100+ Things to Do Outside

Rain or shine, there are plenty of outdoor activities to keep you and the kids busy throughout the year. Take a look at this list of over 100 things to do outside to ensure you'll stay entertained no matter what. Most of these great ideas can be customized for adults, little kids, or for the family. Some of these are nature-based, while others are some of the best outdoor activities. 

There are many fun things to do outside for all ages, from hosting an outdoor movie night to a water balloon fight in the local park.

Many of these activities for the great outdoors are free (outdoor dance party, scavenger hunt, etc.), but some require payment, such as miniature golfing. Many of these can be done with items you likely already have at home, like making DIY bubbles. See how many of these you can do in a day or during summer vacation.

100 Things to Do Outside 

1. Make an obstacle course in the backyard or front yard 
2. Spend the afternoon at an amusement park 
3. Make a fairy garden 
4. Play hide and seek 
5. Walk around to see how much street art and graffiti you can find
6. Do a nature scavenger hunt 
7. Plan an outdoor movie night (you can get an outdoor projector screen or simply watch it on your phone or laptop)
8. Make or play with slime outdoors
9. Go to a local outdoor concert 
10. When life hands you lemons, make a lemonade stand 
11. Head over to your local farmers market for fresh air and produce 
12. Calm down with outdoor yoga 
13. Visit a dog park 
14. Stroll your local botanic garden 
15. Go geocaching 
16. Play basketball 
17. Play tennis
18. Spend the afternoon cloud-watching
19. Go stargazing
20. Pull weeds from the backyard
21. Paint a shower curtain (try a clear shower curtain or liner for this)
22. Make a sensory bin
23. Play with Legos or blocks
24. Go horseback riding 
25. Get binoculars to go bird watching (you can get a bird watching book and binoculars to better spot the wildlife)
26. Take photos
27. Plan a trip to a national park 
28. Take a bike ride 
29. Attend a basketball or baseball game
30. Build an outdoor fort  
31. Find a quiet spot in a park to read a book or listen to a podcast 
32. Play frisbee golf 
33. Play freeze tag
34. Go to an outdoor ice skating rink 
35. Spend time at a state park 
36. Build a mud kitchen 
37. Get artistic and draw on the pavement with sidewalk chalk (buy sidewalk chalk online here)
38. Visit a pumpkin patch 
39. Play board games outside 
40. Go kayaking or conoeing
41. Run through the sprinklers on a hot day
42. Play or build a treehouse 
43. Paint pet rocks 
44. Do an outdoor workout
45. Create a playlist and listen to it outside 
46. Grill burgers or veggies outside
47. Get the whole family to do an outdoor dance party
48. Go on a walk to see if you can identify the nature around you (plants, flowers, trees, etc.)
49. Tie dye shirts or beach towels outside so you don't stain anything (you can get a tie dye kit and pick color themes like neon colors, etc) 
50. Get vitamin D and take a long walk on the beach 
51. Wash your car inside and out 
52. Hike local trails
53. Go to a water park
54. People watch outside
55. Go swimming at a local pool, lake, beach, etc.
56. Go surfing
57. Run through the sprinklers 
58. Cool off in the splash pad (there are splash pads for different ages, so you can keep this in mind)
59. Look for bugs
60. Watch the sunset or sunrise
61. Try your hand at paddle boarding
62. Try out your green thumb and plant a garden in your backyard 
63. Fly a kite 
64. Pitch a tent in the yard and camp there
65. Explore your local park, beach, or forest 
66. Write in your journal in a park (100+ Journal Prompts for Self-Discovery)
67. Go rock climbing
68. Play a game of tug of war 
69. Do a puzzle outside 
70. Eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner outside
71. Give your patio, balcony, or welcome mat a good wash 
72. Paint rocks in fun shapes like fruits or vegetables 
73. Hug a tree 
74. Make s'mores (there are electric flameless s'mores kits if you don't have access to a fire)
75. Go camping 
76. Have a picnic in nature 
77. Take an outdoor nap 
78. Go skiing or snowboarding
79. Check out a book from the local library and read it outside
80. Eat homemade popsicles in your backyard 
81. Hula hoop (buy hula hoops online or at the store)
82. Play hopscotch
83. Climb a tree
84. Make a bird feeder
85. Walk the dog
86. Lay in a hammock 
87. Play capture the flag 
88. Grab old magazine and make a collage outside
89. Meditate in the great outdoors
90. Play hopscotch 
91. Build a fairy garden
92. Head to a zoo or petting zoo
93. Play catch
94. Build an obstacle course
95. Make DIY chalk paint 
96. Make DIY bubbles (but you could go fancy with a bubble gun or bubble machine)
97. Feel the grass on your skin on a sunny day 
98. Attend an estate sale or garage sale
99. Host a garden party
100. Cool off with a water balloon fight (they also have reusable water balloons)
101. Play mini golf
102. Go fishing

There are many fun things to do in the great outdoors. If you can't think of anything, refer back to this list. This is a fantastic way for kids to stay occupied during school breaks or vacations. 

When you're trying to think of a fun way to spend the day outside, you have to figure out what type of activities you like to do first. Do you prefer being active, like doing outdoor yoga or a bike ride? Do you like leisure activities like bird watching or strolling around a garage sale? Do you just want to do something minimal and be outside, such as reading? Figuring this out will help you find your favorite things to do for yourself, your family, and your kids.