Outdoor Activities for Preschoolers

Preschool Outdoor Activities

Preschoolers love being outdoors, and outdoor activities for preschoolers are a great way to help young children develop physically, emotionally, and cognitively. Outdoor activities provide opportunities for children to explore nature, learn about their environment, and engage in physical play.

Almost any type of educational activity that can be done inside, can also be brought outside. Visit our related post to learn more about Creating Outdoor Learning Spaces. Today, we're sharing a few of our favorite suggestions for outdoor learning activities.

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Outdoor Preschool Activity Ideas

Nature walks and Scavenger Hunts: provide an excellent opportunity for children to engage with the environment. Children can learn about different plants, animals, and insects while also getting exercise. Children don’t have to go far, even a walk in your neighborhood can provide many opportunities to explore the world around us. Use this scavenger hunt checklist to enhance their experience.  Nature walks and scavenger hunts also provide opportunities for children to develop their observation skills and use their senses to explore the world around them.

Scavenger Hunt Checklist

Playground Activities: provide opportunities for children to develop their gross motor skills and social skills. Children can climb, slide, balance, and swing while also interacting with other children. Playground play can also help children learn about boundaries, cooperation and the importance of safety.

Chalk Play: Drawing, Hopscotch, chalk obstacle course, beanbag toss games, lifesize board game, or a  maze. Try creating your own chalk with our recipe!

Make Your Own Sidewalk Chalk Recipe

Parachute Play: Parachutes are always a hit with little learners and even with the bigger ones, too! There are so many different ways you can use the parachute including pairing it with balls and preschoolers work to pop all the balls off, a circus tent where you call a particular student to go under the parachute and do a trick whether it's a jump or a sit!

Gardening: is another excellent outdoor activity for preschoolers to learn about the environment and science. Children can learn about different plants, how they grow, and how to take care of them. Gardening also provides opportunities for children to develop fine motor skills and learn about responsibility.

Water play: is a fun and refreshing activity for preschoolers on hot days. Children can splash, pour, and experiment with water while also developing their hand-eye coordination and sensory skills. Water play can also provide opportunities for children to learn about the properties of water and how it interacts with different objects. There are so many ways you can incorporate water play into your day, we suggest bringing your water tables outdoor or include a fun sprinkler day!

Observe: Searching for and observing bugs is fantastic for preschoolers learning all about life cycles, the environment, and patience. Find inspiration for creating a space to observe bugs on our  Backyard Bug Investigations post.

Backyard Bug Investigation

Music: Another fun and creative way to bring play outdoors is with music. Whether it's just bringing some music outdoors with a speaker or by making your own music wall, you can learn all about how to do this from this Make Your Own Music Wall post. 

Music Wall from Sweet Pea Dayhome

Art: Bringing art into nature is an activity that encourages children to create art using natural materials. Children can create sculptures, paintings, or collages using leaves, sticks, flowers, and other materials found in nature. Art in nature provides opportunities for children to develop their creativity and appreciation for the environment. Make Your own Nature Suncatcher is a great example of how you can combine nature and art together. There are truly so many ways to bring these two together. 

Include organized group play. Organized group play invitations supports muscle development in preschoolers. Designing games that work out certain parts of the body helps to balance development. Group play is great for learning rules and cooperation.

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Tips and Strategies for Mixed Age Groups

​Outdoor play is essential for children's physical and mental development, and it's even more beneficial when children of different ages play together. Mixed-age outdoor play is a great way to foster cooperation, communication, and empathy among children of different ages.

Some mixed-age outdoor play ideas may include a group art project with natural materials, such as leaves, rocks, and flowers, a cooperative game that involves passing a ball or a beanbag without dropping it, or a storytelling session where children take turns adding to a shared story.
Mixed-age outdoor play also allows children to learn from each other, develop leadership skills, and appreciate diversity. It's amazing to see how your older students become leaders and excellent role models to the younger students.

Older children love to help younger kids. Provide opportunities for older children to help out in daily routines and lead play.

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Teacher Tips and Strategies for Ensuring Safe and Enjoyable Outdoor Play:

Bringing your students outdoors requires extra safety measures which is why having rules that your preschoolers are aware of and understand is crucial. Having a conversation with your preschoolers about staying in the designated play area, asking for guidance if they need to leave the playground, and most importantly being aware of who should be using the playground equipment i.e no outside users.

With outdoor play comes the importance of applying sunscreen and insect repellent prior to going outside.  Teaching your preschoolers about understanding when they need a shade break and to stay hydrated is important for their overall health and well-being.
Come armed with the essentials to prevent having to go in and out for things like wipes, tissues, sunscreen, and hand sanitizer. A mesh shower bag works great and can be hung out of children's reach.

Providing and encouraging preschoolers to use safety equipment like helmets and following safety rules are important for safety.
While getting ready for outdoor play review rules for outside play. Ask kids to share the rules that they each remember.

Teach preschoolers about safe weather for playing outdoors. Lightning and heavy rain can be dangerous as can super hot days!

It's also important to note that with outdoor safety comes using outdoor equipment correctly and safely which includes putting toys area when they're done playing. Take a look at this post for ideas on Storing and Organizing Your Outdoor Toys.

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Preschoolers love being outdoors and it provides a rich and stimulating environment for preschoolers to explore, learn, and grow. It supports their physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development. Nature walks, playground play, gardening, water play, and art in nature are all effective activities that help children thrive and provide opportunities for children to learn about the environment, interact with others, and have fun.
 

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