6 Simple Backyard Activities for Kids

With the accessibility of electronic devices, it can sometimes be a struggle to get kids outdoors to enjoy fresh air. Here are some of my go to activities for outdoor enjoyment:

1. Create dynamic drawings using chalk.

Draw on wet cement with chalk. Just spray an area of your driveway or patio with water and watch basic chalk become more vibrant before your eyes!

2. Have three-legged races.

Use a ribbon or some string and have three-legged races across your lawn. The kids will be in stitches laughing from the ridiculousness of it all!

3. Decorate bikes.

All you need are their bikes, party streamers, washable chalk markers, stickers, and/or whatever other decorations you have around the house. Then encourage them to decorate their bikes however they'd like. Washable decorations are best. You can remove stickers using peanut butter.

4. Set up a game of leap frog.

If your kids are young, take some chalk and draw out a number of Lilly pads. Encourage your children to jump from pad to pad. If they are a bit older, perhaps a good ol' game of leapfrog on the grass.

5. Make a mud pie restaurant.

Some of the best sensory play can be made up of materials that already exist outside. Grab some buckets, shovels, and kitchen utensil. Use dirt from the garden or sand from the sandbox. Turn on the hose and watch your kids have a blast!

6. Draw out an obstacle course.

My kids LOVE this one. Using chalk, draw 1s, 2s, 4s, springs, and turns (for literate children, you can actually write out the words). 1 equals" jump on one foot," 2 is "two feet," four is "walk on hands and knees," springs mean "do a crazy jump," and turns are "turn in a circle." See an example here. I hope you enjoy these activities as much as we do! Here's to months worth of outdoor play!

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