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.
When it comes to kids and bugs, there's some kind of magnetic attraction. Want to take advantage of that fact while boosting math and science knowledge at the same time? Take the learning outdoors!
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 first grade:
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 ...
Group It!: A Skip Counting Activity
Counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s may not sound like much fun. But using "skip counting" with real objects you find or make at home is a different story...it can be hours of entertainment. Here's a hands-on activity to touch and move real stuff while building abstract reasoning...paint, shoes, and coins ...
Take a Shape Safari!
Forget a jeep in Africa. You can head out for a safari right in your own neighborhood. Instead of hunting lions and tigers, you'll troll for circles and triangles. Why? Because shapes are at the heart of the first grade math and writing curriculum. Plus, a hunt through the backyard is just plain ...
Take a Bug Expedition!
When it comes to kids and bugs, there's some kind of magnetic attraction. Want to take advantage of that fact while boosting math and science knowledge at the same time? Take the learning outdoors!
Swimmy Science: Raising Tadpoles!
First graders are learning to think like scientists. And what better place to start, then with tadpoles? Here's a hands-on activity that helps your child explore life science in action!
Bounce that Ball: Learn Math While Doing Sports
With warm weather finally here, who wants to sit inside to practice graphing? Head out to the driveway, ball in hand, for a bouncing challenge. Then use those results to make a colorful graph that lets your child compare her results to those of the challenger (you!)
Host a Backyard Olympics!
Who needs Beijing? Gather the neighborhood kids together and host your own Olympics, right in the backyard! Not only will everyone get some exercise, but as Junior statistician, your kid will practice some key graphing skills.
