Spring Nature Activities for Kids

Spring is a fantastic time to explore nature! Activities include observing blooming flowers, identifying birds and insects, enjoying picnics, and taking hikes. You can also engage in activities like starting a garden, building a bug hotel, or even just listening to the sounds of nature.

Here are some specific ideas:

• Observe blooming flowers and budding trees: Look for daffodils, tulips, cherry blossoms, and other spring flowers. Notice the new leaves and buds on trees. 

• Go on a nature walk: Explore local parks, trails, or even your own backyard. Take a scavenger hunt checklist or play nature bingo to make it fun. 

• Listen for birdsong: Pay attention to the different bird songs and try to identify them. 

• Look for insects: Spring is a great time to see insects like butterflies, bees, and ladybugs. Use a magnifying glass to examine them closely. 

• Start a garden: Plant flowers, vegetables, or herbs. It's a rewarding way to connect with nature. 

• Have a picnic: Enjoy the fresh air and sunshine while eating outdoors. 

• Go hiking: Explore trails and enjoy the scenery. 

• Study clouds: Use a cloud viewer to identify different cloud formations. 

• Build a bug hotel: This can be a fun project to attract beneficial insects to your garden. 

• Go on a listening walk: Focus on the different sounds of nature – wind, birds, rustling leaves. 

• Look for signs of new life: Observe how plants and animals are emerging from winter. 

• Take photos or draw nature: Capture the beauty of spring and create your own artwork. 

Whether your kiddos are heading to day camp or hanging out at home, spring break is a great chance for some unstructured nature play, local exploring, even an outing to a nearby state or national park! 

Here are 50+ spring break nature activities for kids to help encourage some outdoor fun. And if travel is on the agenda, make a point to schedule in some time to connect with nature during your trip.

Backyard nature play
Take advantage of spring break to let the kids have plenty of time for unstructured nature play every day. A few ideas for outdoor play spaces that encourage connecting with nature:

• A dirt pile

• Backyard beach or other sand play area

• Mud pie kitchen (we also love a mud bath area)

• Nature play station

• Water play area

• A kid’s-only zone (like a fort, tree house, or other secret hideaway)

• A children’s garden

Local nature exploring
Whether it’s in your own backyard, a local park or a nearby nature destination, find some time to let the kids do some exploring. Some timely activities:

• Go on a spring nature scavenger hunt.

• Create a fairy garden.

• Search for four-leaf clovers.

• Explore a flowerup close.

• Visit a local garden or arboretum.

• Take a color walk.

• Make wind streamers.

• Walk barefoot through the grass.

• Arrange aflower bouquet.

• Do somebird watching.

• Camp out in the backyard.

• Head to a local farm for a u-pick adventure.

• Plant a garden.

• Adopt a caterpillar and release a butterfly.

• Fly a kite.

• Pick dandelions.

• Go for a bike ride.

• Have a picnic.

• Start a nature journal.

• Go on a bug hunt.

Grander adventures
Support your local parks! If you’ve got a day free – or even just a few hours – head to a regional, state or national park. While you’re there, you may be able to:

• Take a hike.

• Visit a nature center.

• Participate in a junior ranger program.

• See some wildflowers in bloom.

• Visit a pond.

• Meet a park ranger.

• Watch a sunset.

And if it rains …

• 10 Ideas for Getting Outside on Rainy Days

• 10 Ways to Connect With Nature When You’re Inside

Backyard Play Spaces: Nature Play Station

Earlier this month, I shared some of the summer backyard play spaces we’re planning. Today I’m ready to unveil the first of these spaces, our nature play station. How it’s made: I took a couple of unused wood planks we had lying around the backyard and placed them across some tree stumps we inherited last fall. The result is a shelving unit that makes for a perfect nature … [Read more...]

Backyard Play Spaces: Dirt Pile

Welcome to the latest addition to our summer backyard play spaces, the dirt pile. I consider this The Explorers’ answer to the mud pie kitchen. Not that they don’t like making the occasional mud pie; they just much prefer running cars and trucks through a pile of dirt.How we made it:Last fall, the hubby did some serious digging in our backyard to replace a space of grass with … [Read more...]

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Learning about weather in your own backyard

Earth Day Activities for Kids

Every April, a special light seems to shine on all things planet Earth. That's because April features Earth Day (April 22) – a day dedicated around the world to environmental activities and celebrations. Of course, I’m a firm believer that Earth Day isn’t just one day. Or even one month. Caring for the planet is something we need to be doing every. single. day. How? The … [Read more...]

Backyard Nature Fun

Exploring nature with kids doesn’t have to mean hitting the trail, heading to the mountains or going camping (though those are all fine ideas). Connecting with nature is as easy as heading out the back door.      I hope this blog will give you some ideas to make exploring nature in your backyard simple and fun. And don’t worry if your backyard is tiny or even … [Read more...]

10 Ideas for Water Play in the Backyard

We’ve been talking about water play a lot this month, what with it being summer and all. And while spending a morning or afternoon at the beach or river is wonderful, sometimes schedules just don’t permit it. No worries! There are plenty of ways to enjoy water play right in your own backyard. Know how to stay cool outside on hot days and always keep an eye on all kids … [Read more...]

Fun Friday: Go on a Nighttime Creature Hunt

Your kids may be familiar with the animals they see around your front yard, backyard and neighborhood in the daylight. But what happens at night? Will you still see the same animals – or different ones? Time to go on a nighttime creature hunt to find out! Before you head outdoors at night, make sure to dress for the weather so everyone stays comfortable. All you’ll need to … [Read more...]

Fun Friday: 2014 Spring Nature Photo Hunt

I love taking pictures of nature, even if my kiddos aren’t in the shot. Taking pictures helps me slow down, really focus on something and see beauty where I might not otherwise. It helps me connect with nature. Encouraging kids to take photographs gives them a chance to do the same thing. The bonus: You get to see the world through their eyes. With that in mind, I’m … [Read more...]

Backyard Nature Fun

• Spring Play Ideas

• Summer Play Ideas

• Fall Play Ideas

• Winter Play Ideas

15 Ways to Explore Nature in Spring

Each season has it’s own unique traits that make exploring nature special. In winter, everything is dormant and snow covers the ground. Summer is green, vibrant, and full of life. In fall, all of nature is preparing for it’s long winter sleep. And, in spring everything is waking up again.

Take some time soon to explore nature in spring with your kids.

Watch the earth wake up and see the plants poke through the ground. The animals are getting busy and suddenly the quietness of winter is replaced by the chirps, tweets, and chattering of the birds returning.

These 15 nature activities will help you explore gardens, birds, animals, seeds, and flowers. Pick out a few to do. It’s a great way to spend time with your kids while you explore nature in spring.

Explore the Garden

1. Examine your soil. Look closely at what your soil is made up of and test the pH level of  your soil with these two experiments from The Educators’ Spin on It.

2. Don’t have a garden? Plant a few plants in a recycled milk jug. It’s eco-friendly and a great way to experience gardening in a small space. Inspiration Laboratories shows you how.

3. Plant a garden inspired by a favorite storybook. Kitchen Table Chronicles will help you plant Peter Rabbit’s Vegetable Patch or Growing Vegetable Soup Garden.

Welcome the Birds

4. Have the birds come back to your neighborhood? See how many you can find with this simple Bird Watch Tally from Fantastic Fun & Learning. This activity is perfect for preschoolers!

5. It’s spring and the bird’s will be busy building nests. Help them out by making a Bird’s Nest Helper. You can find the instructions at Playdough to Plato.

6. Send your elementary-aged kids on a scavenger hunt to find signs of birds. Look for their food, nesting materials, sounds, and more with this All About Birds scavenger hunt at Inspiration Laboratories.

Spring Nature Play

Create a Rainbow

Using items found in nature, create your very own colorful rainbow in this Spring STEM. Glue your rainbow to a paper or poster to share with others. It’s a great way to learn about all the different colors in nature.

Plant Flowers

Use my garden journal for kids to plan a garden for your whole family to enjoy and learn this Spring. Plus, it’s a fantastic way to begin teaching your kids about the life cycle of a plant too.

Start a Vegetable Garden

Want to learn about where our food comes from? Ready to teach your kids about crop rotation and soil erosion? Older kids will love starting a vegetable garden as their STEM project this Spring.

Flower Art

Learn to press and dry flowers for creating beautiful natural art. Then, check out some fun flower process art projects you can use to explore these beautiful plants this Spring.

Nature Study & Nature Walks

Kids can learn a lot from getting outdoors to explore. Check out this nature study observation page for even more help exploring nature with your kids this Spring. 

Collect Rocks

Collect rocks from your yard, nature walks, or different places in your community. Then, use your rocks to explore weight this Spring. Finally, paint them for a fun kindness rock collection you can share with others.

Make a Rain Stick

Rainsticks are soothing and musical, but they’re also a great way to learn about the rainforest and music too. You can make your very own rain stick with recycled materials. Get creative and have fun with this STEM project.

Fruit Batteries

Have you ever made a battery with a lemon? What about a lime? Get ready to explore and learn about electricity with a fun STEM activity that involves making your own DIY batteries with citrus fruit. Try lots of different citrus fruits and see which one works the best.

Spring Learning Activities

Leaf Symmetry

Teaching kids about symmetry is an important early math concept. You can explore symmetry in the natural world by collecting leaves. Rip the leaves in half down the middle and glue one side to paper. Draw the other side using the rules of symmetry for a fun STEM project your kids will remember.

Light Pattern Box

Get ready to explore reflections and learn more about light with this STEM activity for kids. You can learn a lot and have lots of fun by building your very own lightbox this Spring.

Grass Weaving

Grass weaving has been used by many cultures for thousands of years. People are still weaving grass today! Try your hand at creating your own baskets with grass weaving this year.

Ice Cream in a Bag

As the weather gets warmer, we all start to crave ice cream. Now, you can make your own! Get ready for some STEM learning fun as you make your very own ice cream by hand in snack bags.

Build a Kite

Spring is the right time to fly a kite! Have fun creating your own kites and learning to fly them with this fun STEM project.

Float a boat

Make a Spring Outdoor Fun List

Just before the start of each season, the hubby, Explorers and I get together to create our family’s seasonal outdoor fun list. What’s an outdoor fun list? It’s a bucket list of things you’d like to do outside during that season. Making one is an excuse to talk about all the fun coming in the weeks and months ahead – especially handy when the weather is still cold and icky … [Read more...]

Celebrate the Spring Equinox With Kids

On March 20, the Spring Equinox will arrive to officially mark the first day of spring (in the Northern Hemisphere, that is). In case you’re like me – not quite sure what an “equinox” is – let me share. It’s when the sun crosses directly over the Earth’s equator, and day and night are the same length. It happens twice a year, in March and September. Spring is marked by … [Read more...]

A Few of My Favorite Spring Things

When it comes to gear for this mom to get outside and into nature, I don’t require much. What I do need is gear that can multi-task, taking me from walking the kids to school to a trail hike with a friend, to the beach or the zoo, and beyond as our nature travels might require. Here are a few of my favorite things, each put to the test all winter long to ensure they’re … [Read more...]

Give a Kid a Camera: Signs of Spring

Give A Kid a Camera is an opportunity to share photos of nature taken by children. Each Tuesday, I’ll offer up an idea of what to look for to get you and your explorers inspired to head outside. You can post just a picture or share a story – it’s totally up to you. This Week’s IdeaSigns of spring found in your own backyard, at a local park or at another favorite place in … [Read more...]

32 Ideas for Spring Backyard Nature Fun

It’s that time again – time to offer up a ton of ideas to inspire you to head out the back door this spring and spend some time exploring backyard nature with your kids.Special thanks to all of you who shared your own creative ideas with me on Facebook and when entering to win a free copy of “15 Minutes Outside.” I’m inspired by all of the fun ways you are exploring nature with … [Read more...]

Fun Friday: Search for Signs of Spring

Fun Friday activities are quick-and-simple ways to explore nature in your own backyard. I spend a couple of hours in the big explorer’s school garden each week helping the kids plant, explore and enjoy the 1-acre space. Last week, we couldn’t help but to take note of some major changes starting to take place.Our little magnolia tree has produced its first blooms of the season, … [Read more...]

Fun Friday: Bird Watching Scavenger Hunt

Fun Friday activities are quick-and-simple ways to explore nature in your own backyard. Last weekend’s family nature club adventure found us bird watching at Malibu Lagoon State Beach. I thought a bird watching scavenger hunt was in order, so I created one. A scavenger hunt is a great way to make bird watching fun, especially for younger kids and those new to bird … [Read more...]

Fun Friday: Magic Soup

Fun Friday activities are quick-and-simple ways to explore nature in your own backyard. There has been much brewing of magic soup around these parts lately. Amidst some rainy, cold, blustery days, the explorers managed not to mind the weather one bit – as long as they were busy creating their secret concoction outside in our backyard.It all started with the big … [Read more...]

Start a Rock Collection

Welcome to the final day of 31 Days of Backyard Nature Fun, a month-long series offering simple ways to get outside exploring the natural world. To see activities from earlier this month, head here. We made it! Thirty-one days in a row, each featuring a different idea for backyard nature fun. Phew! If you’ve been playing along, I hope you’ve come to realize that helping … [Read more...]

Go on a Nature Art Walk

Welcome to Day 27 of 31 Days of Backyard Nature Fun, a month-long series offering simple ways to get outside exploring the natural world. To see activities from earlier this month, head here.I love it when art and nature mix. Add in kids and the possibilities for fun and creativity are pretty much endless.The good news is that nature provides all the materials you need to … [Read more...]

Watch Backyard Birds

Welcome to Day 21 of 31 Days of Backyard Nature Fun, a month-long series offering simple ways to get outside exploring the natural world. To see activities from earlier this month, head here. One of the activities I recommended earlier this month was making a pinecone birdfeeder – in part as a way to get to know the birds that call your backyard home. Now it’s time to … [Read more...]

Day 18: Stack Rocks

Welcome to Day 18 of 31 Days of Backyard Nature Fun, a month-long series offering simple ways to get outside exploring the natural world. To see activities from earlier this month, head here.Got rocks? Yeah … us, too. It seems we can’t even make it around the block without someone filling pockets with the things. Truth be told, I love that the boys find something unique and … [Read more...]

Take a Color Walk

Welcome to Day 15 of 31 Days of Backyard Nature Fun, a month-long series offering simple ways to get outside exploring the natural world. To catch up on what we’ve been up to, you might want to head here. I can just hear you now: “Debi, what are you thinking? There’s no color to see during winter!” That’s what I used to think, too. Until I started paying closer attention … [Read more...]

Pond Theme Activities for Preschoolers
–Spring STEM with Free Printables

50 Easy Spring Gardening Activities

Hop into the garden with your little ones this season with our collection of over 50 hands-on spring gardening activities for kids! From growing seedlings and planting vegetables, to recycled DIY kids’ gardening tools, mud play, and flower art – loads of fresh ideas to help your kids enjoy the garden!

Of all the smells in the world, few have the power to transport me back to childhood like the newly drenched dirt and “fresh” ozone scents that come with the first spring rain.

Before I even notice the gentle tapping on the roof, I’m right back in my tiny galoshes and green, whale-lined raincoat, anxiously waiting for my Montessori teachers to throw open the doors to the school gardens for the first wonderfully muddy excursion of the season.

Before spring has even arrived, my nose has primed me for a good tromp around the yard and digging in the dirt. 

My childhood Marchs, Aprils, and Mays were awash in spring gardening experiences. From potting spring pansies and planting vegetable seeds, picking rocks out of the spring beds my parents worked on, and digging the little hole for the spruce seedlings we received at school on Arbor Day.

I have so many wonderful memories of playing out in the garden come spring, and what I didn’t realize at the time, is that while I was mucking around in the mud, I was also developing scads of skills.

Learning about organisms, habitats, and life processes in the garden helped me develop a lifelong connection and sense of care for the environment. It cultivated an awareness of responsibility – not just a desire to tend to our natural spaces, but to continue learning about them too.

Spring gardens are magical places, full of new life and little mysteries just waiting to be discovered. They present endless learning opportunities, many of which are right at kids-eye level.

My memories of spring days outside in the garden were the impetus for gathering this collection of kids’ gardening activities you can try with your little ones.

It’s a compilation that honors all of spring’s best qualities, with ways to help your kids enjoy the bright new blossoms, fresh growth, and even the muddiness!

Spring rarely arrives on time where I live, so all of these hand-picked activities were chosen specifically because they can easily move with your kids from the indoors to the outdoors as spring blossoms and temperatures rise.

How to Prep for Gardening With Kids

Here are a few ideas to help make your kids’ spring garden play safeand enjoyable…

• Keep an eye on the weather. A season defined by tumultuous temperatures, springtime can bring wildly unpredictable weather. Make sure your little ones aren’t caught by surprise in the garden by watching the forecast and being aware of rapidly changing conditions.

• Dress for mess. One of the BEST parts of gardening is embracing the dirt! A garden smock, apron, or even an old teeshirt, child-sized gardening gloves, and of course a good set of rubber boots or garden clogs can be extremely helpful.

• Find the correct tools. From watering cans to rakes, having the right kid-sized tools is important in making a garden feel inviting, helping little ones learn gardening skills, and teaching a sense of responsibility and ownership. I’ve made a collection of some of my favorite kids’ gardening tools here that you can use as a reference to add to your stock of kid-specific gardening supplies.

• Discuss plant safety. Backyard gardening presents a great opportunity to help your kids understand the difference between edible and non-edible (or even toxic) plants. Which plants in your own yard or neighborhood to stay away from? This is also a great time to remind your kids that as much as we’d like to nibble right out of the fresh lettuce pot, washing edible produce thoroughly before sampling is important.

• Define separate areas for edible produce and non-edible flowers and plants. Especially when gardening with kids, it’s essential to have edible plantings and non-edibles (flowers, etc) in separate, well-defined spaces that are clearly labeled. Young plants just coming up out of the ground can look very similar – for example, a daffodil not yet blooming looks quite a bit like a garlic scape, as do the bulbs themselves. Though a spring favorite of mine, all parts of a daffodil are toxic, so you wouldn’t want a child (or adult) mistakenly picking it out of the garden for a little nibble.

• Check garden areas for safety hazards. Even if you’re just in your own backyard, it’s always good to quickly sweep your gardening area for any safety hazards. A quick once-over for things like rusty nails, pieces of broken pots, etc. will give you peace of mind.

• Practice organic gardening. Gardening with kids gives you yet another good reason to avoid chemicals and toxic sprays.

• Be mindful of allergies. As beautiful as spring is, seasonal allergies abound – and not just for adults! Monitor for allergy symptoms like excessive sneezing, itching, or rashes. Remind your little ones to avoid touching faces and eyes. Leave pollens, molds, and dust outside by taking a quick rinse-off and changing into fresh clothes after gardening.

• Watch the sun. This time of year, when the temperature is still a bit chilly but the sun is shining, I can easily spend enough time in the garden that I end up with pink sunburned cheeks. When out in the garden with kids, remember to provide shade, wear hats and sunscreens, and (as always!) hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

50 Easy Kids Gardening Ideas

Planting Basics With Kids

Just introducing your kids to gardening? Simple tasksand easy, funplanting activities are a great way to encourage kids to get their hands dirtyand embrace the joy of growinga garden!

• Assign your kids a small existing potted plant that they can use to practice general garden maintenance. Tasks like weeding, watering, rinsing off aphids, deadheading, and general clean-up are great kids’ garden chores.

• DIY your own recycled soda bottle kids watering can.

• Plant and grow seedlings in recycled containers.

• Start an easy DIY tin can herb garden with your kids.

• Grow grass caterpillars (how fun are these?!).

• Make a leprechaun garden, a fairy garden, or grow a unicorn (sprinkled with plant-healthy DIY salt glitter“seeds”).

• Make a mason jar terrarium.

• Turn a juice carton into a mini cress garden.

• Organize Montessori-style garden and planting trays.

• Plant eggheads.

• Experiment with planting birdseed.

• Plant a tree or adopt a tree or garden plant – observe and record changes.

• Use the opportunity to practice cleaning up – from tidying up planting sites to rinsing off hands and bodies.

Creating Gardening Spaces for Kids

Creating a garden for kids can be as simple as turning an empty plot of land into a safe area with some grass and flowers, or designing a garden that has many different areas where children can play.Here are some simple ideas to help you create engaging, colorful kid-inspiring garden spaces in which your little ones will love spending time...

• Set up a space for a small container garden (use recycled supplies).

• Make garden gnome plant markers.

• Decorate the garden with kid-painted rocks like butterfly rocks, a koi rock pond, Kandinsky-inspired rocks, or a rock family.

• Use garden scraps to make lovely, natural twig-wrapped flower pots.

• Decorate the garden with melted crayon butterfly garden ornaments.

• Install a simple water feature (I’ve found that solar-powered birth bath fountains are an incredibly easy way to add a water element to your garden).

• Carve out a spot for a special kid-themed garden – like this pizza garden (part of PBS’ amazing Think Garden series for kids).

• Construct a DIY bean pole tent for a magical living hideaway.

• Let kids decorate their gardens with stick and rock sculptures they can embellish with washable DIY sidewalk paint.

• Find a special spot for a kid-made bee bath or homemade butterfly feeder, and hang a DIY bird’s nest helper from a nearby branch.

Kids Spring Flower Activities

Flowers aren’t just beautiful, they’re fascinating! Here are a few activities you can do with your children to celebrate the arrival of spring beauties…

• Grow sunflowers in pots.

• Grow spring flowers from seed with these enchanting recycled fairy greenhouse seed starters for kids.

• Make your own seed paper (with native seeds!).

• Practice simple flower arranging and turn recycled building blocks into DIY kid-safe stem vases.

• Stroll through fresh blooms while gathering items to create aromatic playdough fairy forests.

• Explore patterns, texture, and color in spring flowers with flower mandalas or a 3D flower suncatcher box.

• Pound your way to beautiful (colorful!) plant pigment discoveries with hammered nature garden art.

• Enjoy a spring garden sensory experience with fragrant, colorful flower “soup”.

• Take your kids on a spring flower scavenger hunt.

• Make dandelion crowns (a late spring classic!).

Growing Vegetables With Kids

Growing vegetables with kids is a great way to teach them about where our food comes from, explore sustainable practices,and instill a sense of accomplishment when their seeds grow into something they can eat. As a bonus, it can also boost their interest in eating vegetables…!

• DIY upcycled toilet paper seedling pots and painted stone garden markers.

• Tips for vegetable gardening with kids.

• Make a kid-sized starter garden, picking vegetables that are easy for kids to grow.

• Take a trip to the farmer’s market (you might even want to make your own veggie-printed market tote for fresh finds!).

• Help them plan and cook meals with the produce harvested from your gardens.

Explore Garden Habitats With Kids

Gardens provide lovely homes for all sorts offlora and fauna. Use these activities to explore the connection between garden habitats, living organisms of all shapes and sizes, and our ecosystems.

• DIG! From decaying plant matter to interesting bugs, there are all sorts of things to find in the soil.

• Work together to make your garden wildlife-friendly, then observe the visitors!

• Pitch a tent in the garden to create a temporary bird-watching hide.

• Make a DIY bug observation box or scout out the first mini-beasts of the season with our free printable insect scavenger hunt.

• Build, decorate, and hang a real birdhouse or bug hotel.

• Make simple DIY frozen bird feeders, icy frozen bird feeder ornaments, or an easy bee bath.

• Cultivate a worm farm or make a worm composting bin.

Kids Spring Garden Play

Play is a wonderful way for kids to explore gardening activities – especially at times when they can’t get outside or are waiting for things to grow. Here are a few different kinds of garden-themed play activities – from small worlds to scavenger hunts – that will help your kids pass the time while they wait for their real gardens to grow!

• Planting seeds sensory tray.

• Mud play! Make Mud kitchens or mud paint.

• Go on a garden scavenger hunt!

• Play landscape designer and make your own peace gardens.

• Make a juice carton birdhouse for pretend garden play.

• Make a DIY “plantable” felt garden box.

• Using supplies you already have, set up a cool kids’ garden center or pretend flower shop for dramatic play.

• Play paleontologist with a backyard dinosaur dig.

Four Seasons of Outdoor Play

Visit our ultimate outdoor summer playlist, favorite fall play activities for kids, and backyard winter play ideas for children’s outside play inspiration you can use throughout the whole year!

For more kids’ outdoor activity ideas, learn about Shinrin-Yoku and simple ways to start practicing with your kids, grab a free printable bug scavenger hunt, or make a DIY nature explorer kit from a shoebox and recycled supplies.

Summer is a great time to explore nature.

Engaging with the natural world can boost your mood and well-being, and there are many ways to do it, from simple walks to more involved activities. www.evergreen.ca reports that even 1-10 minutes of nature exposure can improve attention and reduce stress. Spending two hours a week outdoors is linked to better health and well-being.

Here are some ideas for exploring nature this summer:

Simple Activities:

• Take a walk: Explore local parks, trails, or even your own neighborhood.

• Have a picnic: Enjoy a meal outdoors in a scenic spot.

• Go birdwatching: Observe and identify different bird species.

• Create art: Use natural materials like leaves, twigs, and flowers to make art.

• Play games: Play tag, frisbee, or other outdoor games.

• Start a garden: Grow your own vegetables, fruits, or flowers. 

More Involved Activities:

• Go hiking: Explore longer trails and discover more challenging terrain.

• Go camping: Spend a night or more immersed in nature.

• Go kayaking or canoeing: Explore lakes and rivers from a different perspective.

• Go fishing: Enjoy a relaxing day by the water.

• Visit a nature center: Learn about the local flora and fauna.

• Participate in a nature program: Many organizations offer guided nature walks and educational programs. 

Focusing on the Local Finger Lake Area:

• Explore the Webster Arboretum: It's a local gem for nature walks and relaxation.

• Check out local parks and trails: Webster and the surrounding area have many options for outdoor recreation.

• Visit Durand Eastman Park: Located near Webster, this park offers beautiful views of Lake Ontario and diverse trails.

• Consider a day trip to Letchworth State Park: Known as the "Grand Canyon of the East," it offers stunning scenery and hiking opportunities. 

• 50 Ideas for Your Summer
  Outdoor Bucket List

• At the start of every season, we create an outdoor fun list. Together, we dream up some things we’d like to do, write those ideas down and then try to make them happen. Some of the ideas on our summer outdoor bucket list are simple, but others require more time – things like cherry picking or fishing. Of course, more than any other time of year, we also plan for lots of downtime to make room in our lives for enjoying summer’s simple pleasures.

• Instead of sharing what’s on our family’s summer outdoor bucket list this year (you can see our2010 and 2012lists for past examples), I thought I’d share some ideas to help you make your own. These 50 ideas for your summer outdoor bucket list should keep the kids entertained and inspired all season long.

• 20 Things to Do in Your Backyard

• Build a backyard weather station

• Chase butterflies

• Create a chalk garden

• Create a mobile backyard beach

• Design a fairy garden

• Dig in the dirt

• Do some backyard bird watching

• Go on a summer nature scavenger hunt

• Go on a summer nature photo scavenger hunt

• Have a backyard campout

• Host an outdoor tea party

• Host a backyard movie night

• Hunt for backyard critters

• Make anature play station

• Play with mud: Make mud cakes or mud prints, try mud painting or a enjoy a backyard mud bath

• Run through the sprinklers

• Set up a playhouse, fort, cardboard box or other kid’s-only space

• Stargaze

• Take a glow stick walk

• Throw water balloons or have a water balloon toss

• 
  

• 10 Ways to Explore in Your Community

• Explore a new-to-you neighborhood park

• Go fish

• Go on a field trip to a local natural history museum, science center, nature center or other museum

• Hunt for ageocache

• Go stargazing

• Make drip castles at the beach

• Pick fresh fruits

• Take a hike

• Tour tide pools

• Visit a state or national park

• 10 Nature crafts

• Build a dragon cave

• Create with clay and natural materials

• Design your ownfairy house

• Keep a summer adventure journal

• Light up your space withrecycled bottle lanterns

• Make nature bracelets

• Makepressed flower keepsakes

• Make scented flower petal potions

• Recycle a toilet paper roll into a bird or a bird feeder

• Run with wind streamers

• 5 Summer Science Experiments

• Create an outdoor LEGO solar system

• Grow crystals

• Make a sundial

• Make a rainbow

• Perform water balloon splatter tests

• 5 Tastes of Summer

• Enjoy a summer BBQ

• Picnic in the park

• Make fresh-squeezed lemonade

• Roast s’mores over a backyard campfire

• Savor a sno-cone

• Fun Friday: Gaze at the Stars

• We’ve talked about stargazing around here before, but that was during the heart of winter. There’s something even more magical about staring up at the nighttime sky during the summer. Sure, you’ll have to stay up extra late to gaze at the stars. But who cares – that’s what summers were made for, right? Photo by Jonas Wiklund When kids are young, gazing at … [Read more...]

• 10 Ideas for Water Play in the Backyard

• We’ve been talking about water play a lot this month, what with it being summer and all. And while spending a morning or afternoon at the beach or river is wonderful, sometimes schedules just don’t permit it. No worries! There are plenty of ways to enjoy water play right in your own backyard. Know how to stay cool outside on hot days and always keep an eye on all kids … [Read more...]

• Fun Friday: Make Fresh-Squeezed Lemonade

I think this is a first for me – sharing an idea from the kitchen, that is. This one all started when a certain someone began picking fresh lemons off the tree in our backyard. “To make lemon juice,” he said. We quickly realized The Little Explorer was on to something. What better way to kick off summer, really, than to make fresh-squeezed lemonade? Making fresh-squeezed … [Read more...]

Here’s a list of the printables & links to the awesome blogs & organizations!  I keep adding to the list so now there are more than 70+ ideas:

Spring Scavenger Hunt— Edventures with Kids

Nature Scavenger Hunt –Babyccino Kids

Plant Life Cycle & Vocabulary —  123 Homeschool 4 Me

20 Summer Scavenger Hunts — Edventures with Kids

Spring Nature Hunt — Sunny Day Today Mama

Spring Senses Nature Walk —  Go Explore Nature

Extraordinary Journal Page —  Handbook of Nature Study

Bug Hunt Activity — Edventures with Kids

Rock Observation Chart —  Handbook of Nature Study

Animal Tracks —  New Hampshire Wildlife

I Spy Animal Clues — Sisbro Studios

How Fast Does Your Plant Grow? — Edventures with Kids

Botany Scavenger Hunt —  Ellen McHenry’s Basement Shop

What’s that Bug? What’s that Bird?  —  Crafty Classroom

Animal Observation Journal — Edventures with Kids

10 Outdoor Printables (weather, moon, animals) — National Wildlife Federation

50 Outdoor Printables (animals & insects) — Nature Detectives at Woodland Trust

25+ Beach Preschool Theme Printables & Activities

May 8, 2025

Practice important math, literacy, and fine motor skills with your preschoolers and kindergartners this summer using this huge list of Beach Preschool Theme printables and activities. You’ll find color by code, process art, and so much more. You’re definitely not going to want to miss them! I’m super excited to share these fun beach preschool…

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75+ Ocean Preschool Theme Printables & Activities

May 7, 2025

Practice important early learning skills with your preschoolers and kindergartners this summer using this huge list of Ocean Preschool Theme printables and activities. You’ll find color by code printables, lots of cutting and tracing, coloring, and drawing activities, and so much more! You’re definitely not going to want to miss them! I’m so excited to…

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75+ Ocean Preschool Theme Printables & Activities

Free Printable Summer Drawing Challenge

June 16, 2023

Strengthen fine motor skills and encourage creative thinking using this Free Printable Summer Drawing Challenge. This adorable drawing for kids printable is the perfect way to spend quality time with your kids this summer. Get yours today!  We love drawing and painting and cute seasonal drawing challenges like this one are obviously no exception. This…

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Printable Family Summer Bucket List

I must have blinked. That’s the only explanation.

One day I was taking first day of school pictures. And the next… my kids are bringing home backpacks full of all their stuff from school. Yep. It’s time for summer.

And guess what, I have no idea what we’re going to do!

So, it’s time to create our family summer bucket list.

Why should you create a summer bucket list?

• There are a few reasons why I love creating a bucket list for summer. First, it’s a great resource for ideas. That brainstorming session you had to create your list is so useful when everyone is sitting around bored. Don’t know what to do? Check your list!

• Plus, it gives everyone a chance to provide input. Maybe your kids were hoping for some specific activities this summer. This gives them a chance to tell you their wishes for summer fun. And you can record them and make sure everyone gets to do something they were wishing for.

• I always think of our bucket list as a source of inspiration for the summer. It’s not a requirement at all. In fact, I don’t think we’ve ever had a year where we crossed off everything on the list!

• Family Summer Bucket List Ideas

• So what are you going to add to your bucket list?

• Here are a few ideas:

• Go to the beach

• Make a blanket fort

• Have a picnic

• Go camping

• Make root beer floats

• Build a photo album

• Catch fireflies

• Have a water balloon fight

• Tie dye shirts

• Plant a garden

• Make s’mores

• Feed the ducks. But, don’t feed them bread! Here’s a better option for duck food at Playground Park Bench.

• Watch fireworks

• Go fishing

• Go to a drive in movie

• Roller blade

• Make ice cream

• Ride a ferris wheel

• Build a sandcastle

• Go on a hike

• Make suncatchers, like these easy painted suncatchers!

• Bury a time capsule

• Volunteer (Here are some great ideas if you want to help your local animal shelter).

• Go on a boat ride

• Run a 5K

• Visit a museum

• And if that’s not enough ideas. Here are 200 more fun ideas for your summer bucket list!

Record Your Summer Bucket List Ideas

Now that you’ve come up with your fun summer ideas, you need to write them down.

I’ve got just the thing for you, a cute watermelon-themed summer bucket list printable.

Just save and print. You’ll find space to record 10 ideas and also a printable with all the ideas I listed above. If you have more than 10 ideas, just print multiple copies!

Get your Watermelon Summer Bucket List here.

Are you ready for some summer fun? We are!

You may also like one of these summer fun ideas:

• 10 Fun Walk Ideas for Families

• July Simple Family Fun Ideas

• Tips for Hiking with Young Children

• Summer Science Challenges at Science Sparks

• Low Stress Summer Fun for Kids at Mama Smiles

Awesome summer fun resources:

In addition to all the fun ideas listed above, you could also add one of these fun outdoor activities to your list. Play ring toss, ladder toss, laws darts or more! So much fun!

June Simple Family Fun Ideas

• For our family, June marks the beginning of summer. School ends, the weather warms up, the days get longer, and we’re all ready for a change of pace and some family fun adventures.

• These June simple family fun ideas are perfect for the changing season. Some of these ideas will get you outside and others are perfect to do inside on a hot day. And, several can be done at any time of the year (not just summer). But, what brings all these ideas together is that they are simple, inexpensive, and a great way to connect.

• Let’s plan a family adventure!

• Fire up your printer, print out your simple June family adventures, hang it up, and plan some fun.

• I know you’ll find an activity (or two or three or four…) that your family will love.

June Outdoor Adventures

June is a great time to get outside and have some fun. So, these family fun ideas will give you a nudge to enjoy the outdoors.

• 1. Blow up a beach ball and play beach ball volleyball in your backyard. No net needed! Just have some fun.

• 2. Take a trip to a nearby nature center. Go on a hike, explore their visitors center and have fun learning about the wildlife in your part of the world. Nature centers are a great community resource and most are free or inexpensive to visit.

• 3. Trace each other’s shadows on the driveway. Add faces, hair, and clothes to make a silly shadow family.

• 4. Go stargazing. Pick a clear night and go outside to study the moon and stars. You can find tips for stargazing with your kids as well as a printable night sky journal at this link.

• 5. Lie together under a tree and look up. What do you see? Use this time to relax together and talk about all that you see.

• 6. Explore a pond together. Observe and learn about all the animals and plants you see or try one of these simple activities for pond play at Buggy and Buddy. This might even inspire a second family adventure to the library to find some books about pond life.

• June Indoor Family Adventures

• Even in summer, sometimes the weather doesn’t cooperate. Save these ideas for a rainy day, a steamy hot day, or anytime you’re looking for some indoor fun.

• 7. Have a letter writing evening and write letters to faraway family or friends. Use pretty stationary or decorate your own with markers and stickers. You can even go all in with a fun set of personalized notecards for your kids like this set from EightTwentyOneStudio.

• 8. Go to the grocery store or farmer’s market and buy a few new-to-you fruits (or vegetables). Have a family taste test and maybe you’ll find a new favorite snack.

• 9. Learn to make play dough together. You can find many fun recipes on my play dough Pinterest board. Gather up some loose parts (like rocks, pipe cleaners, or craft foam pieces) and start creating.

• 10. Discover a new genre of music together through books and music. YouTube and your local library are both great resources.

• Print Out Your June Simple Family Fun Ideas

• You can find all these family adventures on a printable list here. Just download it and print. Hang it on the refrigerator and you’ll be ready for a month full of family fun ideas.

• Jot a few ideas on the calendar and you’ll be sure to have time with the family. Remember, a family adventure doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. You just need a couple of hours and a fun idea.Get your printable June Family Adventures here.

• Which of these June simple family fun ideas are you going to add to your calendar this month?

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