With summer here in full force, you might be wondering how to get the kids outside more. It can be hard to find outdoor activities for kids that everyone will enjoy. If they are anything like mine, they would much rather stay inside playing video games all day. Or binge-watching YouTube all day and night. But all hope is not lost, mom. There are a lot of different outside activities for kids that you can do they will love.
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Fun With Water
Let’s face it, it is hot in the summer and this can make it difficult to get kids outside to play. There are a bunch of different things you can do with the kids outside with just a water hose and a few other items.
- DIY Slip and Slide– Sure you can buy one from the store. But it is more fun to make your own and can be cheaper too. All you really need is plastic sheeting or a tarp. A few wooden stakes to secure it and then add water for hours of fun. This article from Fatherly lays out the exact steps to take if you want to make the best DIY slip and slide for kids.
- Water gun/balloon fights– Okay this one might be a little pricier, but still good for at least a few hours of outside fun. You can get cheaper water guns/balloons from just about anywhere. You can spend big bucks on fancy ones, or if you are on a budget then get a bunch of cheaper ones at the dollar store.
- Sprinkler/hose– This is a must for outdoor activities for kids. You can just sit back relax in the sun and spray anyone that comes to close. This actually is one that I like to do. While I sit out side the kids try to sneak up on me. Whoever gets caught gets sprayed with the hose. But if they manage to sneak up on me they get to spray me and take my spot. I also like to hook up a simple sprinkler for them to run around in.
Airsoft/Nerf Fights
These are best for older kids because there are a lot of rules involved for safety.
What you need to get started
- Safety Glasses– Even if you are playing with nerf guns you need to use them. We also have rules for where shots are allowed, but make sure that everyone has on safety glasses is the most important thing.
- Movable Terrain– Things like old pallets and tires as long as they are in good shape and not dangerous are great for this. They can stack them to make things to hide behind or make them into a wall fort for defense.
- Plenty of ammo– Luckily this is not that expensive. You can get a pack 2000 airsoft pellets for pretty cheap. A pack of 100 to 200 extra Nerf darts is reasonably priced too.
Obstacle course
This is fun for anyone I think. You can use pallets, old tires and just about anything else you can find. The point is to get creative with getting them outside and moving. Arrange pallets so they can climb up or down them. You can usually find them at local hardware stores for cheap or better yet FREE! Pool noodles are another cheap item you can use. Bend and stake them to the ground for something to crawl through. The idea is to give them about four to five activities to go through for fun.
Related Reading: Why Video Games Are Good For Kids and Why Classic Toys Are Better For Kids
Classic Outdoor Kids Games
Games that have been around forever are great to introduce kids to. Many of them may not have even heard of so it’s all new to them. Games like freeze tag, red light green light, and if you have extra kids around duck, duck goose. If you can’t remember the rules you can check online for them. These games are all meant to get kids up and moving around and are a great way to get them outside in the summer. You can also come up with your own games by combining other ones together. Just do a mix and match of different games to come up with the perfect outdoor game for your kids.
Other Outside Activities for Kids
The best thing about playing outside with your kids is that the sky is literally the limit. There are many different types of games to play and a bunch of activities that you can do. You can pretend to be explorers and go on a scavenger hunt. Or play pirates to find buried treasure.
Some other activities
- Bubble blowing
- Sidewalk art
- Hide and seek
- Climbing trees
- Races on foot
Final thoughts
The important thing is to get the kids outside of the house for a little bit. They may grumble and complain at first. But they will soon forget about it once the fun starts. The best part about many of these outdoor activities for kids is that they allow the imagination to run wild. The best thing to do is to see what kinds of things they would like to do. I currently have a teen and a tween. My boys are super into Airsoft and nerf guns right now so that is what they do most of the time. But when it is super hot outside they break out the water hose and go wild.
I hope you enjoyed this list of 5 fun outside activities for kids! Of there are any other games you can think of let me know in the comments!