Looking for outdoor activities for children? We’ve put together a guide bursting with ideas, resources and activities to help you entertain your kids in the great British outdoors. In fact, we’re so confident that these outdoor experiences will keep your little ones engaged, that we’ve come up with the week-long Screen-Free Spring challenge!
We challenge you to stash the iPad, TV remote and games consoles out of sight and out of mind for one whole week, during which you’ll get back to nature and enjoy some traditional fun and wholesome outdoor activities as a family.
Children love a challenge, so why not start by sitting them down and drawing up a list of their top picks from our suggestions below? The more autonomy children have, the more likely they are to be motivated to succeed on their screen-free week. And if you’re looking for a change of scenery as a base for your outdoor adventures, click the button below to browse our fabulous family cottages.
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Free spring experiences outdoors
When the sun is out, the flowers are blooming and there’s a hint of warmth in the air, the promise of spring can fill us with a feeling of positivity. But with so many modern distractions for kids, it’s sometimes hard to help them feel the same way. With that in mind, we’ve gathered together the following outdoor learning activities to get children excited about spending time outdoors.
Geocaching
This treasure hunt-style challenge is now a worldwide adventure. Millions of geocaches (containers with logbooks) are hidden waiting for you to find them with the help of an app. Some are tiny and difficult to spot, and conversely, others are larger and easier to discover. We’ve made an exception with this idea because although it does involve a screen, it’s very much about making exploring the great outdoors fun for everyone. It is a top activity for an 8–10-year-old child (or older) who needs something interactive to keep them engaged.
Foraging
Foraging is like a natural treasure hunt and is enjoyable for children and adults alike. There are lots of books and workshops available to help you identify edible plants safely and with confidence. While it goes without saying that you should never eat anything that you’re not 100 per cent sure of, there are lots of easily identifiable edible plants, such as dandelions, gorse and nettles (watch your fingers!).
Mud pies
A fun activity for the garden, making mud pies requires very little set-up. A bowl, wooden spoon, bucket of water and access to some ‘mud’ is all that’s required. Encourage your children to add fallen leaves, petals and grass etc. to their mixture. The mud can be shaped into ‘pies’ and left to dry.
Pond dipping or rock pooling
Grab a bucket and a net, and head to the nearest pond or beach to see what creatures you can discover. In the springtime, you can observe frogs, beetles, newts, pond skaters and more in the pond in your garden or park. Crabs, anemones, shrimps, whelks and sea snails can be found in rock pools at the seaside. Be sure to return anything you catch to the same place.
Find out more about rock pooling in the UK from our partner, the Marine Conservation Society.
Den building
Find us a child that doesn’t like building dens! The best thing about den building is that you can use anything that’s on hand. If you’re at home, a few old blankets and towels can become a tent in the garden with the help of some rope and sticks. Out in the woods, you can collect fallen sticks and branches to create a teepee-style construction. A picnic to eat, or a book to read in the den makes this activity all the more fun.
Obstacle course
Head out to the garden, park or beach, armed with whatever obstacles you like! Use rope or string to create wiggly lines to walk along, sticks for limbo, chairs to crawl under, and rucksacks to jump over. Lay everything out in sequence, have someone demonstrate the route, then time each child (and adult!) to find out who’s the winner.
Beach day
While it might not be hot enough for swimming costumes and sunbathing, spring is a lovely time of year to wrap up warm, get out in the fresh sea air, and build some sandcastles! Bring waterproofs, a change of clothes and a towel (because there’s always one who gets wet) and pitch up for the day on a picnic blanket, with buckets and spades providing the fun.
Water painting
Painting with coloured paints is fun, but messy. On dry days when you don’t fancy the epic cleaning session afterwards, send the kids outside with a bucket of water and some old paintbrushes instead. Let them ‘paint’ with water on the patio, and when their paintings dry, they can start all over again!
Planting seeds
Spring is all about new beginnings, and what better way to demonstrate this to your children than to plant seeds together? There are lots of quick-growing seeds, such as cress and mustard, or you could introduce them to vegetable growing by planting lettuce, carrots and pea seeds at this time of year, among others.
Stick art
Collect sticks from around the garden, park or countryside, and arrange them into beautiful pieces of art. You could try making the art in situ in the style of sculptor Andy Goldsworthy, or tie them together with string to make boats, houses, baskets and more.
Box diorama
If there’s one thing all parents know, it’s that a box is often more entertaining to a child than the contents! Embrace this love of boxes and turn it into an outdoor activity for kids by bringing a cardboard box outside and encouraging them to make a diorama of found objects. They may use grass cuttings to create a lawn, sticks to build a house, a small tray of water to represent a pond, and other bits and pieces to make animals and other objects to furnish their little world-in-a-box.
Find inspiration in the past
When you look back at your own childhood, there are often activities which stand out as particularly memorable and enjoyable. To give you a hand, we’ve come up with a list of traditional games and experiences, some of which can take place outdoors, or can be adapted to do so.
Things to do on a walk
A spring walk is arguably one of the most enjoyable activities at this time of year. If your children baulk at the mere mention of a walk, however, it’s time to employ some other methods to reframe a walk as an adventure!
Nature rubbings
Armed with a ream of paper and some crayons with the covers removed, set forth to find interesting surfaces to take rubbings of. Tree bark, bricks and leaves all make intriguing patterns which you could use when back home to create beautifully textured collages.
Nature collage
When on a walk in the woods, on the coast or even around your local neighbourhood, there are lots of natural bits and pieces which can be used to create art. Take a bag or bucket for your children to fill with all their finds, then use them when you get back to make collages. If you’re stuck for ideas, why not try making an under-the-sea scene, a farmyard, a whacky portrait or a treasure map?
Find a rainbow
Fill a bag or bucket with all the coloured things you can find lying around in nature. Fallen petals and leaves, twigs, small stones, acorns and shells come in all the colours of the rainbow – have fun arranging your finds in colour order when you get home. Make sure you find something for each colour, the challenge will keep little ones motivated to continue walking!
Nature spotting
Before you head out for your walk, write or draw a checklist of things you hope or expect to see. Some of them might be trickier to spot than others. Depending on your destination, you could include things such as a squirrel, a red leaf, a piece of seaweed, a pink stone or a cat. You might be surprised to spot more obscure things when you really look hard!
Collect things
Encourage your child to fill a carrier bag with interesting things they find along your walk. You might want to limit the collection to a certain type of thing, such as sticks, or leaves, or let them go wild and pick up anything (within reason!) that they fancy. The resulting collection could be used to complete some of the activities above. If you don’t want to return home with the whole bag of ‘treasure’, ask your child to pick their three or four favourite items to keep.
Picnic
Packing a picnic is a great way to keep spirits up on a longer walk. The promise of food halfway along the route is motivation for everyone, especially if there’s a sweet treat or favourite snack included. Why not bake some picnic goodies as another way to avoid screentime while at home?
Physical activities for kids outside
Most outdoor activities for children involve physical activity of some sort, but the following will really get them running around (and you)!
Hopscotch
The best thing about hopscotch is that it can be played anywhere. Draw the hopscotch squares with chalk on the pavement or patio, or use sticks, pieces of paper, leaves or whatever you have to hand to delineate the court. Making the squares is part of the fun too!
There are lots of ways to play, the most common is to throw a small stone into the first square, then hop with one foot in each square across the court, missing out the square with the stone. Turn around at the end, come back, and pick up the stone while balancing on one foot. Continue the game, each time throwing the stone into the next numbered square.
Frisbee
There’s not much to explain about this well-loved game; grab a frisbee, throw it to each other, and spend more time running after it than actually catching it! It gets the body moving and keeps everyone occupied as they try to hone their frisbee-throwing skills.
Football
Football is another activity that needs no introduction! Whether it’s a kickabout with your toddler in the park or a friendly match with mates, it’s a fun way to get everyone running around. Set up a goal with whatever you’ve brought along on your day out. Can you remember back at school when jumpers used to be thrown down to mark the goalposts?
What’s the time Mr Wolf
A game that’s stood the test of time (excuse the pun), what’s the time Mr Wolf is a firm favourite among younger children. It can be played with three or more people (the more the merrier) and the thrill of getting caught by the wolf adds to the fun.
The ‘wolf’ stands with their back to the other children, with approximately 10 metres between them. The group of children shout ‘What’s the time Mr Wolf’ and advance two steps if the wolf says two o’clock, three steps for three o’clock and so on. At any time, the wolf can reply ‘dinner time’, at which point he/she turns around and runs to try and catch the others, who run back to the start line. If the wolf makes a successful catch, that child becomes the new wolf.
Go to the park
Whether you’re at home or away, you’ll probably not be too far from a public play area where the children can let off steam and you might just be able to enjoy a few moments of peace on a bench!
Hide and seek
A great game to play in the garden, hide and seek requires no set up and everyone knows how to play! A similar game is Sardines: one person hides and when they are found, the ‘finder’ joins them in their hiding place, squeezing in like sardines, until there is only one person left seeking.
Have a wheely good time
Set out on bikes, scooters, roller skates or skateboards – turn a walk into, well, a roll! When the suggestion of a walk goes down like a lead balloon, offering a different mode of transport may just convince your unwilling child that it’s actually going to be fun. Either head off for a jaunt along a paved path or find the nearest skate park or pump track to hone those skills. Don’t forget helmets and pads!
Fly a kite
There’s a lot of nostalgia attached to kite flying, and it remains a fun way to while away an hour or so when the weather conditions are right. Whether you’ve got a traditional kite, a fancy-shaped flying contraption, or a small power kite, there’s something special about watching it dip and dive high up in the sky. If you’re looking for outdoor activities for kids that you can do at the beach or park (make sure there are no pylons), this one’s a winner.
Race paper aeroplanes
On a calm, dry day, a paper aeroplane race could be just the ticket to get the kids excited about being outside. Prepare by making a fleet of origami aeroplanes (there are oodles of instructions online), before heading out to launch them and see who’s flies the furthest. The fun is in making tiny adjustments and modifications to get those planes gliding around in a way that even aerospace engineers would be proud of.
Skipping
A traditional skipping rope is a great addition to your arsenal of outdoor toys. Challenge each other to skip the most times in a minute, try fancy moves with criss-crossed rope, or set up skipping races from one end of the garden or park to the other.
Sports day
Team up with friends, or get the whole family involved and put on your very own sports day. You can pick out some of the activities above and set up old favourites such as an egg and spoon race, hurdles, bean bag toss, goal kick and more. Make sure someone’s keeping score and announce the winner at the end. There’s nothing like a little healthy competition to get the kids moving outside.
Spring resource pack
If you’re looking for outdoor activities for kids that you can just grab and go, take a look at our resource pack below.
Beach treasure hunt
If you keep your eyes peeled, there are so many wonderful things to find at the beach. Make a game of it and see if you can tick off all the treasures on our beach treasure hunt list. One of the best outdoor learning activities for children, you can combine it with teaching them about the creatures and habitats found at the seaside.
Countryside treasure hunt
In a similar fashion to the beach treasure hunt above, this children’s scavenger hunt is countryside themed, perfect for ‘jazzing up’ a rural walk. On our countryside treasure hunt, you’ll have to keep your eye out for squirrels, snails, acorns and more – why not add a few of your own things to spot too?
Easter egg hunt
Set up the ultimate Easter egg hunt this spring with the help of our handy guide. With tips on how to make your hunt extra special, and craft ideas including baskets and painted eggs, the fun will last all day. What’s more, we’ve done the hard work for you and come up with a set of downloadable Easter egg hunt clues to hide around the house.
Farmyard colouring
There are few places in which the signs of spring are more apparent than on the farm, so our farmyard colouring page is the perfect printable for kids, to buy you five minutes of peace this spring. Simple and effective, colouring is a mindful activity for all ages – never underestimate the power of a pack of crayons and a colouring page!
Underwater colouring
Dive down into the depths and bring colour to an ocean scene with our underwater colouring page. Download, print, and sit back and relax as your children work their colourful magic on this motley crew of characterful marine animals.
Holiday book
The perfect accompaniment to a cottage holiday, our kids holiday book for ages 3-5 features a range of activities to keep little ones occupied. A great tool to deploy when you’re out for a meal and you want to avoid screens, or back home after a tiring day in the fresh air, it gives active brains a way to unwind.
The best back-to-nature experiences across the UK
Wherever you live in the UK, you’ll find excellent events to educate families about wildlife, help our environment, and provide space for getting back to nature and all the health benefits that brings. Below are some of the national organisations that share activities and put on events up and down the country.
The Wildlife Trust’s events
With more than 2,600 nature reserves across the UK, the Wildlife Trusts and their members and volunteers work together to protect nature and all the flora and fauna that inhabit our outdoor spaces. You can join them to take part in one of their events, which involve everyone from tots to teenagers and beyond! Nature activities, educational classes, litter picks and more are all on the itinerary in locations across the country.
Take a look at our cottages near nature reserves if you’re looking for a change of scenery from your local natural spaces!
Ordnance Survey
Our partners at Ordnance Survey have some incredible ideas to get you and your youngsters out and about. Some of them are simple, like woodland crafting, and others are all about passing on skills, such as map reading and fossil hunting. Take a look at their adventures page for walking, cycling and running routes to suit your family.
National Trust events
The National Trust is Europe’s biggest conservation charity, so it comes as no surprise that they have an array of initiatives and events to help the public engage with their work to protect nature and history and tackle climate change. Explore their varied events to find something for your family to enjoy.
RSPB events
holidaycottages.co.uk is proud to be a partner of the RSPB, a society founded in 1889 by Emily Williamson to fight the use of feathers and plumes in fashion. Fast forward over 130 years, and the RSPB now manages over 200 nature reserves and carries out important work in conservation and education. Their programme of events includes wildlife walks, birdwatching, wildlife explorer backpack hire and loads more, especially during school holidays.
Marine Conservation Society events and activities
Another of our fantastic partners is the Marine Conservation Society, who have a whole host of learning resources, activities and games for families on its website. They have a useful section on how young people can get involved in taking action for our oceans – a wealth of inspiration which helps involve children and teens in issues that affect our planet.
Whittling workshops
A superb creative and mindful activity is whittling, and it’s a great way to connect with nature, in nature. While a craft involving sharp tools may not sound suitable for kids, a good teacher will guide them through the process safely, instilling respect for the equipment and natural materials. By nurturing a connection to nature and its precious resources, you help your child appreciate its importance to us as individuals and to the world as a whole. Look up whittling workshops near you on Eventbrite, or search online for local classes.
Tree planting events
The benefits of planting trees are widely known these days, and few activities are more wholesome to do as a family than planting a sapling that you know will contribute to clean air and provide habitats for animals for years to come. The best way to find out about tree planting events near you is to pop ‘tree planting events’ into your preferred search engine and see what comes up.
Holiday cottages with outdoor activities
Outdoor activities for families abound when you’re on holiday, whether it’s a nature trail at a local historic house or crafts at the nearby woodland centre. But what better way to spend time outside as a family than to experience something new together? The following holiday cottages offer a range of outdoor activities; you’ll leave equipped with new skills as well as happy memories. Why not browse our Closer to Nature Showcase for more inspiring places to stay?
The Don View Suite
Near The Cairngorms, Aberdeenshire| sleeps 6 + 2 dogs
This fabulous luxury apartment within the West Wing of a country mansion has all the makings of a family holiday to remember. Sumptuous decor, a shared billiard room and an expanse of landscaped lawns, formal gardens and ancient woodland to explore are just the tip of the iceberg.
There are wellbeing activities on site, including yoga and reflexology, but the activity which earned this property a place in this article is the Scottish Native Breed Experience. Learn about the estate’s Highland ponies and cows, their history and how to care for them, and get hands-on with feeding, brushing and stroking them.
The Lambing Shed
Near Sidmouth, Devon | sleeps 4
There is a clue in the name of this property as to the activity you might be able to enjoy on site! The Lambing Shed is a rural two-bedroom bungalow on a working farm, where families are invited to join the friendly owner to feed the resident lambs (seasonal) and collect eggs from the chickens.
This retreat is ideal for families who are looking for a wholesome adventure; a little insight into farm life which may just inspire the next generation of farmers!
Photo Finish
Newport, Isle of Wight | sleeps 4
Does a better cottage for equine aficionados exist? Photo Finish is set on a working farm, with a children’s play area and paddocks with sheep, pigs and horses. It’s a lovely peaceful spot from which to explore the Isle of Wight, but the real draw for pony fans is the horse-riding opportunities for families.
Sign up for lessons, hacks, pony pampering sessions and more – in fact, you could fill your whole holiday with horse-related activities! There are 15 other properties on site too, so bring your entire herd and you can be neigh-bours for a week of equine fun. Livery is also available.
Off-grid family properties for a spring adventure
If the idea of facing a week without screen time is daunting, why not put temptation out of reach with a break in one of our off-grid family properties? With nothing to distract you from family time and outdoor adventures, the children (and you) will be dab hands at finding alternatives to technology by the time the week comes to an end. These off-grid hideaways make the perfect base for a memorable escape.
Gaggys Hut
Snettisham, Norfolk | sleeps 8 + 2 dogs
Set in the most stunning beachfront location, you’ll almost forget that there’s no internet or TV! Gaggys Hut is a large, off-grid bungalow, ideal for a digital detox with the family. Step outside and you’ll find yourself on The Wash, a haven for birds, part of which belongs to the RSPB Snettisham reserve.
Gaggy’s Hut is warm and comfortable, with solar electricity to power the lighting and a USB socket for phone charging. With no other plug sockets in the property, you can’t be tempted to bring gadgets, but the beauty of the location, the drama of the sunsets and the outstanding views are more than enough to hold your attention. And what to do in the evening? There’s nothing for it but to get stuck into a good book or family board game.
Blackthorn Cottage
Near Crickhowell, Brecon Beacons | sleeps 4 + 2 dogs
A gorgeous, rural artist’s retreat with a log-fired sauna, wood-fired range and eco-friendly power sources, Blackthorn Cottage is a lovely place to get away from it all. There are lots of books and games to keep you occupied during your stay, and the rustic interior provides a cosy backdrop for relaxing evenings in after long countryside walks.
Outside, the terrace offers spectacular rural views which you can enjoy while tucking into a BBQ feast, perhaps after a rejuvenating steam in the shared sauna. Power comes from a wind turbine and solar panels, water from a natural spring, and heat from the logs, with a diesel generator and oil-fired central heating, just in case. Surprisingly, there is unlimited 4G Wi-Fi, but maybe don’t tell the kids?
Bothan Buie
Strath, The Highlands | sleeps 4 + 2 dogs
If you really want to take the kids on an adventure, Bothan Buie, deep in the Scottish Highlands, promises mountain-refuge vibes and rural escapades aplenty. For families with older children who don’t mind a long walk or three during their week’s holiday, Bothan Buie offers a cosy and characterful base. A wood burner keeps things nice and toasty, while a little unexpected luxury in the form of an outdoor hot tub gives you somewhere lovely from which to admire the jaw-dropping views.
Inside, the wood-clad interior couldn’t feel cosier, and with two dogs welcome too, there’s no excuse not to bring the whole family. We’ve cheated a little with this one, because there is electricity and a few mod cons, but given its location, it couldn’t feel more like staying on the edge of the world!
Enjoy a holiday with your family
Make the most of life in the great outdoors with an escape to somewhere new. Explore the UK: the Highlands and islands of Scotland, the wilds of Wales and the coast and countryside of England await with plenty of outdoor activities for kids and adults alike.
Replace screens with sunscreen and embrace spring in all its sunny, showery and splendid glory. If you choose to take on the Screen-Free Spring challenge, why not make it easier on everyone with a getaway to somewhere lovely? You never know, these tech-free habits may transform your everyday life when you’re back home!
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