20 Fun Outdoor Family Activities With Kids

Summer is the perfect time to get outside and indulge in some healthy, fun activities with your kids. The warm weather brings with it a wonderful relaxed, feelgood atmosphere, no doubt partly in thanks to the natural high that comes from getting some extra vitamin D – the sunshine vitamin.

During the school holidays, the great outdoors can offer some wonderful opportunities for exercise, fresh air and extended family bonding. Some of my best childhood memories involve outdoor activities like camping, hiking, bike riding and visiting the beach. And the best thing about many of these kinds of pastimes is that they are free (or relatively inexpensive)!

Here is a list of some of our favorite and fun outdoor family activities that we think have the potential to create some great memories.

From mini golf to kite flying, there’s bound to be something here to please everyone (or at least give you a great jumping off point for some family fun).

So why not make the most of your upcoming weekend, and devise a plan to incorporate at least one (or more!) of these fun outdoor family activities!

1. Hide and Seek – This is a great way for your kids to run and explore but within the safety of your own home.
2. Gardening – Teach your little ones about planting trees, watering, weeding and looking after a garden.
3. Hiking – Get some exercise and fresh air by taking a family hike in the woods and appreciating the beauty and majesty of nature.
4. Mini Golf – This is a fun family activity that involves an element of skill and adds a bit of friendly competition into proceedings.
5. Frisbee Tossing – Try tossing a frisbee around. It not only develops gross motor skills but also burns extra energy. You can even involve the family dog if you want to!
6. Painting Canvas – Set up a canvas outside and let your child paint.
7. Bike Ride – There is nothing more bonding than taking a family bike ride together.
8. Scavenger Hunt – Plan a fun nature scavenger hunt in the backyard. You could even turn it into a bit of a contest to see who can find the most things.
9. Indoor/Outdoor Games – Do things you would normally do inside but take it outside such as play board games, have a pillow fight or set up an outdoor cinema.
10. Water Balloon – A good old fashioned water balloon fight is great exercise and is much less messy outdoors.
11. Camping – Have a backyard campout – make oven s’mores, toast marshmallows and look at the stars just as you would do if camping in the woods.
12. Obstacle Course – Turn your backyard into an obstacle course – whoever gets through the obstacle first, wins!
13. Drive-in – Pack a picnic dinner and head to the drive-in to watch a family flick together. Choose a feelgood movie for plenty of smiles or a comedy for a good dose of belly laughs.
14. Nature Notebook – Keep track of what you find during your nature walk and document it in a nature notebook.
15. Kite Flying – Kids loving flying kits and it’s a classic daytime beach activity.
16. Hopscotch – Draw a hopscotch board on the sidewalk with chalk and get the kids jumping!
17. Picnic – Plan a picnic in your backyard, local park or beach.
18. Pinecone Bird Feeder – Make a bird feeder out of a large pinecone, add peanut butter or suet and birdseed, and watch the birds come to your yard.
19. Classic Water Gun Fight – There’s nothing like a classic water gun fight. Each player has a water gun, or you could even add in some water balloons for a fun and refreshing day.
20. Berry Picking – Take your kids to a berry farm and show them how to pick the berries, and learn where they come from and how they end up on the table.