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50+ Fun Backyard Activities for Kids

Activities

Keeping kids happy and busy at home can be such a challenge! On beautiful days, do you find that your children run out of ideas for things to play in the backyard? If so, this list of 50+ fun backyard activities for kids is for you!

When your kids are stuck at home for several days in a row, it’s always a good idea to have a great list of activities for kids at home ready for the inevitable announcement of “I’m bored!”

With this long list, your children are sure to find several things they’d enjoy doing outside in their own backyard. And one thing I’ve found is, when it comes to spending days on end at home, the best strategy is to spend as much time as possible outside.

When kids can get active outside they’ll sleep better that night, eat better at dinner, and generally be in a more pleasant mood. And I know, at least for this Mama, I’ll also have those same perks!

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Some times all your kids need is a ball or a fun outdoor toy to stay occupied for hours, but other times they might need some suggestions of other activities they can try.

Get those kids outside and active with this list of backyard activities for kids. Give them space to run and play, let them be as loud as they want and get all that excess energy burned up!

I’m especially a fan of the outdoor art activities, since I’ll all for keeping the mess of art out of my house! But, I also love the really active activity ideas in this list, because I know the more active my kids are, the easier bedtime will be!

While your kids are playing outside, if you have a trampoline, these 45 awesome trampoline games are another great way to keep your kids active.

If you are faced with a day too rainy or cold to get outside, try these 27 active indoor activities for kids.

Fun Backyard Activities for Kids

Fun activities kids can enjoy in their own backyard. Get outside, get creative, get active, get imaginative!

Active Activities + Games

Creative and innovative active play will keep kids busy and happy in the backyard for hours. Try these great ideas:

Make Your Own Kids Obstacle Course!

Photo Credit: www.keepcalmandmommyon.com

Are you looking for something to keep your kids active and to encourage outdoor play? Then you have got to make your own kids obstacle course!

Sidewalk Chalk Obstacle Course 

Photo Credit: www.tootsmomistired.com

Create a fun sidewalk chalk obstacle course the whole family will love.

Ready, Aim, Fire! Balloon Archery Games

Photo Credit: brainpowerboy.com

Playing games together as a family makes for great memories. So grab your bows and head outside to try these fun balloon archery games!

Color Golf Game for Toddlers

Photo Credit: www.schooltimesnippets.com

Work on color recognition and have fun outside at the same time!

Build a Nerf War Battlefield - outdoor engineering challenge

Photo Credit: www.steampoweredfamily.com

Build a Nerf War Battlefield in your own backyard, it’s not as hard as you think and it is a great upcycle and engineering challenge for kids. Not to mention the hours of play that will follow once it’s constructed.

Survival Skills Challenge: Build a Shelter

Photo Credit: theresjustonemommy.com

Kids will love working to build an outdoor shelter in the backyard!

Running Bases Game

Photo Credit: www.growingplay.com

This is an awesome classic game, perfect for backyard play.

Tic Tac Toe Backyard Edition

Photo Credit: growingfamily.co.uk

This is a simple nature craft using twigs and stones which also gives kids a game that they can play over and over again

Water Balloon Pinata

Photo Credit: www.redtedart.com

It is  simple game – you need water balloons, water, some string and a stick… and I am sure you can imagine the rest!

Make your own simple backyard Mud Kitchen

Photo Credit: www.learnwithplayathome.com

Make a simple mud kitchen using items you already have.

Camping Pretend Play for Preschoolers

Photo Credit: whereimaginationgrows.com

You don't have to spend the night in the backyard. Pretend camping can be just as fun!

How to make a Water Wall for kids

Photo Credit: www.learnwithplayathome.com

This fun water wall will keep your kids busy for hours!

Backyard Scavenger Hunts

I have to include backyard scavenger hunts in their own section. Choose one of these fun scavenger hunts for your kids to enjoy today!

Free Printable Animal Safari Scavenger Hunt

Photo Credit: www.playpartyplan.com

Hunting for wild animals in your own back yard? It's possible with this genius scavenger hunt idea.

Explore Your World with This Fun Nature Scavenger Hunt for the Whole Family

Photo Credit: simplifyingfamily.com

A Nature Scavenger Hunt in your own backyard is a great way combine learning with outdoor play.

Colors of Nature Scavenger Hunt

Photo Credit: www.messylittlemonster.com

This super fun Color Nature Scavenger Hunt is perfect for sunny days. Preschoolers and toddlers and big kids too, will all have a field day collecting their pieces of nature and matching them to the colors on the printable scavenger hunt sheet. Ready, set, go!

Bug Scavenger Hunt - FREE printable for minibeast loving kids

Photo Credit: www.messylittlemonster.com

Let's go on a bug hunt! Get the kids ready for an outdoor bug adventure this Spring with our free printable bug scavenger hunt. What could be better than grabbing a magnifying glass and our bug scavenger hunt and heading out to explore.

Free Printable Backyard Photo Scavenger Hunt for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Photo Credit: besttoys4toddlers.com

Even when you have little kids around, like toddlers and preschoolers, who are still too young to read, you can use photo scavenger hunt. They will love to play backyard photo scavenger hunt and get necessary movement in close proximity to home!

FREE Nature Scavenger Hunt PDF Printable

Photo Credit: www.thepragmaticparent.com

Fun nature / outdoor scavenger hunt to do in your backyard, at the park, take with you on a hike or camping

Backyard Scavenger Hunt (w/FREE printable!)

Photo Credit: www.kcedventures.com

Get kids outside with this FREE printable Backyard Scavenger Hunt that can be done in any yard, from your patio or balcony or around the neighborhood!

Bug Scavenger Hunt and Matching Game

One scavenger hunt printable is a classic checklist where your kids mark off each bug they find. The second scavenger hunt is one you cut up and hide the bug photos around your home or yard for your kids to find. 

Nature Scavenger Hunt Printables » Homemade Heather

Photo Credit: twindragonflydesigns.com

These free nature scavenger hunt printables are great for keeping the kids active! We love spending as much time outside as we can. 

Free Printable Spring Scavenger Hunt For Kids

Photo Credit: thepurposefulnest.com

Kids can engage nature in their own backyard with this backyard scavenger hunt

Nature Scavenger Hunt - Fun Game for Kids While Social Distancing!

Photo Credit: temeculablogs.com
Here’s a free printable nature scavenger hunt list you can use for your backyard. Fun outdoor activity for kids.

Sensory and Fine Motor Play

Your backyard is a great place to allow children to explore some fun sensory activities- especially the messier ones!

Mar 25 Construction Zone Sensory Bean Box for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Photo Credit: www.lorenaylennox.com

Your toddler will be intrigued for hours with this activity, all while getting some great sensory and fine motor play.

How to Make a Mud Pie: Nature Art Activity for Kids

Photo Credit: rhythmsofplay.com

Is there anything better than the feeling of mud squishing between your hands as you mold it into a mud pie? It’s a childhood sensory activity not to be missed!

Colored Ice Play - Easy Summer Sensory Activity for Baby

Photo Credit: crayonsandcravings.com

Babies can enjoy sensory play outside too!

Outdoor Sensory Play with Mud

Photo Credit: besttoys4toddlers.com

What better materials to use in your spring or summer sensory play activities than dirt? Seriously. It’s everywhere. Oh, and it’s free. 

Educational and STEM Activities

Educational activities can also be a lot of fun in the backyard!

Teaching Sight Words with a Fun Water Play Activity

Photo Credit: homeschoolpreschool.net

Chalk and water make these sight words super fun!

Backyard Railroad Engineering: Outdoor STEM Challenge for Kids

Photo Credit: www.adventure-in-a-box.com

Kids will love building their own railroad in the backyard!

What lives in dirt? – Go Science Kids

Photo Credit: gosciencekids.com

You can't find a science better than this one for the backyard!

Pizza Box Solar Oven

Learn about the sun's rays and make some yummy s'mores at the same time!

Castle in the Clouds: science & imaginative play – Go Science Kids

Photo Credit: gosciencekids.com

This fun acid-base reaction experiment, meets creative play is perfect for the backyard.

Magnet Fishing: Cool Science for Kids!

Photo Credit: rhythmsofplay.com

Science and magnetic play will have your kids intrigued!

Arts and Crafts

There are so many fun arts and crafts activities your kids can enjoy while outside- and the bonus is that it keeps the mess outside with them!
They'll also enjoy fun backyard art activities that use things they can find outside.

Painted Alphabet Rock Magnets {DIY}

Photo Credit: www.madewithhappy.com

Gather rocks from your yard and make fun letter magnets.

Make Mega Bubble Solution

Make absolutely massive bubbles with this bubble solution.

Washable Window Paint Recipe

Photo Credit: taminglittlemonsters.com

Make this washable window paint and allow your kid to paint the outside of your doors and windows. Then hand them the garden hose to clean it off!

Make: Paper Straw and Play Dough Fairy Forests

Photo Credit: barleyandbirch.com

Kids will have fun making these lovely play dough and paper straw forests with supplies from the garden! A naturally wonderful way to practice fine motor skills with sensory play.

How to Make a Fairy Garden Step by Step Tutorial

Photo Credit: rhythmsofplay.com

Learn how to make a fairy garden with the fairy garden supplies and quick and easy do it yourself instructions listed below!

DIY Soap Foam Sidewalk Paint

Photo Credit: activelittles.com
Soap foam is top 5 in our household. My girls really enjoy how fun it feels and the vibrant colors.

Simple Bug Hotel for Kids

Photo Credit: www.redtedart.com

Make bug hotels for the critters in your backyard.

Splat Painting – Process Art Activity for Kids

Photo Credit: taminglittlemonsters.com

Another great outdoor painting activity for kids.

An invitation to the fairies: DIY Fairy Door – Danya Banya

Photo Credit: www.danyabanya.com

Make a wee fairy door, and invite a touch of fairy magic into your garden. Great way to encourage outdoor imaginative play.

Water Pistol Painting is the best outdoor art activity ever!

Photo Credit: www.messylittlemonster.com

Water Pistol painting is such a fun outdoor art activity for kids.

Art Class at Home: Painted Flower Pots

Photo Credit: www.gracegigglesandnaptime.com

Head outside and hold art class at home with these DIY painted flower pots for kids!

How to Make Sticky Nature Cards – Best Kids Craft Ever!

Photo Credit: craftinvaders.co.uk

Sticky nature cards are the simplest kids craft to set up ever. They’re portable, and a great way to record a day outside. You really can get the kids going on this in under a minute!

Kids Crafts: Making Flags with Kids

Photo Credit: www.redtedart.com

Easy, fun, and messy crafting in the backyard!

Hammering Flowers Art

Photo Credit: taminglittlemonsters.com

Discover the color in nature with this fun art experience for kids.

Foraging with Kids: Botanical Prints

Photo Credit: homesteadlady.com

Forage native blooms and herbs for free and learn how to make smashed flower art for card stock and wrapping paper. This is an easy kids craft for spring and summer – it’s even fun for the grown ups! 

Easy, Pretty, Preschooler Fairy Houses

Photo Credit: www.pinkstripeysocks.com

These super easy cardboard fairy houses are perfect backyard crafts. 

How to Make Sun Prints | There's Just One Mommy

Photo Credit: theresjustonemommy.com

These fun solar prints will have your kids making art and learning about the science of the sun at the same time.

Garden Nature Art

Photo Credit: www.thecrafttrain.com

Create simple and beautiful nature art using items collected from the garden at home.

Mud Painting: Fun Messy Art for Kids

Photo Credit: theresjustonemommy.com

Are you looking for some fun outdoor art activities kids can enjoy as the weather gets warmer?  

Mud painting is perfect for those rainy days of spring. 

Stomping Bubble Wrap Painting (VIDEO)

Photo Credit: thesoccermomblog.com

Get active and create vibrant art at the same time with this stomping bubble wrap painting!

Backyard Nature Fairy Wand Craft

Photo Credit: whereimaginationgrows.com

Need some fun backyard activity ideas? This simple nature fairy wand craft is so easy to make and lots of fun for kids of all ages! 

Drawing with chalk and nature - a simple process art idea

Photo Credit: www.thecrafttrain.com

Gorgeous process art idea of chalk drawing and ‘earth art‘ combined. 

Kids Art: Spray Painting Graffiti

Photo Credit: emmaowl.com

Which backyard activity will your kids try first?

Don’t forget to check out my big list of at home activities for kids if you need some ideas for other activities to beat boredom.

April 3, 2020 · Leave a Comment

About Amanda

Amanda is an adventurous mom of six based in southern Virginia. She’s teaching her crew to live life to the fullest whether they are home on the farm or trekking through a new concrete jungle. She's passionate about intentional mothering through life’s joys and challenges, and learning to embrace the gift of each new day together.

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