Things to Do Outdoors: 100 Activities

With 100 activities to inspire and excite when you’re out and about, there’s everything from simple and silly things to distract kids for ten minutes to crafts and experiments that will keep them entertained all afternoon.

＂I’m bored＂ must be the most frightening words in a child’s vocabulary, and how to keep kids entertained is something that keeps many of us awake at night. 100 Things to Do Outdoors is a collection of games, activities, prompts and projects to keep little and not-so-little ones focused, busy and happy. From simple and silly things to distract them for ten minutes to crafts and experiments to keep them entertained for an afternoon, there’s a boredom buster for everyone. Pick a play prompt strip to give you all the inspiration you need whether you’re a parent, a grandparent, a childcare worker or simply the one in charge of a child for a day! Not every activity will suit your day - or their mood - so just turn the stick over or choose another one from the pot. If you don’t know how to make moon sand, chalk paints or giant bubbles, no problem. There’s a handy booklet with all the instructions you’ll need for all sorts of projects.

Whilst there are plenty of ideas for solo play, there are plenty more things for you to join in with, as well as group activities that will work well for bigger families and parties.

Embrace the outdoors and ...
Learn about nature with scavenger hunts, the match box challenge or snail racing.
Get creative with chalk paints, moon sand and wellie fashion.
Hunt for dinosaur eggs, take a penny hike or make a potion lab.

The activities are written with children aged 3-8 years in mind but it’s your call as to how much help, support and age-appropriate supervision they might need ... make whatever adjustments are necessary.

Have fun!

Dawn Isaac is an award-winning garden designer, blogger and the mother of three children. Dawn writes on garden design for the Guardian, the Telegraph, Good Housekeeping and The Garden, and has run Family Garden Design courses in association with Mumsnet Academy. She is the author of 101 Things For Kids To Do Outside, 101 Things for Kids to do on a Rainy Day and 101 Brilliant Things for Kids to do With Science, also published by Kyle Books.