Fun and healthy outdoor activities for children 3 to 7 years old can be challenging to come up with for some parents. Many parents count on the television to keep children in this age group engaged. In warmer weather months, it is important to find some fun, healthy, and easy outdoor activities to keep kids strong and entertained.

Activities that will keep children active outside are better for them, and the more physical, the better. Sometimes, going back to old fashioned things we did as kids are healthier for their minds and bodies.    

Sand Boxes:

These are cheap and easy to make. Many parents use the sand bags they carry in the trunk of their cars in the winter, but it is cheap to get a load of sand. A child’s imagination can be challenged with a few cups, buckets, and other things to make sand castles, waterholes or bridges, and it keeps them searching around the yard for rocks, sticks, filling buckets with water, and using their imagination.

A Hideout:

This can be as easy as a sheet over a clothesline, or you can give them things to come up with their own hideout to play school or “day camp”. Even a small pup tent can provide them with hours of fun.

Sprinkler Games:

Who doesn’t love running through the sprinkler on a hot summer day? An oscillating sprinkler can give them challenges to hop over, run through to avoid getting wet, or getting wet when they want. It also helps water the grass and you can teach them to move it as the grass gets to wet and slippery, so you can get the yard watered.

Kiddie Pool Water Games:

Little backyard swimming pools are cheap and there are all kinds of plastic toys you can get or games to play for the older kids. Getting out and in, learning to work the water hose and getting wet are favorite summer past-times for younger children.

Chalk and Driveway Games:

You can get sidewalk chalk and young children will doodle for hours. For the older children, there is nothing like tic-tac-toe or hopscotch. Stepping stones can be drawn and longer intervals between steps for children to practice coordination and stretching.

Yard Bowling:

A ball and some old detergent bottles can make a great bowling game on the driveway or back patio. This is cheap and easy to set up and even the little ones can learn this game.

Rock Painting:

If you have some medium sized rocks around the yard, a set of watercolors or poster paints can give children an afternoon of fun. Let them find rocks and paint them to match shapes they represent, such as ladybugs, turtles or whatever else the child can think of.

Water Balloons:

Children love playing with water balloons on hot summer days. You can make them for the younger ones, hide them like an egg hunt, play ball with them or let them discover games on their own. They are cheap, and the older ones can spend hours filling them off the garden hose, and playing toss with their friends.

Outdoor physical activities for young children don’t have to be expensive or complicated. Think back when you were a child and simple things may turn out to be the most fun. Even a large cardboard box with windows can mean hours of fun for the very young children!

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