just help kids connect with nature. It also allows them to connect with peers and neighbors. In an outdoor environment, kids learn how to work together in an unfamiliar setting. While staying indoors to watch shows or play computer games is solitary, outdoor play often involves specific rules and tools that must be shared among a group.

Kids learn how to share, cooperate, take turns, and show respect for others. Additionally, playing in groups can help little ones control their impulses in order to participate with others. This is crucial for developing compassion, empathy, and the ability to learn through trial and error. Of course, making a commitment to getting outside can help the whole family enjoy more social interactions. A simple nightly walk as a family is a great way to get to know the neighbors.

Outside Activity Suggestions

What are some of the best things to do outside with kids? The answer will be different for each family based on the amount of time you have, the amount of space you have to work with, and the things you enjoy doing.

Explore the dropdown tabs below for some easy suggestions to get your kids outside

1. Plant a Garden

Planting your own garden is one of the best gardening and sustainability lessons for kids. If you don’t have yard space for a garden, simply using containers to plant tomatoes, herbs, or flowers on a porch or balcony can still awaken a love of nature. Gardens are great because they require kids to go outside to tend to their crops every single day through to harvest.

Gardenuity offers an adorable “My First Garden” kit for kids to help get them started outside!

2. Have a Water Balloon Fight

Building a love of nature in kids can truly be all fun and games. If your family only has a few minutes in the evenings to enjoy nature, you can have tons of fun by having a water balloon fight in the yard. Save this one for hot days when that water will feel cool and refreshing.

To help avoid messy clean-ups, Soppycid is an awesome reusable water balloon brand!

3. Build a Birdhouse

This activity is best done at the start of spring. If you’re handy, start from scratch with blueprints for a birdhouse. You can also pick out a birdhouse made of unfinished wood that just needs to be painted. Once your birdhouse is complete, hang it from a tree branch or pole to see if a neighborhood bird will take up your offer to nest in the house for the season. You might be treated to the sight of baby birds in a few weeks.

4. Draw a Chalk Mural

Spending an afternoon creating a chalk mural is one of the most satisfying experiences kids can have. You can even make it a competition by giving everyone the same theme to work on. This is essentially a free activity that can keep kids busy for hours.

Joyin has a great chalk kit that is washable and full of jumbo-sized colors!

5. Host a Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt

If your neighborhood is teeming with kids, plan a scavenger hunt that both parents and kids can participate in. Hunt items can include a house that’s a specific color, a certain type of tree, something that flies, something that crawls, and a branch that’s thinner than your finger. This is a fun activity that challenges kids to give the surroundings that they pass by every single day a much closer look.

6. Go Stargazing

The timeless tradition of looking at the stars is something many kids today never experience. Luckily, this is an easy problem to fix. You can even break the no-screen-time rules a little by using stargazing apps online to learn about the positioning of the stars in order to know exactly what you’re looking at in the sky. Plan a sunset picnic that puts you in the right spot to see a wide sky.

7. Build Totems

Head to the nearest shoreline or riverbank to search for semi-flat rocks that can be gathered up in a pile. Next, see how high you can stack them to create totems for others to see when they visit the same place.

8. Paint a Landscape

Bring art supplies to a beautiful nature spot to spend a few hours painting the landscape. Canvases work better than paper for this project because they’re heavy and rigid enough to resist being blown away by the wind.

9. Paint With Leaves and Flowers

This fun activity challenges kids to pick up discarded leaves and flowers from a yard or park. They can use these natural elements instead of brushes to create unique textures on paper. In the fall, kids can use colorful leaves that have fallen to the ground. In the spring, they can search for colorful wildflowers that are in bloom!

10. Do a “Car Wash” for Bikes

Set kids up with some soapy buckets and sponges to encourage them to get their bikes squeaky clean. If they’re feeling ambitious, they can even spread the word around the neighborhood letting everyone know that they’ll be washing bikes for a few dollars each during a specific window of time.

11. Make Fairy Houses

Twigs, moss, leaves, and other outdoor elements can all be used to construct tiny fairy houses in the yard or garden.

12. Do a Nightly Family Stroll

Let’s not forget that a big part of keeping kids entertained without screens comes down to finding fun outdoor activities for the family. Committing to taking a walk as a family every night is a great way to fit in some bonding time without staying cooped up in the house. An evening stroll after dinner provides a great way to get in some activity while temperatures are a bit cooler.

13. Go Sledding

If you live in a climate where it snows, don’t waste sledding opportunities. Exploring the landscape when it’s covered in snow allows kids to have a new perspective. Plan ahead by purchasing sleds or tubes that you can store away until that blissful day when you wake up to a world covered in white!

14. Have a Winter Picnic

Who said you can only enjoy a picnic in the summer? Plan an enchanted wintertime picnic that allows you to sit among the bare trees to enjoy winter’s rawness. The twist with this one is that you’ll plan a menu full of hot foods! Pack away thermoses full of steaming stew, hot chocolate, and other chill-fighting favorites. Just make sure you follow our safety tips below!

Maisonette offers an adorable 25-piece picnic set for kids!

15. Paint Snow

Your yard can be your canvas when it’s covered in white snow! Use food coloring to create artwork over snow. Using food coloring to dye snow, kids can draw pictures, play life-sized games of tic-tac-toe, or simply write their names in different colors!

Outdoor Safety Tips

One of the big culprits behind why too many kids are falling short on outdoor time is apprehension among parents. Parents sometimes discourage their kids from going outside because they fear they could run into danger. In addition to properly supervising kids, there’s plenty parents can do to help make the outdoors safe and enjoyable. Here’s a guide to outdoor safety by season.

Summer

Avoid Heat Stroke

“Children play outside more than adults, and they may be at greater risk of heat stroke and exhaustion because they may lack the judgment to limit exertion during hot weather and to rehydrate themselves after long periods of time in the heat,” according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Signs that a child is already dangerously dehydrated include:

• Decreased physical activity
• Lack of tears when crying
• Dry mouth
• Irritability and fussiness

The first step for preventing heat stroke in children is to make sure they’re drinking plenty of water. Bring water bottles or cold thermoses outside to play. Remind kids to take water breaks even if they don’t feel thirsty. Go inside for cooling breaks when the heat feels too strong.

Be Vigilant Around Water

You can’t talk about yard safety without discussing water safety. If your home has a swimming pool, verify that you have a proper gate system in place to prevent a child from accidentally getting into the water. Pool alarms can also be useful for saving lives. Get your whole family on a unified plan for swimming pool safety before you do anything else to prepare your yard for summer.

Wear Sunscreen

While vitamin D offers great health benefits for kids, the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) light can cause painful sunburn, skin damage, and increased risk of skin cancer. When buying sunscreen for kids, look for products that offer an SPF of 30 or higher, broad-spectrum protection against both UVA and UVB rays, and water resistance.

Wear Protective Gear If Necessary

Consider purchasing some clothing with built-in UV protection. Regular clothing allows UV rays to penetrate through the cloth to reach the skin. Many retailers offer special UV-resistant hats, shirts, and swimsuits that provide extra protection. Just remember that you’ll still need to apply sunscreen to the face, neck, ears, hands, and any other areas of the body that remain exposed.

Spring

Make a Plan for Yard Maintenance

If you expect your kids to play outside, you need to spend time cultivating a kid-friendly yard. Start the process in the spring to avoid becoming overwhelmed by the time nature takes over your yard in the summer. Of course, you’ll need to keep up with ongoing yard maintenance as your yard’s landscape evolves throughout the summer.

Start by taking a look at its perimeter. Do you need to add fencing to prevent kids from encountering traffic? Are there any low areas that collect water that could become infested with bacteria or mosquitoes? Do you need to create a barrier between young children and a pond, stream, or other body of water?

Next, look at the condition of your lawn. Tall grass and weeds can become hiding spots for snakes, biting bugs, ticks, and other common menaces that pose risks for children. If you need to manage weeds and pests, try to use green lawn solutions that don’t rely on chemicals to get results. While fertilizers and pesticides contain ingredients that can be harmful to kids, using grass clippings, seaweed, and compost to feed grass can provide kid-friendly, eco-friendly ways to keep a yard green. You can also consider planting clover in some patches of your grass to enjoy coverage without the need to constantly tend to your yard.

Activate “Bug Control”

Bites from ticks and other insects put kids at risk for rashes, bacterial infections, and Lyme disease. Essential oils can be used as natural pesticides. Thyme, citronella, mint, and eucalyptus are popular options for deterring ticks, flies, and more. If the busyness of life is making it hard for you to keep up with lawn maintenance, consider hiring a lawn care company to help you stay on top of things before your yard becomes hazardous.

Fall

Clear Leaves From the Yard

While the idea of jumping into a pile of leaves seems fun, rotting leaves in the autumn can create risks around your yards. Fallen leaves can contain fungus. In addition, sharp sticks and debris mixed in with leaves can injure kids. Leaf piles can conceal snakes, racoons, and other critters that could bite children if provoked unintentionally. Finally, slippery leaves that are damp from rain can cause falls.

Pack Extra Clothes

Always bring some warm clothes along when gallivanting in the fall. Fall is a tricky season because days are often much warmer than nights. As a result, temperatures can fall quickly once the sun goes down. With the sun setting earlier and earlier each evening in the fall, having backup clothing is important when enjoying outdoor adventures.

Winter

Stay Warm

While there’s something magical about exploring frozen landscapes, it’s important to keep kids properly bundled up. The Mayo Clinic points out that prolonged exposure to any environment colder than your body can lead to hypothermia if you aren’t dressed appropriately. Being young is actually a risk factor for hypothermia because children lose heat faster than adults do. What’s more, children may also ignore the cold because they’re having too much fun! Signs of hypothermia to watch out for include:

• Shivering
• Slurred, confused speech
• Slow, shallow breathing
• Slowed pulse
• Clumsiness
• Drowsiness
• Confusion and disorientation
• Loss of consciousness
• Cold skin

To avoid hypothermia, kids should be dressed warmly without any extremities left exposed. Stay away from situations where children could fall into water. Being left in wet clothes is one of the biggest risk factors for developing hypothermia.

Salt Sidewalks and Walkways

If kids will be playing on your property in snowy or icy weather, have a plan for salting all surfaces. This will drastically reduce risks for slips and falls! However, it is important to inform kids that rock salt used for salting in the winter is toxic for both kids and pets!

Final Thoughts on Getting Kids Outside

Getting kids outside won’t feel like a chore once you start working outdoor activities for the family into the rhythm of the current season. Just remember that danger never takes a seasonal break. Be sure to set your kids up for a healthy, safe outdoor experience with just a little planning.