Here are ten outdoor children’s activities that can help you as an educator or a parent build social skills for your kids:
1. Walking and Talking
Walking and talking activities build conversation skills. They can also contribute to mastering the art of active listening, turn-taking, and empathy while improving relationship skills.
2. Gardening
Gardening is one of our favorite outdoor activities for kids, even though it involves a lot of work. However, it can build patience and coping strategies since the kids will have to wait to see something grow. Additionally, it can improve planning skills, as kids will be generating ideas for a garden, listing what to grow, and making a map of where to grow each item.
3. Birdwatching
Birdwatching is an activity that can help your kids develop attention skills. At the same time, it can improve their mindfulness and coping strategies. Plus, who doesn't enjoy watching these beautiful creatures fly through the sky or build their nests!
4. Tidying the Yard
In order to create organizational and self-management skills in your kids, incorporate outdoor kids activities, such as raking, weeding, and spreading mulch. Kids learn satisfaction by seeing a positive outcome after completing a somewhat tedious task.
5. Trash Picking
It is crucial to keep the environment clean. Picking up trash enhances the respect and responsibility skills of your kids. Additionally, it teaches kids that their choices affect the environment and those surrounding them.
6. Jogging
Incorporating running exercises are a great way to foster self-care and positive coping strategies whenever feeling angry, sad, or stressed.
7. Sports
Using sports is one of the most popular outdoor activities for kids and teaches fairness, perseverance, and sportsmanship skills. That said, make sure you choose a sport that interests your teens and kids so they can truly enjoy it!
8. Fishing
Going fishing at your nearest local water body is a great way to not only learn about the importance of clean and abundant water, but also build your kids’ patience, perseverance, and self-control skills while waiting on a fish to bite.
9. Play Freeze
The freeze game involves playing music while everyone dances and then stopping the music, so everyone "freezes" on the spot. After a short pause, you play it again, and everyone resumes. The activity contributes to self-control skills.
10. Writing Sidewalk Chalk Messages
Another wonderful outdoor activity for kids is writing thoughtful messages using sidewalk chalk. It is such a great way of promoting compassion, empathy, and kindness.
These are just 10 fun outdoor activities you can do with your kids. Our subscription boxes include many more, focused around STEM and learning about the outdoors!