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Outdoor Games, Crafts & Nature Activities for Kids

Spring Nature Play

Create a Rainbow

Using items found in nature, create your very own colorful rainbow in this Spring STEM. Glue your rainbow to a paper or poster to share with others. It’s a great way to learn about all the different colors in nature.

Plant Flowers

Use my garden journal for kids to plan a garden for your whole family to enjoy and learn this Spring. Plus, it’s a fantastic way to begin teaching your kids about the life cycle of a plant too.

Start a Vegetable Garden

Want to learn about where our food comes from? Ready to teach your kids about crop rotation and soil erosion? Older kids will love starting a vegetable garden as their STEM project this Spring.

Flower Art

Learn to press and dry flowers for creating beautiful natural art. Then, check out some fun flower process art projects you can use to explore these beautiful plants this Spring.

Nature Study & Nature Walks

Kids can learn a lot from getting outdoors to explore. Check out this nature study observation page for even more help exploring nature with your kids this Spring.

Collect Rocks

Collect rocks from your yard, nature walks, or different places in your community. Then, use your rocks to explore weight this Spring. Finally, paint them for a fun kindness rock collection you can share with others.

Make a Rain Stick

Rainsticks are soothing and musical, but they’re also a great way to learn about the rainforest and music too. You can make your very own rain stick with recycled materials. Get creative and have fun with this STEM project.

Fruit Batteries

Have you ever made a battery with a lemon? What about a lime? Get ready to explore and learn about electricity with a fun STEM activity that involves making your own DIY batteries with citrus fruit. Try lots of different citrus fruits and see which one works the best.

What is the Spring Equinox?

Spring Ice Decorations

Easy Spring STEM Challenges

Spring Science

• Cress Caterpillar

20 Spring Science Experiments for Kids

Spring Learning Activities

Build a Kite

Spring is the right time to fly a kite! Have fun creating your own kites and learning to fly them with this fun STEM project.

This may contain: two children running on the beach holding hands and flying a kite with text overlay reading play & learn with kites best toys 4 todders

Nature Play with Kites

The Best Earth Day Board Books for Kids

The best Earth day board books for babies and toddlers age 1 - 3 to read aloud and learn about Mother Earth and preserving our environment.

Children of all age, even as small as toddlers, enjoy learning about planets, stars and sky. Let’s expand their enquiring minds with a knowledge about a planet we live on! We selected some of the best Earth day board books for kids age 1-3 to introduce many new unfamiliar words and help them grow up…

Filed Under: BOOKS, HOLIDAYSTagged With: board books, Earth day

Free Earth Day Printable Pack for Preschoolers

Best Toys 4 Toddlers - Free Earth Day printable pack for preschool and kindergarten

Earth Day is closing in and we have prepared Earth Day free printable pack you can use with your preschoolers and kindergarteners! As always, we used extra cute images to make learning even more fun! WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT TO FIND IN OUR EARTH DAY PRINTABLE PACK? All of our printable packs are 6 pages +…

Every child loves to show their love for mom with handmade gifts! And if those gifts are made from recycled materials, Mother Earth is happy as well. We prepared a collection of 60 green Mother’s Day crafts kids can make and give to their moms to shower them with love! Of course, all of these…

Our Mother Earth; our most important resource! Although planets are a bit of an abstract concept children are never too young to learn about our Earth, its beauty and importance. As we work on letter E, we prepared ideas for Earth theme in our Tot school to enjoy with your toddlers and preschoolers for seven…

As the weather gets warmer, we all start to crave ice cream. Now, you can make your own! Get ready for some STEM learning fun as you make your very own ice cream by hand in snack bags.

Catching Air Pollution

Pond Theme Activities for Preschoolers
–Spring STEM with Free Printables

Spring Break
Nature Activities for Kids

Whether your kiddos are heading to day camp or hanging out at home, spring break is a great chance for some unstructured nature play, local exploring, even an outing to a nearby state or national park!

Here are 50+ spring break nature activities for kids to help encourage some outdoor fun. And if travel is on the agenda, make a point to schedule in some time to connect with nature during your trip.

Backyard nature play
Take advantage of spring break to let the kids have plenty of time for unstructured nature play every day. A few ideas for outdoor play spaces that encourage connecting with nature:

A dirt pile
Backyard beach or other sand play area
Mud pie kitchen (we also love a mud bath area)
Nature play station
Water play area
A kid’s-only zone (like a fort, tree house, or other secret hideaway)
A children’s garden

Local nature exploring
Whether it’s in your own backyard, a local park or a nearby nature destination, find some time to let the kids do some exploring. Some timely activities:

Go on a spring nature scavenger hunt.
Create a fairy garden.
Search for four-leaf clovers.
Explore a flowerup close.
Visit a local garden or arboretum.
Take a color walk.
Make wind streamers.
Walk barefoot through the grass.
Arrange aflower bouquet.
Do somebird watching.
Camp out in the backyard.
Head to a local farm for a u-pick adventure.
Plant a garden.
Adopt a caterpillar and release a butterfly.
Fly a kite.
Pick dandelions.
Go for a bike ride.
Have a picnic.
Start a nature journal.
Go on a bug hunt.

Grander adventures
Support your local parks! If you’ve got a day free – or even just a few hours – head to a regional, state or national park. While you’re there, you may be able to:

Take a hike.
Visit a nature center.
Participate in a junior ranger program.
See some wildflowers in bloom.
Visit a pond.
Meet a park ranger.
Watch a sunset.

And if it rains …

Free Printable Spring Drawing Challenge

Encourage creative thinking while strengthening fine motor skills and learning how to draw using this Free Printable Spring Drawing Challenge. This drawing for kids printable is a great way to spend quality time with your kids this spring. Get yours today! Drawing and painting has always been a favorite around here and this spring drawing…

Spring Scrapbooking Ideas images with text: Free Printable Spring Photo Challenge

Free Printable Spring Scrapbooking Ideas Photo Challenge

I am loving these free printable photo challenges! The checklists are so easy to use and filled with photography ideas. If you haven’t tried a photo challenge checklist yet, you’re definitely going to want to try these free printable Spring Scrapbooking Ideas. There are tons of ways to use these checklists on your own, with…

preschooler planting grass in small plastic container

4 Spring Gardening Preschool Monthly Theme Activities That Your Little Kids Will Definitely Love

Are you brainstorming ideas for spring gardening preschool monthly theme activities? Here are a few awesome ones to get you started! You’ll find everything from counting and sensory activities to a fun science experiment and flower art. And your little kids will definitely love each and every one! The little guy and I were just talking…

Worm Painting for Kids

Practice creative thinking, problem-solving, and fine motor skills with this Worm Art Preschool Craft. This worm art activity is perfect for exploring lots of different Spring-themed topics with your little kids. Be sure to add this engaging and hands-on worm craft to your next gardening preschool theme! I’m starting to think we’re never going to…

Scrapbooking Ideas

Find lots of unique and special Scrapbooking Ideas to get your most cherished memories into albums today! If you have been looking for some inspiration, you’ve definitely come to the right place! I’ve put together lots of fun scrapbooking ideas, photo challenges, and scrapbooking hacks for creative mamas. Scrapbooking is one way that I hold…

Drawing for Kids

October 4, 2020

These free printable Drawing for Kids activities are perfect for exploring creativity while building important early learning skills with your kids this year. I’m convinced that directed drawing is valuable for early learners. You can combine these how to draw activities with any theme, lesson, or topic. It’s a great way to help your kids…

Spring Preschool Themes

Today, I’d like to share with you my favorite Spring Preschool Themes. These early learning themes are filled with activities, printables, and book suggestions you won’t want to miss! Some favorites include Bees & Butterflies, Growing Gardens, and Bugs & Crawly Things. Teaching preschool is something I’m passionate about. This age is filled with wonder…

10+ Spring Preschool Monthly Themes

September 23, 2019

Check out this post for 10+ Spring Preschool Monthly Themes! You’ll find everything from pond and bird ideas to gardens, weather, and of course Easter too. So many awesome ideas for little kids! You’re not going to want to miss these fun preschool crafts & activities! Spring is for sure my absolute most favorite time…

A boy using a plastic watering can to water a garden outside

50 Easy Spring Gardening Activities
for Kids

Hop into the garden with your little ones this season with our collection of over 50 hands-on spring gardening activities for kids! From growing seedlings and planting vegetables, to recycled DIY kids’ gardening tools, mud play, and flower art – loads of fresh ideas to help your kids enjoy the garden!

Of all the smells in the world, few have the power to transport me back to childhood like the newly drenched dirt and “fresh” ozone scents that come with the first spring rain.

Before I even notice the gentle tapping on the roof, I’m right back in my tiny galoshes and green, whale-lined raincoat, anxiously waiting for my Montessori teachers to throw open the doors to the school gardens for the first wonderfully muddy excursion of the season.

Before spring has even arrived, my nose has primed me for a good tromp around the yard and digging in the dirt.

My childhood Marchs, Aprils, and Mays were awash in spring gardening experiences. From potting spring pansies and planting vegetable seeds, picking rocks out of the spring beds my parents worked on, and digging the little hole for the spruce seedlings we received at school on Arbor Day.

I have so many wonderful memories of playing out in the garden come spring, and what I didn’t realize at the time, is that while I was mucking around in the mud, I was also developing scads of skills.

Learning about organisms, habitats, and life processes in the garden helped me develop a lifelong connection and sense of care for the environment. It cultivated an awareness of responsibility – not just a desire to tend to our natural spaces, but to continue learning about them too.

Spring gardens are magical places, full of new life and little mysteries just waiting to be discovered. They present endless learning opportunities, many of which are right at kids-eye level.

My memories of spring days outside in the garden were the impetus for gathering this collection of kids’ gardening activities you can try with your little ones.

It’s a compilation that honors all of spring’s best qualities, with ways to help your kids enjoy the bright new blossoms, fresh growth, and even the muddiness!

Spring rarely arrives on time where I live, so all of these hand-picked activities were chosen specifically because they can easily move with your kids from the indoors to the outdoors as spring blossoms and temperatures rise.

How to Prep for Gardening With Kids

Here are a few ideas to help make your kids’ spring garden play safeand enjoyable…

Keep an eye on the weather. A season defined by tumultuous temperatures, springtime can bring wildly unpredictable weather. Make sure your little ones aren’t caught by surprise in the garden by watching the forecast and being aware of rapidly changing conditions.
Dress for mess. One of the BEST parts of gardening is embracing the dirt! A garden smock, apron, or even an old teeshirt, child-sized gardening gloves, and of course a good set of rubber boots or garden clogs can be extremely helpful.
Find the correct tools. From watering cans to rakes, having the right kid-sized tools is important in making a garden feel inviting, helping little ones learn gardening skills, and teaching a sense of responsibility and ownership. I’ve made a collection of some of my favorite kids’ gardening tools here that you can use as a reference to add to your stock of kid-specific gardening supplies.
Discuss plant safety. Backyard gardening presents a great opportunity to help your kids understand the difference between edible and non-edible (or even toxic) plants. Which plants in your own yard or neighborhood to stay away from? This is also a great time to remind your kids that as much as we’d like to nibble right out of the fresh lettuce pot, washing edible produce thoroughly before sampling is important.
Define separate areas for edible produce and non-edible flowers and plants. Especially when gardening with kids, it’s essential to have edible plantings and non-edibles (flowers, etc) in separate, well-defined spaces that are clearly labeled. Young plants just coming up out of the ground can look very similar – for example, a daffodil not yet blooming looks quite a bit like a garlic scape, as do the bulbs themselves. Though a spring favorite of mine, all parts of a daffodil are toxic, so you wouldn’t want a child (or adult) mistakenly picking it out of the garden for a little nibble.
Check garden areas for safety hazards. Even if you’re just in your own backyard, it’s always good to quickly sweep your gardening area for any safety hazards. A quick once-over for things like rusty nails, pieces of broken pots, etc. will give you peace of mind.
Practice organic gardening. Gardening with kids gives you yet another good reason to avoid chemicals and toxic sprays.
Be mindful of allergies. As beautiful as spring is, seasonal allergies abound – and not just for adults! Monitor for allergy symptoms like excessive sneezing, itching, or rashes. Remind your little ones to avoid touching faces and eyes. Leave pollens, molds, and dust outside by taking a quick rinse-off and changing into fresh clothes after gardening.
Watch the sun. This time of year, when the temperature is still a bit chilly but the sun is shining, I can easily spend enough time in the garden that I end up with pink sunburned cheeks. When out in the garden with kids, remember to provide shade, wear hats and sunscreens, and (as always!) hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

50 Easy Kids Gardening Ideas

Planting Basics With Kids

Just introducing your kids to gardening? Simple tasksand easy, funplanting activities are a great way to encourage kids to get their hands dirtyand embrace the joy of growinga garden!

A collage of four basic kids spring gardening activities

Assign your kids a small existing potted plant that they can use to practice general garden maintenance. Tasks like weeding, watering, rinsing off aphids, deadheading, and general clean-up are great kids’ garden chores.
DIY your own recycled soda bottle kids watering can.
Plant and grow seedlings in recycled containers.
Start an easy DIY tin can herb garden with your kids.

A collage of four kids spring indoor gardening

Grow grass caterpillars (how fun are these?!).
Make a leprechaun garden, a fairy garden, or grow a unicorn (sprinkled with plant-healthy DIY salt glitter“seeds”).
Make a mason jar terrarium.
Turn a juice carton into a mini cress garden.
Organize Montessori-style garden and planting trays.
Plant eggheads.
Experiment with planting birdseed.
Plant a tree or adopt a tree or garden plant – observe and record changes.
Use the opportunity to practice cleaning up – from tidying up planting sites to rinsing off hands and bodies.

Creating Gardening Spaces for Kids

Creating a garden for kids can be as simple as turning an empty plot of land into a safe area with some grass and flowers, or designing a garden that has many different areas where children can play.Here are some simple ideas to help you create engaging, colorful kid-inspiring garden spaces in which your little ones will love spending time...

A collage of four kids spring crafts for a garden

Set up a space for a small container garden (use recycled supplies).
Make garden gnome plant markers.
Decorate the garden with kid-painted rocks like butterfly rocks, a koi rock pond, Kandinsky-inspired rocks, or a rock family.
Use garden scraps to make lovely, natural twig-wrapped flower pots.
Decorate the garden with melted crayon butterfly garden ornaments.
Install a simple water feature (I’ve found that solar-powered birth bath fountains are an incredibly easy way to add a water element to your garden).
Carve out a spot for a special kid-themed garden – like this pizza garden (part of PBS’ amazing Think Garden series for kids).
Construct a DIY bean pole tent for a magical living hideaway.
Let kids decorate their gardens with stick and rock sculptures they can embellish with washable DIY sidewalk paint.
Find a special spot for a kid-made bee bath or homemade butterfly feeder, and hang a DIY bird’s nest helper from a nearby branch.

Kids Spring Flower Activities

Flowers aren’t just beautiful, they’re fascinating! Here are a few activities you can do with your children to celebrate the arrival of spring beauties…

Grow sunflowers in pots.
Grow spring flowers from seed with these enchanting recycled fairy greenhouse seed starters for kids.
Make your own seed paper (with native seeds!).
Practice simple flower arranging and turn recycled building blocks into DIY kid-safe stem vases.

Stroll through fresh blooms while gathering items to create aromatic playdough fairy forests.
Explore patterns, texture, and color in spring flowers with flower mandalas or a 3D flower suncatcher box.
Pound your way to beautiful (colorful!) plant pigment discoveries with hammered nature garden art.
Enjoy a spring garden sensory experience with fragrant, colorful flower “soup”.
Take your kids on a spring flower scavenger hunt.
Make dandelion crowns (a late spring classic!).

Growing Vegetables With Kids

Growing vegetables with kids is a great way to teach them about where our food comes from, explore sustainable practices,and instill a sense of accomplishment when their seeds grow into something they can eat. As a bonus, it can also boost their interest in eating vegetables…!

A photo collage of four kids spring vegetable gardening activities

DIY upcycled toilet paper seedling pots and painted stone garden markers.
Tips for vegetable gardening with kids.
Make a kid-sized starter garden, picking vegetables that are easy for kids to grow.
Take a trip to the farmer’s market (you might even want to make your own veggie-printed market tote for fresh finds!).
Help them plan and cook meals with the produce harvested from your gardens.

Explore Garden Habitats With Kids

Gardens provide lovely homes for all sorts offlora and fauna. Use these activities to explore the connection between garden habitats, living organisms of all shapes and sizes, and our ecosystems.

DIG! From decaying plant matter to interesting bugs, there are all sorts of things to find in the soil.
Work together to make your garden wildlife-friendly, then observe the visitors!
Pitch a tent in the garden to create a temporary bird-watching hide.
Make a DIY bug observation box or scout out the first mini-beasts of the season with our free printable insect scavenger hunt.
Build, decorate, and hang a real birdhouse or bug hotel.
Make simple DIY frozen bird feeders, icy frozen bird feeder ornaments, or an easy bee bath.
Cultivate a worm farm or make a worm composting bin.

Kids Spring Garden Play

Play is a wonderful way for kids to explore gardening activities – especially at times when they can’t get outside or are waiting for things to grow. Here are a few different kinds of garden-themed play activities – from small worlds to scavenger hunts – that will help your kids pass the time while they wait for their real gardens to grow!

A photo collage of four kids spring gardening play activities

Planting seeds sensory tray.
Mud play! Make Mud kitchens or mud paint.
Go on a garden scavenger hunt!
Play landscape designer and make your own peace gardens.
Make a juice carton birdhouse for pretend garden play.
Make a DIY “plantable” felt garden box.
Using supplies you already have, set up a cool kids’ garden center or pretend flower shop for dramatic play.
Play paleontologist with a backyard dinosaur dig.

Four Seasons of Outdoor Play

Visit our ultimate outdoor summer playlist, favorite fall play activities for kids, and backyard winter play ideas for children’s outside play inspiration you can use throughout the whole year!

For more kids’ outdoor activity ideas, learn about Shinrin-Yoku and simple ways to start practicing with your kids, grab a free printable bug scavenger hunt, or make a DIY nature explorer kit from a shoebox and recycled supplies.

15 Ways to Explore Nature in Spring

Each season has it’s own unique traits that make exploring nature special.

In winter, everything is dormant and snow covers the ground.

Summer is green, vibrant, and full of life.

In fall, all of nature is preparing for it’s long winter sleep.

And, in spring everything is waking up again.

Take some time soon to explore nature in spring with your kids.

Watch the earth wake up and see the plants poke through the ground. The animals are getting busy and suddenly the quietness of winter is replaced by the chirps, tweets, and chattering of the birds returning.

These 15 nature activities will help you explore gardens, birds, animals, seeds, and flowers. Pick out a few to do. It’s a great way to spend time with your kids while you explore nature in spring.

Explore the Garden

1. Examine your soil. Look closely at what your soil is made up of and test the pH level of your soil with these two experiments from The Educators’ Spin on It.

2. Don’t have a garden? Plant a few plants in a recycled milk jug. It’s eco-friendly and a great way to experience gardening in a small space. Inspiration Laboratories shows you how.

3. Plant a garden inspired by a favorite storybook. Kitchen Table Chronicles will help you plant Peter Rabbit’s Vegetable Patch or Growing Vegetable Soup Garden.

Get outside and learn while you explore nature in spring. Discover flowers, gardens, seeds, birds, animals, and plant science.

Welcome the Birds

4. Have the birds come back to your neighborhood? See how many you can find with this simple Bird Watch Tally from Fantastic Fun & Learning. This activity is perfect for preschoolers!

5. It’s spring and the bird’s will be busy building nests. Help them out by making a Bird’s Nest Helper. You can find the instructions at Playdough to Plato.

6. Send your elementary-aged kids on a scavenger hunt to find signs of birds. Look for their food, nesting materials, sounds, and more with this All About Birds scavenger hunt at Inspiration Laboratories.

Fun Friday: Gaze at the Stars

We’ve talked about stargazing around here before, but that was during the heart of winter. There’s something even more magical about staring up at the nighttime sky during the summer. Sure, you’ll have to stay up extra late to gaze at the stars. But who cares – that’s what summers were made for, right? Photo by Jonas Wiklund When kids are young, gazing at … [Read more...]

10 Ideas for Water Play in the Backyard

We’ve been talking about water play a lot this month, what with it being summer and all. And while spending a morning or afternoon at the beach or river is wonderful, sometimes schedules just don’t permit it. No worries! There are plenty of ways to enjoy water play right in your own backyard. Know how to stay cool outside on hot days and always keep an eye on all kids … [Read more...]

Fun Friday: Make Fresh-Squeezed Lemonade

What better way to kick off summer, really, than to make fresh-squeezed lemonade? Here's how to get the whole family in on the process.

I think this is a first for me – sharing an idea from the kitchen, that is. This one all started when a certain someone began picking fresh lemons off the tree in our backyard. “To make lemon juice,” he said. We quickly realized The Little Explorer was on to something. What better way to kick off summer, really, than to make fresh-squeezed lemonade? Making fresh-squeezed … [Read more...]

Here’s a list of the printables & links to the awesome blogs & organizations! I keep adding to the list so now there are more than 70+ ideas:

Spring Scavenger Hunt— Edventures with Kids

Nature Scavenger Hunt –Babyccino Kids

Plant Life Cycle & Vocabulary — 123 Homeschool 4 Me

20 Summer Scavenger Hunts — Edventures with Kids

Spring Nature Hunt — Sunny Day Today Mama

Spring Senses Nature Walk — Go Explore Nature

Extraordinary Journal Page — Handbook of Nature Study

Bug Hunt Activity — Edventures with Kids

Rock Observation Chart — Handbook of Nature Study

Animal Tracks — New Hampshire Wildlife

I Spy Animal Clues — Sisbro Studios