Great Outdoor Activities For Kids

The summer has officially started now the kids have finished school until September. While it’s great to be able to enjoy the season with the whole family, the idea of finding stuff for your little ones to do for an entire six weeks may already have you pulling your hair out.

You may have some standby days out up your sleeve for when you get a bit desperate, there are plenty of things you can do with your kids to keep them entertained, without you having to break the bank.

In fact, it doesn’t take a lot to get your kids outside and having fun getting their hands dirty. Not only will this stop them spending too much time in front of the TV, it also means they’ll be getting plenty of vitamin D, using their imagination and enjoying themselves all the while.

They could even make new friends who might help keep your kids out from under your feet for a bit – which means you can enjoy the summer too!

Here are some great activities you can get your little ones doing outside:

Telling your children that you’re all going to go on a walk somewhere is probably a good way to get them grumbling and acting up. However, if you tell them you’re all going on a scavenger hunt, they’ll probably be super excited – even though we know both things are basically the same!

All you need to do is write a list of things your kids need to find based on where you’re going. If you’re off to the beach, this can be things like a shell and a pebble, while a walk in the woods could mean they need to find a leaf and a flower.

Once they’ve found everything on the list, they can have a little treat. You can even make a day of it by packing up a picnic for lunch.

Those of you who are lucky enough to live by the beach or who are heading to one while on holiday this summer can do a lot to make the trip fun. Not only can you have a scavenger hunt, you can also get your kids to try out their artistic talents by creating sand sculptures.

Rather than the typical sandcastles, get your little ones to build other things that are related to the seaside. This will get them thinking about the various types of fish and animals they may find at the beach or even mythical creatures like mermaids.

They can then build their choice out of sand and use things like pebbles, shells and seaweed to add more details. Finish the activity off with an ice cream and you’ll be onto a winner!

Can’t get to the beach this summer? You can still let your kids have fun splashing around in your garden. All you need is a paddling pool to pop in your garden, which is the perfect thing to have to hand for hot days.

Just fill the paddling pool up and that’s pretty much it! You can add water play toys into the mix too, which will make things more interesting and ensure your little ones are entertained for longer. When you’re done for the day, just empty the water and pack the pool away.

It’s important to remember, though, that you should always be with your children when they are playing in the water in order to keep them safe and that they should have sunscreen reapplied throughout the day.

If you’ve got slightly older children who struggle to be separated from their computer games, why not make the most of one of the biggest crazes of the season? Pokemon Go has taken the world by storm and is a great way to get stroppy teens out of the house and into the sunshine.

You can go on family Pokemon hunts, which will require everyone to walk around a fair bit and will help you all have fun together. It doesn’t matter what age your kids are, they’re sure to love getting involved, not least because you can take photos of them standing beside their favourite Pokemon.

All you need is a smartphone – and maybe a portable charger so you don’t run out of battery power – and comfortable shoes to enjoy this new game.