Outdoor Activities to do with the Kids

Kids are never happier than when they are doing something fun with their family in The Great Outdoors. Getting fresh air and exercise is great for all the family – make it fun! Here are 4 outdoor activities to do with the kids.

Saddle Up

Horse riding is a fun way of seeing more of the countryside. It is beneficial to you and your child’s health because it promotes hand-eye coordination, improves balance, and strengthens the body’s core muscles when you work in time with the horse’s movements.

A full day of horse riding will give you an idea of what it is like to own a horse as many riding schools will take you through the whole daily routine from mucking out the stable to feeding and grooming the horse and finally, riding the horse.  You and your child will be encouraged to get to know the horse you will be riding by grooming it and helping to fit it with a saddle and reins. You will learn about health and safety and wear appropriate headwear to protect your skull if you should fall and riding gloves to give you a better grip on the reins and prevent your hands from getting irritated and blistered.

Trekking around the countryside together is a great bonding time for your family. You can spot the wildlife together, make friends with other riders, and have a laugh at dad trying to mount his horse!

Look Out

Nature scavenger hunting is an inexpensive outdoor activity, and you don’t have to travel long distances to do it. In fact, you can do it on your doorstep.

Make a list of objects found in nature and ask your child to find them. If several family members are participating, you could split into teams, and the team who finds everything on the list first is the winner. Scavenger hunting will teach your kids about flora and fauna and hone their observational skills.

Eat up

Fruit picking is a great way to get some fresh air and exercise – with a tasty treat along the way.

You can pick wild fruit from around the local countryside or go to a fruit picking farm.  Children will learn a lot about where their fruit and vegetable come from and how they are grown. They might learn how to identify different plants by the flowers, leaf shape, bark, or how they grow.

If your child is fussy about eating fruit and vegetables, they might be more inclined to try a piece of fruit, having picked it themselves. The fun doesn’t have to stop when you get home because you and your kids can make some delicious dishes with your fruits, such as crumbles, smoothies, or jelly.

Get Wet

Going to the beach is a popular activity with most children, and there are plenty of things you can do there.  The obvious action is to make sandcastles as this can be great fun for you and the kids as it allows your creative side to run wild. Build castles with moats and turrets, mold different shapes, or even transform yourselves into mermaids with sandy tails. Collect different types of shells to decorate your creations and make sure you take them home with you as souvenirs.

Bring a beach ball and have a volleyball game or walk along the beach and hunt for rockpools.

When the waves retreat and the tide is low, you will be able to hunt for wildlife in the rockpools. Look for creatures such as crabs, shrimps, anemones, limpets, snails, and starfish. To have a closer look at the organisms, slowly submerge a bucket into the water and see what’s inside when you pull it back up again. Do not use a net to do this as small creatures can get caught, causing them serious damage. Carefully move rocks and inspect crevices for inhabitants but make sure you handle the wildlife with extreme care and return them once you’ve observed them. Rockpooling is a great way to teach your children about seashore wildlife. Spending a day at the beach allows you to teach them about tides and how they are caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the moon and the sun and the earth’s rotation.

Having a paddle in the sea is always great fun – as long as it’s not too cold.  If you and your family are confident swimmers, you could swim or learn to surf.