15 Easy Outdoor Activities for Toddlers This Spring

This guest post is written by McKayla at Everyday She Moms. Read more about McKayla at the end of the post…

Toddlers and springtime are typically the perfect mix – it’s finally warm enough for everyone to play outside, but cool enough to keep you from sweating all day long. If you’re a toddler parent, you’ll be looking for easy outdoor activities to keep the little ones busy.

This is the time when we’re able to let our toddlers release some of the pent-up energy from winter, adventure out and try new things. There are plenty of easy outdoor activities for your toddlers that you won’t want to skip.

Now, everyone has their own capabilities and activities based on where they live and what’s available to them. For us, we live in a rural area that’s about a 30-minute drive from the city (and pretty much every park, zoo, and museum around). So, while we like to take trips in the spring, we tend to do a lot at home!

Also, we’re not afraid to let our toddlers get a little dirty. And by a little, I mean a lot. We like to embrace “safe” risks under supervision and encourage exploration of our environment!

Let’s dive into some of our favorite easy outdoor activities for our toddlers this spring – both at home and in town…

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1. The Classic Dirt Play

Here’s one of our favorites – and a classic – the dirt pile. All you need is dirt and something for your toddler to dig with.

We’ve collected quite a few shovels, buckets, and pails over the years and our toddlers have an absolute blast using them out in the yard. We do keep designated play spaces for digging in the dirt to prevent holes from popping up everywhere!

Playing in the dirt is a great sensory activity and you can incorporate just about anything to interest your toddler. You can bring out old cars and make roads, dinosaurs and make mountains, and more.

2. Hide n’ Go Seek

Hide n’ Go Seek (or hide & seek in the UK) and other games like tag are great engaging yet easy outdoor activities for toddlers. We love these games due to being able to utilize the space you have, whether that’s a small or big yard.

It may be difficult to introduce the game to your toddler depending on their age, but once they’ve grasped the concept, you’ll be able to introduce new games or requirements – like “hide behind yellow.”

3. Gardening 

One of the fun, yet easy outdoor activities we introduced to our toddlers young was gardening. They absolutely loved being a part of digging, planting, and picking all of our veggies at the end of the season and we were able to show how things grew over time.

Gardening can be done in your yard, using pots, or even by looking for a community garden to contribute to.

4. Visit a Park

Parks can be a unique trip for toddlers. Not only can they explore a new environment and possibly meet some new friends, but you can also add more activities to spend the full day outside.

Pack a lunch and have a picnic or try a new restaurant with your toddlers – maybe even choosing to eat outside instead of inside. Always be prepared for rain just in case – I recommend packing a bag with backup clothes so you’re not putting wet toddlers back in your car or on the bus.

5. Take a Beach Day

What’s better than dirt? Sand. Toddlers love sand and water – just beware of the sun’s rays. While this outdoor activity requires a bit more preparation to ensure your toddler stays happy and healthy, it’s a great one to try at least once this spring.

You may not be ready to hop in the water, but it’s a great opportunity to dig in the sand, play with random beach findings like shells and rocks, and just try something new!

6. Go Fruit Picking

Apples, blueberries, strawberries, and more! There are so many opportunities to drive out and find a local fruit farm or field to pick with your toddler.

Fruit picking can be a unique experience for toddlers in the spring as they can try the fruit right off the vine (or tree). Plus, you’ll get to go home with a basket of fruit that they worked for.

7. Play With a Water Table

Water tables for toddlers have become increasingly popular lately and for good reason. Water tables encourage outdoor play and some even have separate areas for you to add water and sand.

Many tables have puzzles or activities for toddlers to complete and play with, which gets them to think and use their fine motor skills when pouring and playing with the water.

8. Go on a Walk

Not every activity you do with your toddler has to be complicated or go somewhere, a simple walk outside works too.

Take your toddler on a walk around your yard, your block, or even your neighborhood. Play games such as I Spy (with my little eye…) or ask leading questions about their environment like the color of the sky, animals they see, or house colors.

9. Bubbles!

Bubbles are a cheap and effective way to encourage your toddler to play outside – and stay outside. There are so many different bubble “options” out there for all different bubble sizes (and budgets).

You can even make bubbles as big as your toddler! Whether it’s a bubble machine, bubble wands, classic bubble bottles, or even colorful bubbles, your toddler will love trying this outdoor activity in the spring.

10. Take a Trip to the Petting Zoo

The petting zoo is such a fun experience for toddlers to try during the spring.

During our own trip, this was the first opportunity my toddlers had to get close to farm animals – or really any animal that wasn’t a dog or cat. They spent the entire afternoon grooming, playing with, and watching goats and chickens. 

11. Chalk

Another simple and affordable outdoor activity for toddlers to try this spring – chalk! Chalk works on cement, wood, and even on toys, it’s just what you’re comfortable with your toddlers using it on.

Thankfully, a quick wash with the hose gets chalk off of almost all surfaces, or you can wait until the next time it rains to wash away their artwork. You do have to watch out for younger toddlers trying to eat chalk if they’re in the “put everything in my mouth” stage. 

12. Visit the Aquarium

An aquarium might be harder to travel to depending on where you live, but I highly recommend adding it to your list of things to do this spring.

While some aquariums are mainly indoors, our local aquarium integrates indoor and outdoor activities for visitors. We were able to check out the dolphins, the stingrays, and tour their outdoor exhibit. After we were done, we took a lunch break on the open grounds right outside.

13. Nature Treasure Hunt/Search

The ultimate version of I Spy, you can go outside and get your toddlers involved with a nature treasure hunt or search. You can hide a few treasures or simply provide a list with all the “things” they can find outside.

You can include local leaves, acorns, flowers, or even toys you know are in the yard. If you’re not sure what to add, do it by color instead. Ask your toddler to find anything yellow or red and bring it back to you.

14. Make a Clubhouse!

It doesn’t need to be anything fancy (like a full two-story wooden clubhouse, although that would be cool), just a tent or lean-to will work.

Put the clubhouse on a section of grass or dirt where you can easily watch your toddler play and fill it with some of their favorite toys that you don’t mind getting dirty. 

15. Visit a Weekend Festival or Market

One of our favorite family activities and one of the best ways to get our toddlers outside on the weekends is by visiting local and not-so-local weekend markets and festivals.

There are always plenty to choose from during the springtime! Many festivals and markets have unique foods and even fun activities for toddlers to try and participate in. Investigate what’s going on around your local area, you might be surprised!

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Get active and enjoy these easy outdoor activities!

The above list will give you plenty of ideas for some awesome yet easy outdoor activities this spring!

What fun and easy outdoor activities are you looking forward to this spring? Will you try anything new from the above? Let me know in the comments below.

For indoor crafting fun over Spring, check out Easter creative fun and Mother’s Day homemade gifting fun for kids.

This post was written by Mckayla, a stay-at-home mom of three under four! Mckayla is a freelance writer by day and a mom blogger for her website, Everyday She Moms, by night. Mckayla loves writing, gaming, reading, and spending time with her family. You can also find Mckayla on Instagram.

A big thank you to Mckayla for this brilliant guest post which will get you all excited about trying new, yet easy outdoor activities with your toddlers this Spring!

And be sure to read the post on the incredible role of grandparents in the family with a long list of ideas on how to make memories with grandma and grandpa, whether they live locally or long distance.

Read on for other cheap and local toddler trips out when you don’t want too far, or toddler activities to keep them entertained over the holidays. And check out the best toddler parenting books if you need more support with this tricky phase.

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