The Outdoor Connection

By: Debbie Ide, Chief Executive Officer

With warmer weather arriving, it’s time to put down those phones and iPads and get everyone outside! Outdoor activities are easy and very accessible to all. Every community has great parks and trails for starters but push beyond the obvious. Time spent outdoors is good for the soul, and research has shown that children thrive physically and emotionally when given regular opportunities to explore nature and breathe fresh air!

Here are 30 ideas to get you started:

Go on a nature hike, maybe even play I Spy along the way

Go birdwatching

Create a scavenger hunt (think pinecone, acorn, feather, etc.)

Visit a local farm

Identify bugs and other critters

Go camping—even in your backyard!

Fly a kite

Collect rocks and have fun painting them

Visit a local garden

Draw, paint, or color wildlife pictures

Go swimming

Visit a local park to climb and swing

Have a picnic

Pick and press flowers

Play with water balloons

Draw with sidewalk chalk

Plant a garden

Look for shapes in clouds

Go stargazing

Blow bubbles

Use crayons to do leaf rubbings

Have a bonfire and make s’mores

Read books outside on a blanket

Ride bikes or scooters

Catch fireflies

Go berry picking

Play kickball

Go to a farmer’s market

Run through a sprinkler

Play games like cornhole and croquet

Last updated by khogan at May 1, 2023.