Outdoor Activities for the Summer

Summer is a great time to get your kids out of the house and have them play outside. But sometimes thinking of new things to do can be tedious and draining. Here's a list of outdoor activities you can try with your kid this summer to keep them moving all day long. If you get tired of being outside, head over to my blog post on indoor activities for some other ideas.

1. Splash pad - this is our favorite activity. We hit the splash pad by nine in the morning and stay until noon or later. There’s water almost constantly going, usually shade for mom or dad nearby (or you can play with your kid in the water), and you don’t have to pay for any of it. Splash pads are usually next to playgrounds so hit up your local parks to find one near you.

2. Park - If you live in an area where it hits 110+ you’ll want to be at the park early. So if you have an early riser, like me, that won’t be much of a problem. Find a park that has a canopy over the top so that you can spend hours in the shade while little one plays and don’t forget plenty of water and snacks. If you find a park near a splash pad then you just might spend all morning there. Don’t forget hats and sunscreen.

3. Head to higher elevation - If there are any mountains near where you live, it might be worth it to head into them on hot hot hot summer days. We recently found a hike about forty five minutes away that is about twenty degrees cooler than where we live. Not to mention that most of that 45-minute drive is through beautiful trees and wildflowers, a great change of scenery from cacti and desert plants.

4. Sprinkler - Find a cheap sprinkler head and let your kids play in the comfort of your own yard. They are only about $10 (sometimes less) and should be good for years to come. Or you can go for a slightly more expensive sprinkler/splash pad. We bought this one and we absolutely love it. My daughter loves playing in it, and so do I. It has tons of different holes for water to shoot out of and two to three inches of water collect in the bottom creating a nice place to rest your feet as you sit nearby and watch your kids. If you live somewhere where most summer days in the triple digits, I would recommend getting a shade umbrella or canopy so that you and your kids don’t bake while you play outside.

5. Lake - If you are lucky enough to live near a lake, use it! Lakes are so fun to play in and usually you can find a nice sandy (or maybe just dirt) area to lay a blanket down and sit. If you have any pool toys bring a few of those as well. Paddle boards or surf boards are another good option since they’re close to the water but keep little ones from getting too wet. Our favorite blow up paddle boards are these. I know it's a bit on the expensive side but if you plan to go to the lake a lot it will be a great investment. If you have older kids this would make a great birthday present for them. Don't forget your life jackets!

6. Bike rides - If your kids are old enough to ride (even just a trike) this is a great way to pass the time. My three-year-old loves riding her trike around in front of our house. Sometimes I join her on my own bike, sometimes I just watch from the driveway. If your kids are all on two-wheels you can go for longer rides or bike to the park to burn up some extra hours in the day.

7. Soccer in the park - I usually try to take a ball of some sort when I take my kids to the park. We kick the ball back and forth, down the hills, into the bushes, at the trees, wherever our journeys take us. It’s a good way to get kids up and running around without you having to constantly chase them.

8. Exercise parks - some parks now have gym equipment nearby for people to workout on. Surprisingly, my daughter loves playing on the equipment more than she does the playground. Try it out with your kid. As long as nobody is exercising when we go I’ll show her how to use a machine, then she’ll play on it, swing from it, push the bars as far as she can, etc. We can easily burn an hour of the day at one of these.

9. Street hockey - Another great outdoor activity. For little ones I use a kickball instead of a street hockey ball and then we have some hockey sticks, but if you don’t you could use other sticks, brooms, etc. We hit the ball back and forth and my daughter has a blast.

10. Cleaning the car - my kid loves to play in the car. She sits in the driver seat, pushes all the buttons, climbs to the back seat, and happily plays by herself (for the most part). This is a perfect time for me to vacuum out the car, clean the windows, or even wash it at home and get wet while having fun.

11. Outdoor obstacle course - We all have things we can use to make an outdoor obstacle course. Lawn chairs, the hose, sports balls, trees, probably a few kid toys, etc. Be creative while making it. Depending on your child's skill level you can have them jump over the obstacles or maybe they have to climb up on it and clap their hands (if they're not quite tall enough to jump over it yet) before moving to the next obstacle. Whatever you do make sure it's at their skill level and lots of fun. You can even put a sprinkler at the end of it for them to run through like a finish line.

12. Sidewalk chalk - This is a great stationary activity for when you want to stick around the house. You can draw hopscotch games or just make abstract art, then spend some time telling each other about your drawings. I find that if I draw the outline of something my daughter loves to color it in. If you don't feel confident in your artistic abilities you can simply have your kid lay down and outline them! Be prepared to have them outline you because they'll most likely want to do that too.

13. Swim - This is kind of a no brainer for summer. If you have a water park or local swimming poor nearby you might look at buying summer passes for you and your kids. If you'd rather stay home you could look at buying a small swimming pool. The one we have can be found here and it's been great for my daughter to learn how to swim. We put her swim vest on and help her learn to kick her feet. When she's done with that she just plays around. I like this pool because it's tall enough for my daughter to swim in, but shallow enough that she can stand up if she needs. She is tall for her age though, so if your little one is on the shorter end they might not be able to stand in this pool.

Whatever you do this summer make sure you and your kids are having fun, making memories, and staying safe.