1st Grade Outdoor Activities
First grade is a year of firsts: your child's first full day of school, the first time she'll write a small story herself, and the first time she'll read a complete book cover to cover. We've got dozens of wacky reading and math activities, cool science experiments, and indoor and outdoor games to keep the learning fun.
Got that party fever? Looking for a crafty distraction for a warm day? Few things are as fun for kids as a piñata, and it's easy-as-pie to make your own!
First graders are eager to learn about science - especially using large objects to observe like clouds. Let your child daydream a little and use those science and writing skills, too!
More outdoor activities for 1st grade:
Paint for Learning at "Sidewalk School"
Help your child practice new writing and math skills with a fun outdoor activity that will have your child teaching you! By using watercolor paints to practice writing letters, sentences, and math problems, your child will practice essential first grade skills in his "Sidewalk School."
Practice Stick Writing!
First graders will get a kick out of creating a written message and practicing their letters using sticks they find in nature. This also helps to practice their letter formation and handwriting strokes.
Chalk it Up! An Outdoor Classification Activity
Classifying and sorting into groups is also a large part of the first grade math curriculum. The outdoors offers an abundance of learning tools for children, and classifying in the natural world gives your child an added lesson in scientific observation and classification.
Get Your Head in the Clouds!
First graders are eager to learn about science - especially using large objects to observe like clouds. Let your child daydream a little and use those science and writing skills, too!
Sandbox Math Sticks
One of the goals for first graders is to memorize basic addition and subtraction math facts by the end of the year. Practice in the sandbox with this fun outdoor math activity!
Make a Pinata!
Got that party fever? Looking for a crafty distraction for a warm day? Few things are as fun for kids as a piñata, and it's easy-as-pie to make your own!
Play Story Ball: A Reading Comprehension Game
Take a regular old beach ball, a sharpie marker, and a first grader. What do you get? An outdoor activity that works on reading comprehension, in the midst of a game of catch!
Create a Fish Art Print!
The fish most first grade kids see is usually filleted or canned, and it's hard to see how it came from a lake or sea. Here's a delightful way to bridge the gap, with an activity that blends art with life science discovery.
Play Letter-Sound Hopscotch!
Hopscotch is classic fun for little kids. You probably remember playing it with numbers from one to ten, and that's great; but as your child prepares for first grade, try getting creative with letters, too. Here are two variations of letter-sound hopscotch that can build your child's phonics ...
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