6 DIY Outdoor Activities for Kids

Springtime for our family means practically living outdoors. With triple degree weather looming here in Arizona and threatening our outdoor fun, we’re soaking in all of the fresh air we can get. I recently shared some of Logan’s favorite DIY indoor activities and now that the weather is too beautiful to stay inside, I thought I’d share his favorite DIY outdoor activities with you. These are all easy and cheap ideas to engage your children. I didn’t say they were mess free though, but what’s the fun in that?

1. Dinosaur Ice Age Activity: Freeze a few miniature toy dinosaurs in silicon baking cups filled with water. Place age blocks in a large non-breakable bowl and let your child explore ways to melt the ice. I gave my toddler a potato masher and he spent almost an hour trying to break the ice. We also checked out a few dinosaur related books from the library to go along with this activity.

2. Edible Finger Paint: Add different colored food coloring to vanilla pudding cups and let your child finger paint a masterpiece. The best part is that this activity can also double as a snack.

3. Water Painting: Fill a bowl with water, hand your child a paint brush and head outside to “paint” on the sidewalk. Practice painting letters and numbers.

4. Jello Sensory Bin: Fill a large tub full of jello and allow your child to explore. Add in spoons and other kid-friendly kitchen gadgets to make this activity even more interesting.

5. Outdoor Scavenger Hunt: Take photos ahead of time of items that can be found in your backyard, such as a tree or bird feeder. Give the photos to your child and have him search for the items in the photos. This activity is fun for just about any age. My almost 2 year old loves walking around the backyard searching for different objects.

6. Feed The Animals: Gather up some bread crumbs and head to the duck pond or you can make a bird feeder out of an old toilet paper roll, peanut butter and bird seed. Check out Katie’s bird feeder tutorial for more information.

What are some of your favorite outdoor activities to do with your children?