21 Ways to Help Children Enjoy the Outdoors
Looking for ways to help your children enjoy being outside? Discover 21 simple outdoor activities for kids that build curiosity, confidence, and a lifelong love of nature.
In a world full of screens, schedules, and indoor routines, it’s easy for outdoor time to slip down the priority list. But nature offers something no tablet or TV show can: space for wonder, movement, imagination, and calm.
The good news? You don’t need a national park, a perfect backyard, or a full day off to help your children fall in love with the outdoors. It starts with small, intentional moments that invite curiosity and connection.
Between the Daybreak Co-Founders, we have 14 little Daybreakers running around that just love to be outside. Together we have compiled this list of simple, heart-centered ways to make outdoor time something your children look forward to—and remember for a lifetime.
🌞 1. Let Kids Play Freely Outdoors
Unstructured outdoor play is essential for healthy development. Let them run, climb, and get messy without rules or pressure.
👣 2. Be a Role Model for Enjoying Nature
Children learn by example. Show them you love being outside by taking time to relax, explore, and be present in nature.
⏳ 3. Start with Just 15 Minutes of Outdoor Time
Even short bursts of time outside can build a lasting habit. A quick walk, snack on the porch, or leaf hunt can do wonders.
🔍 4. Encourage Curiosity in Nature
Ask open-ended questions like, “What do you think lives under that rock?” or “Why is that bird singing?” Curiosity fosters learning.
🧸 5. Make Outdoor Time Comfortable
Snacks, hats, sunscreen, and favorite toys make the outdoors feel safe and enjoyable for little ones.
🌅 6. Create Simple Outdoor Rituals
Establish small traditions like morning walks, backyard tea time, or weekly sunset watching to build positive outdoor associations.
🧭 7. Let Kids Lead the Outdoor Adventure
Let your child choose where to go or what to explore. When they lead, they feel more invested and engaged.
(Co-founders Olivia and Crystal fishing in the 90s)
🎨 8. Leave Room for Imagination Outside
Nature is the perfect setting for imaginative play. A stick becomes a sword, a log becomes a spaceship—let it happen.
🏡 9. Reduce Overscheduling to Make Room for Nature
Too many indoor activities can crowd out outdoor play. Leave time unstructured so kids can explore freely.
💬 10. Praise Outdoor Experiences, Not Just Results
Focus on what they felt, saw, or wondered about. “You looked so curious out there” goes further than “Good job hiking!”
🌱 11. Start a Garden with Your Child
Let them choose a plant or veggie to grow. Involve them in watering, weeding, and celebrating the first sprout.
📓 12. Keep a Kids’ Nature Journal
Give them a simple notebook to draw leaves, write about animals they see, or record weather patterns. A great mindfulness tool.
🏕️ 13. Build a Backyard Fort or Outdoor Hideaway
Use natural materials or blankets to create a personal space in the yard. It becomes their special nature retreat.
🍂 14. Collect “Nature Treasures”
Rocks, feathers, leaves—collecting natural items gives children a tangible way to connect with their surroundings.
🎶 15. Go on a Nature Sound Hunt
Sit in stillness and listen. Ask your child what they hear—wind in the trees, birds, or distant footsteps?
🧺 16. Plan a Simple Backyard Picnic
Outdoor meals—even snacks—can turn an ordinary day into something memorable. No need to go far.
🌳 17. Encourage Climbing, Balancing, and Jumping
Allow kids to engage their bodies by climbing trees, hopping over logs, and balancing on rocks (safely, of course).
🎨 18. Take Art Projects Outside
Bring drawing pads or watercolors outdoors and let nature inspire their creativity.
🌄 19. Try Morning or Evening Nature Walks
Nature feels different at sunrise or dusk—cooler, quieter, magical. Let kids experience the wonder of different times of day.
🐾 20. Look for Animal Tracks
After rain or in soft dirt, search for animal footprints. Ask your child to imagine who walked there and where they were going.
🎒 21. Create a DIY Nature Exploration Bag
Pack a small backpack with a magnifying glass, notebook, snack, and binoculars—ready for spontaneous outdoor adventures!
🌟 Final Thoughts: Make Outdoor Time Meaningful and Fun
The goal isn’t to make your kids love nature—it’s to offer them the space and support to fall in love with it on their own. The fresh air, the freedom, the little discoveries… they’re more powerful than we think.
So step outside with them. Get curious. Get messy. Laugh a little. You’re not just making memories—you’re shaping how they relate to the world.
To learn more about the amazing benefits of being outside, click here.