School is out and Summer vacation is here! This time of year is a great opportunity for parents to spend some more time with their kids outdoors.
With the warm weather during the summer, the best way to do that is by doing outdoor activities together. Having to plan outdoor activities is more important now than ever.
This is because, in this digital age, children tend to stay inside the home and play games all day long more than playing and creating adventures outside. However, if you are unsure as to what type of outdoor activities you should take advantage with your kids during this summer.
Do keep reading as I will be listing 15 ideas for outdoor summer activities for you to spend more quality time with your children and have endless fun together.
15 Ideas for Outdoor Summer Activities with Children
1.Hiking
Hiking is perhaps one of those staple outdoor activities that is suitable for the summer. Not only is it a good way to spend time together with your children but it’s also a very healthy activity for all ages.
Not only will you encourage your kids to lead a healthy lifestyle at a very young age but also over the long term it could help with their well being. However, hiking with young children can be challenging for them and yourself so if you choose to go hiking,
Ensure that the trail is suitable for children, gear them up properly, picking the right day/time to go, pack a lot of water/snacks, sunscreen, and first aid kit in case something unexpected happens.
2.National Park
If you are looking for an activity that is less challenging for your children and that takes almost no preparation. Then take them to the national park, such activity would be really fun for them.
Seeing the different animals close-up can be really fascinating especially when you are young. Plus, bringing them to the national park would also help foster their love for nature which is a great thing to do. Due to all the pollution at the moment it is good to raise your children to care more about animals and the environment in general.
3.Swimming
Swimming is also another great outdoor activity. You can either set a kiddy pool in your backyard for them to play around or you could also bring them to a swimming complex where they can swim around.
Or if they don’t already know how to swim you can take them to swimming lessons over the summer. Swimming also benefits them a lot in terms of health, mental development, social skills as well as confidence. Plus it is a must-have skill in my opinion.
4.Water Park
If your children already know how to swim and you know that they find it boring to just swim in a pool. Then a better option would be to bring them to a water park.
Where there is plenty of activity to do and good food where you can spend time together. I guess the issue here is that it can be dangerous or you’re worried about them. But water parks do have activities that are suitable for children.
5.Bike Riding
Again this is yet another activity that is very good for health. Not only the bike ride itself can be really fun for them but having to go to the bike shop and have them choose the bike that they want can be a really good bonding experience.
Again you want to ensure their safety so equip them with the necessary gear and choose a bike trail that is suitable for them.
6.Fort Building
Fort building can be a really fun activity too. I mean it makes for a great childhood memory as I personally remember building a fort when I was younger with my father and I had loads of fun playing in them.
Now, if you find it too much of a hassle to build a fort you can opt for a fort kit. However, much of the fun comes from building the fort itself too so it depends on how you want to go about it.
7.Walk-In The Park
Outdoor activities don’t necessarily mean that you need to do something that is well planned out or fancy. Sometimes it can also be something as simple as taking a walk in the park.
While you take your dog for a walk you can also bring your children along. Just breathing the fresh air and enjoying the sun, taking a break from all the gaming that they’ve been doing can be a really good thing as well.
8.Kayaking
Kayaking is yet another activity that can be fun. In addition to having fun with your children, it can also be beneficial for the parents as well as it helps you to leave all your cares, stresses, and problems away for that moment.
And you can just enjoy nature at its finest. However, you want to ensure that your kid shares a kayak with an adult and you want to sit at the backseat. As the backseat is the one in charge of steering.
9.Picnic
Another fun activity to do is to go for a picnic. There is something about enjoying good food outdoors that makes it much more satisfying. Plus to make it more fun you can also invite other family members to join in.
This can be a great opportunity for your children to get to know their cousins as well.
10.Painting
Painting could be a really fun activity too. Just purchase a few buckets, paintbrushes and watercolors then let the go to the backyard and paint their clubhouse or just give them something to paint/draw in.
Or if you don’t already have a clubhouse you can build one and let them draw and paint on it.
11.Backyard Science Experiment
A more creative way to go about your outdoor activity is to do a simple science experiment in the backyard. Look for something that is fun but at the same time safe.
It could be a learning lesson for them as well as a fascinating experience too.
12.Playing Group Games (Tag, Freeze Tag, Red Light/Green Light, Etc)
Young children love playing group games and chances are they are already playing them in school. So, you could either come up with a game to play with them in the backyard or just join in on their games.
The key here is to initiate the games with them. A lot of times parents get left out in their games because they tend to not have any interest in them but group games can be a good way to spend time with your children.
13.Playing Sports
If you have a big enough backyard you can set up 2 soccer goals and buy a soccer ball and play with them. Or alternatively, you can either build a basketball court or buy a portable basketball hoop and play with them.
The sports activity of your choice doesn’t necessarily need to be basketball or soccer it can be anything that you think is doable. Alternatively, if you have a nearby sports complex then you can bring them there and play some sports.
14.Nature Adventures
You could also plan a nature adventure trip where there is plenty of outdoor activity to do. Depending on the packages the tour company offers some nature adventure activities consist of visiting waterfalls, castles, and caves.
It will also be more fun if it’s located outside of the country as it is a chance for your children to see the world a little bit more. So, when they grow up they are able to see the world from a broader perspective in comparison to their peers.
15.Camping
Another fun activity but requires a lot of preparation is camping. You can either choose to camp at campsites where you are required to make a lot of preparations or you can just choose to camp in the backyard which can be fun too.
It’s a fun activity because you can enjoy nature, eat good food, enjoy marshmallows at the campfire and best of all spend some quality time together.