According to APA.org, “Spending time in nature is linked to both cognitive benefits and improvements in mood, mental health and emotional well-being.” What better gift can you give a child than that? Several years ago, I lead my daughter’s Girl Scout troop. Every summer my troop members would earn their “Girl Scouts Love the Outdoors Challenge” patch. It was my favorite activity that we did all year. We are no longer Girl Scouts, but we still make playing outdoors a priority. As soon as school dismissed this year, I started this list of over 100 outdoor nature activities for kids. I am sharing our list below in hopes that you will be inspired to use it to set your own outdoor goals this summer.

Get a FREE Printable Copy of the Challenge👇🏼

Have fun checking off as many as you can this summer with this printable checklist of 100 Outdoor Nature Activities for Kids.

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Suggestions for How to Use this List of Outdoor Nature Activities for kids

I am in no way anti-technology for kids. In fact, my day job revolves around enhancing learning in the classroom with the use of technology. However, I do strongly believe in media balance and work to make sure my kids have other options other than spending hours a day on technology. One way I do this is with challenges and personal goal setting. From this list, I asked my kids to set a goal for themselves related to how many they would like to try and complete this summer. They decided on 50! My kids will take turns picking the activities they want us to do. We have a printed copy of the list hanging on the refrigerator and are checking them off as we go.

This list could also be a fun way to make a boredom jar. All parents dread the summer “I’m bored” chant. I am a believer that it is ok to let your kids to get bored, so that they have the opportunity to fall into natural creative rhythms of play. However, there is nothing wrong with giving them little idea nudges every once in a while. Write the activities from this list that you would like to do with your family on slips of paper and place them in a jar. When the boredom bell rings, let a child draw a slip and commit to doing whatever is drawn in the moment.

Outdoor Nature Activities for Kids: Parks

✓ Visit a state park

✓ Visit a national park

✓ Make a nature map of a nearby local park

✓ Hike a nature trail

✓ Identify poison oak, sumac, and ivy

✓ Pick up trash at a park

✓ Sit quietly for three minutes in nature and listen

✓ Visit a new park in a neighboring town

✓ Go on a nighttime nature scavenger hunt

✓ Collect leaves on a nature walk and make leaf rubbings

✓ Forest bathing (just spending time in a forest)

Outdoor Nature Activities for Kids: Water

✓ Observe underwater life

✓ Pick up trash at a beach

✓ Go fishing

✓ Learn a new swim stroke

✓ Float on a raft or on your back in water

✓ Kayak or canoe

✓ Paddle board

✓ Go white water rafting

✓ Feed birds

✓ Go for a boat ride

✓ Build a sandcastle

✓ Build and float a paper boat

✓ Learn to skip rocks

✓ Take a family walk on the beach or by a river and collect nature items

✓ Make a seashell mobile

✓ Host a pool party

Outdoor Nature Activities for Kids: Outdoor Sports and Games

✓ Sand or water Volleyball

✓ Horseshoes

✓ Have some piñata fun

✓ Host an outdoor Bunco game

✓ Giant yard games such as Jenga, 4-in-a-row, Checkers, or Chess

✓ Corn hole

✓ Basketball

✓ Four-square, Dodge Ball, or Kick Ball

✓ Baseball or Wiffle Ball

✓ Hopscotch

Outdoor Nature Activities for Kids: Nature Art

✓ Paint a landscape or underwater scene accenting the different colours of nature (We love these mini canvases)

✓ Write a poem about the beauty of nature

✓ Photograph nature or wildlife

✓ Make a gift for a friend that is inspired by the love of nature

✓ Make a wonders of nature video

✓ Write and perform an outdoor play

✓ Or try one of these from MotherNatured.com

Outdoor Nature Activities for Kids: Cooking and Recipes

✓ Try a new campfire recipe

✓ Learn to cook on a grill (older kids)

✓ Make S’mores

✓ Make your own trail mix

✓ Make walking tacos

✓ Or try one of these from Huffpost.com

Outdoor Nature Activities for Kids: Almost Anywhere

✓ Meditate in nature for five minutes

✓ Make a map of your neighborhood & star your favorite places

✓ Splash in a puddle or dance in the rain

✓ Go Geocaching

✓ Plant a tree

✓ Listen to a mental wellness podcast outside

✓ Listen to birds and identify them by their call

✓ Listen to insects and identify them by their sound

✓Fly a kite

✓Create or restock your first aid kit

✓ Go on a bike ride

✓ Use a compass

✓Draw a constellation

✓ Read a book outdoors

✓ Enjoy the sun rise and sun set on the same day

✓ Learn how to use a pocketknife (older kids)

✓ Identify three bird species

✓ For one week, draw the moon phases

✓ Star gaze and identify a planet

✓ Make a leave no trace video

✓ Count how many trees are on your street

✓ Photograph a butterfly in flight

✓ Play a board game outside

✓ Have a Nerf or laser tag battle outside

✓ Go on a picnic

✓ Hula hoop outdoors

✓ Create sidewalk chalk art

✓ Play with bubbles

✓Go on a sunrise or sunset walk with your family

✓ Do a tree bark rubbing

✓ Photograph dew or rain drops on plants

✓ Make an outdoor obstacle course

✓ Go camping (Check out some of our favorite camping spots here)

✓ Identify a tree by looking at its bark

✓ Have a water gun or water balloon fight

✓ Build and fly paper airplanes

✓ Take a nap in a hammock

✓ Go metal detecting

✓ Make a milk carton bird feeder

✓ Paint rocks and hide them for others to find

✓ Make natural bird feeders from pinecones

✓ Observe tiny living things with a magnifying glass

✓ Make mud pies (younger kids)

✓ Make a bracelet from items found on your nature walk

✓ Use natural materials to make a wreath like this one from pine needles

✓ Start your own nature journal and sit outside as you write about each of the outdoor adventures on this list that you complete

✓ Go on an egg carton nature scavenger hunt (Great for young kids)

✓ Climb a tree

✓ Start a herb, vegetable or flower garden

✓ Do bark rubbings (great activity for young children)

✓ Develop fine motor skills by practicing knot tying

✓ Rope and tire swing

✓ Go on an outdoor photo scavenger hunt

Outdoor Nature Activities for Kids: Other Places

✓ Visit a botanical garden

✓ Visit a butterfly garden

✓ Do yoga outside at sunrise or sunset

✓ Visit a ranch and go horseback riding

✓ Shop at a local farmer’s market

✓ Try archery (older children)

✓ Observe a bat colony

✓ Take a cavern tour

✓ Go on a city scavenger hunt

✓ Pick berries

✓ Visit a zoo

✓ Attend and outdoor concert or listen to /play music outside

Documenting Your Summer Challenge Journey

Lastly, consider having family members create their own nature journals or field guides. Here are a few documenting ideas.

• Create digital journals on your tablet. This can make things super easy if you are taking photos with the same device.
• If you enjoy creating a physical scrapbook, a summer outdoor challenge scrapbook would be a special project to complete together.
• Collect photos and video interviews of your kids as you go along. Use the files to create a memory video at the end of the summer. I personally like Apple Clips and iMovie
• Even a basic notebook or store bought journal would work. Just make sure you find some way to capture the memories.
• Need inspiration for what to put in your nature journal? Check out Clare Walker Leslie‘s book Keeping a Nature Journal

Outdoor Nature Activities for Kids: Precautions and Supplies

General Precautions

Stay on the path when hiking

Know what poison ivy, oak, and sumac look like

Always be aware of snakes

Make sure kids are supervised at all times near water and don’t let them explore the woods alone

Remember the leave no trace guide lines: Dispose of your waste properly, leave what you find, minimize campfire impacts, and respect wildlife

Bring a flashlight or lantern for night hikes

Stay hydrated. Pack your water!

Sun and Bug Protection

Long sleeve SPF Shirts

Sunglasses

Hats

Broad-spectrum sunscreen, SPF 15 or higher, even when it’s cloudy

Bug lotion, spray, bracelets, or stickers

First aid kit that includes Benadryl, Itch cream, whistle, and bandaids

Weather Packing Considerations

Grab a jacket or rain poncho if the weather looks iffy

Hiking boots, good walking shoes, or durable sandals

Communication Considerations

Let other people know where you are going, especially if you’re going alone into a remote area

Charge your phone in case you need a map or to call someone

Take external battery chargers

Bring along walkie talkies if going into an area where cell reception is might not be an option 

Stay with a buddy

Conclusion

According to WebMD’s article “Heath Benefits of Getting Outside” reviewed by Carmelita Swiner, MD, “Even a simple plant in the room, or pictures of nature, can make you feel less anxious, angry, and stressed. But it’s better if you get out of that room and go out. Exercise is good for anxiety too. But it’s even better if you do it outside, compared to inside a gym. Sunlight helps keep your serotonin levels up. [Vitamin D from the sun is] important for bones, blood cells, and immune systems. It also helps your body absorb more of certain minerals, like calcium and phosphorus. This helps raise your energy and keeps your mood calm, positive, and focused.” Something we all can use.

Even though I tried to categorize them, several of the activities in this list can be done in multiple places, including your own backyard. Choose 50 like my kids did, choose 30, or just do a few of your favorites multiple times. It does not matter how you do it. Kids will get these same benefits even from simple free outdoor play and fresh air. Commit to spending 1-2 hours outside everyday this summer to experience all the benefits that come along with spending time in nature.

Let’s Share Our Adventure Stories With Each Other

Join me in inspiring others to get outside. Tag us on social media with #ChampagneOnDeck as you post about all your summer outdoor activities. It’s a great way for me to follow your adventures and know that this post is impacting others. I love to highlight my readers blogs, websites, and social accounts by sharing your posts, promoting your outdoor stories, and seeing your fun activities. Let’s be friends online!

Our Week 1 Outdoor Challenge Activities👇🏼

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Sources

“Health Benefits of Getting Outside.” WebMD, WebMD, 29 June 2021, https://www.webmd.com/balance/ss/slideshow-health-benefits-nature. 

Weir, Kristen. “Nurtured by Nature.” Monitor on Psychology, American Psychological Association, 1 Apr. 2020, https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/04/nurtured-nature. 

“Girl Scouts Love the Outdoors Challenge: Girl Scouts.” Girl Scouts of the USA, Girl Scouts of the United States of America, 2022, https://www.girlscouts.org/en/activities-for-girls/for-every-girl/girl-scouts-love-the-outdoors-challenge.html.