This is the second entry of our summer series on simple outdoor activities for kids! I’ll be posting a new activity as often as possible this summer, so you’ll definitely want to subscribe or follow in the sidebar to keep reading more! This is mostly about things we do with our toddlers and preschoolers, but many are good for any age!
My kids LOVE being outdoors. Even if it is a million degrees out (which it is, most of the time, since we are in Florida, USA). They also love playing with pretty much anything they can find… Which brought me to the conclusion, why not play outside without toys?
Enter the experiment.
At first, all 3 older kiddos (5yo, 3-1/2yo, and 2yo) kind of sulked around the yard. They’d run up to me every few minutes (ok, every few seconds) asking for a particular outdoor toy. I wondered if this was really going to work or if I should just give up and break out the chalk/balls/bikes.
Then #3 started picking up rocks. And #1 found a shell or piece of bark and started digging in our planter box (which has nothing growing in it, sadly, since I have a very black thumb lol… But is great for play). And #2 discovered a pile of pulled up weeds that Daddy hadn’t thrown out yet, and declared, “let’s build a bird nest!”
The scurrying began. Rocks, weeds, twigs, everything was piled into the hole. And imaginations took flight.
Even the littlest wanted to explore in the grass (which works in our yard, but watch out for biting bugs where you are). He loved playing with leaves and other things he found.
This is one of the best ways to encourage imaginative play. Place a kid in a secure environment with things to explore, and let them take off with whatever their little hearts dream up.
What ways do you encourage imagination outdoors, or what other simple outdoor activities do you have to share?
For more fun…
Check out the first part of this series here:
Or our older post about Simple Outdoor Activities for Toddlers & Preschoolers here:
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