Fun in the Sun: 12 Awesome Outdoor Activities for Preschoolers
There’s nothing better in an Australian summer than getting outdoors and having some fun in the sun.
If your child is preschool age, they are finally old enough to start enjoying the great outdoors with you – how exciting!
To help you decide what games to play first, here are 12 awesome outdoor activities for preschoolers. As a bonus, everything we’ve included also teaches your child important physical, social or life skills as well!
Why are Outdoor Activities for Preschoolers Important?
Outdoor activities for preschoolers aren’t just a fun way to keep them occupied, they are actually essential for proper early learning development.
The natural world offers opportunities for young children to learn about how the world works, including the benefits and risks of the natural world, as well as humanity’s place in it.
It’s also integral to their physical development. It’s the most likely place for them to learn to jump and run.
Their sensory development also benefits with exposure to natural surfaces like dirt and grass, while the sunlight provides essential vitamin D.
12 Awesome Outdoor Activities for Preschoolers
1. Water Fight
Nothing says classic Australian childhood like a summertime water fight!
It’s a great way to cool off, and a great way for kids to play fight without actually hurting each other. Don’t be afraid to turn the sprinkler on or let rip with a hose! Just remember, water balloons are best avoided at this age because they can be a choking hazard.
As a bonus, use a water fight to show your kids how water works. Up until now, they’ve probably only seen water in a bottle or a bath, so seeing it flying around the back yard will be an amazing new experience.
2. Sink or Float
Sticking to the water theme, sink or float is incredibly easy to set up. Simply fill up a bucket in the backyard and test whether everyday garden objects sink or float.
Not only will your child be excited to find out each time, they’ll also be learning valuable lessons about the physics of water and mass.
Just make sure the next item they try isn’t your phone or your car keys!
3. Burst some Bubbles
Depending on their age, you might not want your kids to actually blow the bubbles themselves – but that doesn’t mean they can’t burst them for you!
This is one of the best outdoor activities for preschoolers because they have to combine a lot of physical movements to successfully catch the bubbles. They have to judge the speed of the bubble, their speed in relation to it, and also synchronise their running with their reaching action.
Talk about a one-stop-shop activity for learning coordination and fine motor skills!
4. Use the Play Equipment
If you’re up for a little excursion, take your kids to the park and start introducing them to play equipment. Things like slides, swings and see-saws are all bound to keep them entertained, while you can hopefully catch a quiet minute to yourself watching them from the side.
Playgrounds also offer opportunities to build social skills with other children – especially sharing! They’ll soon learn that as fun as the slide is, they’ve got to wait their turn before using it again.
5. Tag! You’re It!
Tag is another classic Australian outdoor activity for preschoolers that quickly builds social skills.
Your children will have a blast competing with each other, and they’ll learn some physical skills as well. Playing tag requires hand-eye coordination and also an understanding of the strategies different kids use to win the game.
Trust us, nothing will motivate your child to think strategically than the chance of winning a game of tag with their friends!
6. Roar Like a Dinosaur!
There are three certainties in life: death, taxes and that kids absolutely love dinosaurs!
Get the kids together in the backyard and pretend to be dinosaurs. They’ll have endless fun chasing after each other roaring and trying to mimic the movements of their favourite species.
The best thing is, this outdoor activity requires no preparation from you. However, if you do want to go all out, we’ve got some other dinosaur activities for dinosaur obsessed kids for you to check out.
7. Backyard Safari
While the critters living in your backyard may not be that interesting to you, remember that your preschooler might be seeing them for the very first time.
So why not take your child on a safari around the garden. You can point out and explain different insects and plants, and let them touch them (as long as they aren’t harmful!).
For an added educational element, why not use your safari as an opportunity to teach literacy as well. As you find each creature, encourage your child to repeat their name back to you. If they are a little more advanced, make the quiz a bit harder and ask them to tell you what the first letter of the animal’s name would be.
8. Tip the Toys Out
If your child is used to playing with their toys inside, why not switch up the scenery and take them outside instead? This is one of the easiest outdoor activities for preschoolers, because you’ve already got everything you need.
Your child will have to learn how to play in a new environment. For example, toys that stood up on the tiles inside will now need to be balanced on the spongy grass. Learning how to balance them will be a great test for their patience and fine motor skills.
9. ‘Bake’ some Mud Cakes
If your children are used to watching you cook dinner, they’ll be itching to have a chance to try cooking for themselves. This might surprise you, especially if you see cooking as a chore. But remember, your children want to imitate your behaviours, and this includes mundane daily tasks.
Now obviously we don’t suggest you actually let your kids cook, but we can suggest a much more fun – and messy – alternative.
Either wait until it rains, or wet some dirt with a hose, and let your kids ‘bake’ some mud cakes! Your preschooler will think they’ve done a wonderful job making their cakes. Just make sure you think of an excuse not to taste their ‘delicacy’…
10. Lawn Bowls
Lawn bowls may look easy, but we promise it’s a lot harder than it looks, and way too hard to be an outdoor activity for preschoolers. But what you can do instead is make a sort of hybrid lawn bowls/tenpin bowling style game that your kids can enjoy.
Using a tennis or golf ball, line some obstacles up on the lawn and have your children take turns bowling. You can have them try to knock the obstacles down or try to get the ball to stop as close as possible to them. This will teach your kids how to throw and roll a ball, as well as improve their depth perception.
If you’re struggling to think of obstacles, try collecting some toilet rolls and using them. They don’t cost anything extra (you’ll need toilet paper anyway), they’re light enough for your preschooler to pick up, and they won’t be damaged if they get hit. This makes them a great stand in for real bowling pins.
11. Chalk Drawings
If you’ve got some pavers or cement in your backyard, washable chalk drawing is a fantastic outdoor activity for preschoolers.
Get them to experiment by drawing different shapes and using a variety of colours. The best thing is, no matter how much of a mess they make, chalk easily washes off. This makes it a great alternative to paint.
Plus, as they get older you can start getting them to write in chalk to practise their literacy skills, or draw shapes for a practical purpose, like making a hopscotch course.
12. Summersaults
The last on this list is a little silly, but it’s really great fun and is best done outside on the lawn.
Kids love doing somersaults. Something about being able to roll right over and see the world a completely different way is like magic to preschoolers. Not to mention it helps them understand how their body moves.
So take your kids outside this summer and put the summer into somersaults. Just try not to hurt yourself if they ask you to do one too!
Have You Considered a Childcare Centre?
At Little Miracles, we specialise in creating all different kinds of activities to keep your children engaged.
Our main priority is to keep kids interested and their minds challenged, all in a fun, safe environment. We regularly change our activity routines, including from indoors to outdoors, and incorporating seasonal themes like Christmas.
If you’d like to learn more about Little Miracles childcare centres, visit our website.
To enquire about child care centre vacancies, visit our contact page.
