Outdoor Activities
Looking for activities to show your child the fun side of learning? From science experiments and math games to writing projects and more, we've got you covered! Use the selector on the right to browse around, or narrow your search by grade and subject area.
In this simple and social activity, children use size comparison skills to find objects in nature that are “bigger” and “smaller,” “longer" and “shorter." These concepts are not only important for kindergarten math, they also encourage children to become better scientific observers.
Want to support your child's counting and reading skills at the same time? Here's a great playground game that puts academic learning together with running, shouting, and laughs - stuff that's pretty much irresistible for kids of all ages!
More outdoor activities:
Make Backyard Ice Art!
Yard art is a fun way to brighten up the bleary winter months. This activity can be done with natural materials and ice so you have no cleanup after the weather warms up.
Make Coffee Can Stilts
If you have a child who loves physical stunts, try making these coffee-can stilts. They couldn't be easier to put together, and they’re sure to provide hours of backyard fun and exercise.
Wolfie Wolf! An Outdoor Math Game
Want to support your child's counting and reading skills at the same time? Here's a great playground game that puts academic learning together with running, shouting, and laughs - stuff that's pretty much irresistible for kids of all ages!
Go Sight Word "Island Hopping"!
All you need is chalk and some pavement to set up this silly, fun, and practical game that reinforces those all-important first grade sight words.
Make a Butterfly Habitat
Create a habitat for a butterfly right in your own home or yard. It just takes a little patience and some butterfly knowledge to make this science wonder a success.
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."
Make a Self Portrait from Nature
Kids of all ages enjoy creating self-portraits. Add a fun and unique twist by having your child use nature as her palette!
What Doesn't Belong? A Categorization Game
In this outdoor activity you and your child will have fun hunting for objects that have something in common and choosing one that doesn’t belong in the group. The object of the game is to have the other person figure out what item doesn’t quite fit. Your child will have so much fun ...
Make a Tie Dye Surprise
In the spirit of recycling and reusing, as well as saving some money on buying new clothes, why not spend an afternoon outdoors creating some of your own designs by learning to tie dye? Here's how.
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.
