30 Outdoor Adventures for Children

Outdoor Adventures

“I could never in a hundred summers get tired of this.” – Susan Branch

It’s August! Time to treasure every minute outside, anywhere! We have SO MANY ways to get the kids outside that you will enjoy as well. My Grands are young, 3 and 5, and they remember the garden spider from last summer and exactly where it was, and my teaching them how to jump in leaves. Let’s start with how you tell the difference between (click here to listen to the sounds) Crickets, Cicadas, and Katydids  – you know they are going to ask when they hear that August whine.

Take a neighborhood walk with a nature bingo card. If you are really ambitious, you could make a custom one for your Grands with photos on your smart phone, or make one together after a walk!

Have a backyard bug hunt (use magnifying devices or bug jars from the dollar store). Did you know there is such a thing as a bug vacuum with a jar attached? There is even a citizen-driven study of ants to join in on.

Use a compass to find your way around the neighborhood and learn ways that weather travels.

Lie on the grass and watch the sky. Learn about clouds. Grace could identify cumulonimbus before she was three (so fun to hear her say it)! We loved this Weather Connections Box  – Jack puts on a navy sport coat to give weather reports!

Get hooked on Geocaching home and away! It is the world’s largest treasure hunt for all ages – so fun!

Listen for bird song and other nature sounds. Play them on your iphone and answer back (ducks are especially funny with this). We use the free Cornell Lab Merlin Bird ID app.

Make a nature journal—draw or write about what you observe or make postcards to exchange after a visit.

Identify trees and wildflowers.

Read about and identify different types of spider webs in the backyard and around the neighborhood (or maybe not).

Visit a natural history museum.

Play with water (use a paint roller on the deck or driveway). 

Play in the rain. 

Play in the dirt. What is dirt made of?! Make some!

Collect heart-shaped rocks, or flat smooth rocks to paint.

Garden. Plant a rainbow garden or check out our dinosaur garden on GrandyCamp.info!

Eat outside using a special blanket or dishes.

Read outside—especially books about the natural world, to facilitate immediate connections.

Write or draw outside (trace shadows of plastic animals or leaves and branches, or the kids!).

Identify birds. Hang bird feeders. Make seed ornaments.

Make Nature Crafts

Identify constellations – did you know there are a hundred billion trillion stars? Try out a local star watch program.

Shop at the farmers market; taste new fruits and vegetables that were in the ground earlier that morning.

Visit a U-Pick farm and use the bounty for a recipe. We tried this fab strawberry jam!

Visit a local farm and farm animals. Learn what they plant on the farm and what it is used for.

Hike in nearby state and city parks. Seek out waterfalls!

Visit the beach. Compare the textures and plant characteristics near the shore. And then there are rocks and shells.

There are all-inclusive camping and canoe experiences just for you and your Grand! Yep, you don’t need to haul any equipment. I told you you were going to have fun!

This is a Blog Hop! Please Link Up and Leave a Comment! I read and enjoy each one!

Bio: Karen Ritz is a longtime children’s book author and illustrator. She has been chosen for the Society of Illustrators Show, had a book featured on Reading Rainbow, and has materials housed in the Children’s Literature Research Collection at the University of Minnesota.  Karen started GrandyCamp to share new creative adventures with her grandchildren, now three and five, after recognizing our new generation of grandparents are busy, active, probably still working, but always interested in creating memories. She lives, paints, and grandparents in St. Paul, Minnesota.