7 Outdoor Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Got a crabby toddler or bored preschooler on your hands? Take ’em outside! A blast of sunshine and a bit of a breeze go a long way toward turning a tiny frown upside down. No need to travel far to get the grins going again — these outdoor activities are delightfully doable right in your yard or neighborhood.

Chances are your little one’s already met — and fallen in love with — Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar. With a little sidewalk chalk, the endlessly munching insect becomes the star of this sidewalk or driveway game. Start by drawing a large chalk circle, two or three feet across, with a face and antennae, then add ten or 20 more circles to create your jumbo-size caterpillar. Challenge your toddler to run from one end of the caterpillar to the other (a stopwatch makes the race even more exciting). Preschoolers can try bunny hopping or leaping from circle to circle, or even challenge themselves not to step on any chalk lines. Vary the color of the circles and this becomes a learning game as you encourage your critter to jump from red to blue to green.

Water adds instant fun to outdoor activities, so try this bucket-of-suds spectacular on the next warm day. Fill a pail with water, add a few drops of baby shampoo for tear-free suds and throw in some clean sponges. Then let some toddlers or preschoolers clean up their rides: tricycles, bikes, ride-ons and scooters. After the vehicles get sufficiently soaped up, help those munchkins turn on the hose for a rinse-down, then dry the fleet with old rags or towels. The perfect way to cap off the fun: a trike-and-bike parade around the block.

Introducing your little one to the wonders of nature is a wonderful way to stimulate his curiosity about the world. Plus, growing a plant will give your toddler or preschooler a huge sense of accomplishment. Getting started is easy: Just transplant already-thriving seedlings into pots filled with a bit of potting soil. Keep your veggies in these containers as they grow or plant them in the ground if you like. Either way, tomatoes, green beans and basil are reliable, kid-friendly options; but feel free to check out what’s growing at your local nursery, which is yet another fun outdoor activity to do with your tot!

Time to branch out from your own backyard? Try this adventurous outdoor activity that gives kids a chance to choose the route. Start by drawing arrows (left, right, forward, backward) on index cards, then pack your cards and get going. When you come to a fork in the road, let your preschooler choose a card to determine which way you head next. Along the way, play a guessing game by taking turns hypothesizing what you’ll see on the next block: a black door, a bird’s nest, a blue mailbox…you get the picture.

Your cutie will love this outdoor take on pretend play: The Sneaky Bear game. Tell your tot to set out three objects (like a ball, a shovel and a toy car) before “going to sleep” under a blanket. Then along comes the sneaky bear — you or another child — to steal one item. Once that object is safely hidden away, yell, “Wake up!” The sleepyhead has to figure out which item was stolen (and if you have more than two players, who was the bear). Take turns so everyone gets a chance to play at being a sneaky bear. If you like, add a search for the missing item to this tricky activity.

What kid doesn’t love bubbles? This outdoor activity takes the fun to a whole new level by mixing your own bubble solution. To start, add 1 cup of dishwashing soap to a gallon of warm water. An extra 2 to 3 tablespoons of glycerin, available at your local pharmacy, is the secret to super-big bubbles. Pour your concoction into a flat, rimmed tray, like a sheet-cake pan, and dip in a large DIY wand, made by bending a wire hanger into a loop. Teach your toddler to lift the wand slowly and walk backward to let loose a gigantic bubble. If you like, experiment with making different kinds of wands with straws, pipe cleaners, even fly swatters. And if you really want to go big, pour your solution into a wading pool and use a Hula-Hoop to make monster-sized bubbles.

Mastering gross-motor skills, like running, jumping, kicking and throwing, is an essential part of toddler and preschooler development, so this backyard obstacle course is just the ticket. Preschoolers can do a set of challenges: Kick a ball toward a fence, then jump on and off a step, hop one-footed along a garden path and finally, throw a tennis ball into a bucket. For the younger set, practice one simple activity at a time — like stepping in and out of a Hula-Hoop on the ground — before moving onto the next easy feat. Once you’ve attracted a few friends and neighbors, turn the course into a relay race that’ll get everyone’s heart pumping.