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. 

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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 canoeing

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.