1. have a picnic
2. play in a creek or creek walk 3. fly a kite 4. toss a ball or frisbee 5. enjoy a playground 6. find symmetry in nature 7. listen to the river or a creek flow 8. watch and listen to birds and try to identify them 9. listen to the breeze in the trees 10. relax and do nothing 11. take a bike ride 12. play with your shadow 13. build a snowman or a snow fort 14. geocache 15. disconnect from electronics 16. make bark or leaf rubbings with crayons or chalk 17. play with a dog 18. watch the sunset or enjoy the sunrise 19. roll down a hill 20. read a book 21. try a nature scavenger hunt 22. stargaze and identify constellations or make up your own 23. skip rocks 24. hula hoop 25. draw or write in the sand or snow or dirt 26. use sticks to create your name 27. try slacklining (use tree safe straps) 28. find a place with a grill (or take one along) and cook-out 29. play a game |
30. rock stack and build a cairn (return them when done)
31. volunteer 32. try an outdoor workout 33. make leaf art on the ground and take a picture 34, organize a hike and take your friends 35. play pick up sticks with sticks you find 36. have a sing along 37. chase bubbles 38. use a compass 39. make a video 40. use a magnifying glass to see the tiny things 41. make plaster casts of nature tracks 42. splash in a puddle 43. make mud sculptures or mudpies 44. enjoy a hammock (use tree safe straps) 45. try outdoor yoga 46. look for and identify scat and tracks 47. play flashlight tag 48. daydream 49. journal 50. look for 4 leaf clovers 51. relax or read in hammock (use tree safe straps) 52. have a campfire and make s'mores 53. cartwheel or somersault 54. try forest bathing 55. play in the rain 56. build a stick fort 57. learn to be still... |
1000 Hours Outside hundreds of outdoor ideas and hiking prompts Discover the Forest wide variety of easy-to-use, family-friendly activities for enjoying the outdoors Illinois Department of Natural Resources Publications outdoor activities, posters & brochures National Wildlife Federation Ranger Rick Nature Notebook activities for helping children learn about the natural world Together in Nature: Pathways To A Stronger, Closer Family outdoor ideas and activities for family bonding with children of all ages Seasonal Activities Spring/Summer: beetles, mud, fireflies, birds, ponds, milkweed, peepers and more Fall: bats, pinecones, pumpkins, hibernation, leaves and more Winter: read tracks in the snow, learn how snow forms, identify trees in winter and more The Art of Sauntering games and activities for hiking |
National Forest Service Adventure Guide for Children activities for becoming a junior forest ranger US Forest Service Kids activities with Smokey Bear, Woodsy Owl and more Thriving Through Nature, Fostering Children's Executive Function Skills nature-based activities for improving executive function in children of all ages Walking in the Forest Family Activities (name that tree, evegreens in winter, ecosystems, seeds, how plants grow, fallen logs, invasive species, tree cookies, tree lifecycle, leaves) Exploring a Local Park Family Activities (name that tree, value of a tree, tree health, tree parts, pollution search, adopt a tree, tree buds, signs of fall, and more!) |
Green Hour Program resources and ideas to encourage children to spend an hour per day learning and playing in nature Learn about Cranes activities from the International Crane Foundation |