Outdoor Activities That Unleash Creativity in Kids

Summer is a season filled with endless possibilities for fun, outdoor adventures!

While traditional activities like swimming, biking, and playing at the park are great, why not also embrace some creative ones that will keep your kiddos entertained?

Here are some ideas to get your children soaking up the sun in the last few weeks of their summer break.   

• A Scavenger Hunt: Add a creative twist to the classic scavenger hunt with a theme! Consider themes that may interest your child, like fairy tales or insects, and let them choose which adventure they’d like to embark on. Depending on what they decide, you could invite them to look for a "magic wand" (a stick) or a “bug catcher” (a net), and many more items to complete their hunt. 

• An Art Studio: Transform a space outside into a studio with a mix of arts, crafts, and random materials from around the house. Everything from old sheets, to sponges, paints, chalk, and beads could be used to create so many different things. You could challenge your kid to use a specific material one day or a combination of all of the materials the next to create one of a kind art pieces!

• A Science Experiment: Turn your backyard, frontyard, garage, or sidewalk into a science lab. Create a homemade kaleidoscope using a paper towel tube, foil, and a few other craft materials or your own slime using glue, baking soda, and food coloring. These can be great hands-on learning activities to do together that can be stored and played with later too!

• A Theater Performance: Create a temporary stage to put on a theater performance outdoors. Collaborate with your kid to come up with performance ideas, such as a dance or poetry slam. Then, challenge them to bring their production to life by gathering costumes, props, and people to watch!

By thinking outside the box and incorporating outdoor activities like these, you can make the end of the summer an unforgettable time for your kid. Plus, they foster curiosity, creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork, which are important social-emotional skills to develop. 

For more activities to try at home, check out the HeyKiddo App. If you’re prepping for the school year ahead and could use a social-emotional curriculum to support your child’s learning, explore HeyKiddo Huddle. We have your back at home and in the classroom!