Play outdoors

If you’re running out of ideas to keep your little ones entertained, why not step outside, get them to find a stick and see where their imagination takes them. Because it’s never just a stick. Today it could be a magic wand, an air guitar, or a bow and arrow.

You could even ask them to draw with it on the ground – the possibilities are endless. You’ll never get stuck with a stick!

For a free outdoor game when you’re out for a walk together, ask them how many colours they can spot along the way. Red, orange, you name 
it  - there’s every colour in the rainbow out there!

This game is perfect for letting little imaginations wander, no matter the weather. For each colour they notice, give them a point. And if they manage to see a real rainbow, that’s 10 bonus points!

A fun way to distract little ones when you’re out and about is to ask what sounds they can hear. Whether it’s water, birds, cars or rustling leaves – there are so many exciting sounds out there. Was that a motorbike? Or an airplane?

You could even make an unexpected sound to keep it fun - “ROAR!”

Speed up any slow walk when you’re out and about by trying this quick and easy game. Just say ‘go’ to get your wee ones walking quickly, then suddenly surprise them by shouting ‘STOP!’

Why not take it in turns – wee ones will love bossing around a grown up!

Playing in the rain is lots of fun too. Pop on their wellies, raincoat and get out there! They’ll love splashing in puddles as they skip down the street.

Why not ask them how high they can jump to make an extra big splash?

When you’re walking to nursery, school or the shops, how about taking a detour to go through a park or green space? Walking through the same green space regularly is a great way to see the seasons changing. You can try asking your little one what colour the trees are today. Can they spot any conkers or acorns? How about a spider’s web covered in frost? Or a frozen puddle?

When you’re outside, try taking a moment to look up at the sky. Ask your little one what shapes and pictures they can see in the clouds – you might be surprised at what they come out with!

You’ve heard the expression ‘nice weather for ducks’ when it’s raining? So how about taking some bath time rubber ducks outside for a wee adventure floating in puddles? Just remember to wash them thoroughly when you bring them home! Don’t have a rubber duck? How about making a paper boat instead and using that? For more rainy day ideas download this resource from Play Scotland. 

A walk in the evening can be a good way to calm kids down (and tire them out!) before they go to bed. If it’s dark or dusk it can sometimes feel a bit more fun and like a ‘grown up’ adventure. Maybe you’ll spot a cat out on the prowl, or even a fox? For older kids, an evening walk can draw a line under the day and give them a chance to talk to you if they want to.

On a nice windy day, why not liven up a walk through the park or along the beach by taking a kite with you? You can make a really simple kite together using some household materials such as bin bags and bamboo barbeque skewers. Flying a kite takes a bit of practice at first and the kids will have to run really fast! How high can they get their kite to go?

Want them to take a break from screens? You could go for a woodland walk. Ask if they can spot any bears behind the trees!

Pretend you’ve seen a bear – “GRRRR!” They’ll run, run, run as fast as their wee legs will go!

Conquer boredom by building a den in a woodland or local park – it’s a great way to let little imaginations run wild. They’ll have fun balancing sticks, tying branches to form a roof and deciding whether to leave a gap for a door! No big sticks? How about asking them to gather small twigs to make a fairy house instead?

Some fresh air by a local stream or river can really help to give you and your little one some amazing breathing space. Why not get them to pick up a stone and splash it into the water? Which types of stone makes the biggest splash - smooth, flat, bit or small?

For extra fun, show them how to skim a stone by spinning it underarm across the water and count how many times it skips across the surface.

If your little one is feeling antsy, why not get them to look for beasties? Wee explorers will love if you ask them to see what different bugs they can find in different places - search in grass, mud, trees and even cracks in the pavement.

To keep them entertained for longer, you could even ask them to count how many of each creepy crawly they can find.

If your little one is climbing the walls in the house, why not take away the walls by climbing trees instead? What else can they find to climb – steps, logs, or little slopes?

There’s nothing like going for a walk in a wood or forest to make you feel part of nature! And did you know that spending time in woodlands is great for your wellbeing? Take lots of deep breaths together and see what you can smell, or even try hugging a tree and seeing what you can feel and hear.

Visit the Woodland Trust website for more information on woods and wild spaces near you that are free to visit.

Who needs snow to have a toboggan adventure? Tie some rope to a heavy duty bin bag and make your way to the top of grassy hill. Get ready! Then remind the kids to hold on tight as they slide down the hill on their homemade sledge. Why not try making some more sledges with seats made from different materials, like cardboard boxes? You can download a PDF with instructions for this here. And you can find more fab resources at the Learning Through Landscapes website.

One way to burn off energy during the day is to let your little one make some chalk art and turn any outdoor surface into a new adventure. For extra fun, why not draw a magic door and see where it takes them - across the sea, into space, or even back in time to the dinosaurs!

Get creative and keep them entertained for hours by collecting items to use as paint stampers. Get them to think about what things would make interesting patterns. There are so many different leaves, cones and stones to find.

For an extra special activity, why not make one of their prints into a card for a friend?

Kids love water, so what better way to calm them down than by getting them to focus on creating a magic potion? Fill a little washing-up basin with warm water and let them splash and wiggle their fingers through it for some messy fun.

Why not ask them to find petals and leaves to help make the potion extra magical!

Need to help them beat the boredom when it’s raining? Then get outside and have fun getting their hands dirty making mud pies!

To really get their imagination going, why not ask who they are baking for? Is it for a scallywag pirate on board a ship? Or some hungry teddy bears heading for their picnic?

Make a fun treasure hunt out of things you find on the ground to get kids to interact with their outdoor surroundings. If they pick up something smooth, they have to find something rough. If they find something heavy, they have to find something light.

The best part - you can play this anywhere!