
Outdoor classroom activity ideas
Homeschool outdoor activities
Nature studies are an exciting way for kids of all ages to learn Science naturally as they explore your backyard, a local park, or a nature trail. There is no wrong way to do a nature study, and they can be as planned or as spontaneous as you wish to make them. Often times, a nature journal is all that’s needed – learners simply write and draw what they observe. While walking through a natural area, teach your young children to count to ten with nature using a checklist of things to find and count. Make some birdseed ornaments and simply sit and observe the birds even during colder months. Learn math themes such as shapes, colors, and symmetry by searching for them in nature.
The most inspired artwork can be created while outside in natural surroundings. Take some art supplies such as drawing paper and pencils, paint or pastels and a canvas (or something as simple as a clipboard, paper, and watercolor tray), and find an object that captures your child’s imagination and direct him/her to make a masterpiece.
Sidewalk chalk is a creative way to study – try writing your word families in sidewalk chalk and make a game out of spelling! Or you can play Jump and Spell with your kinesthetic learner’s spelling word list. Reading and fluency will increase while you play in the sun.
In warmer months, get outdoors with your kids and grow a garden. The act of planting a seed, seeing it grow from a seedling into a beautiful flower or a fruit/vegetable bearing plant is a complete Science lesson in itself. For a culminating activity, you can discuss vocabulary such as photosynthesis, germination, seedling, etc. You could even practice foreign language gardening terms while you’re planting and harvesting.
Outdoor learning Activities for Kids
Digging, Building and Water Play – your toddlers and even older children will always love anything that involves using their hands. The messier, the better! Don’t worry, all that mess is valuable for their educational development! Give them plenty of opportunities to play in the sandbox, build things with sticks and rocks, and play in the water and watch as their fine motor skills, creativity, problem-solving skills, and vocabulary grow.
Being outdoors lends itself to the perfect Physical Education opportunity. Create an obstacle course or a relay race, practice throwing and catching small objects, balance on logs, climb trees, and swing on the branches. Get your children’s gross motor skills growing with opportunities to run, jump ad play in the sun.
Just Read. On a perfect day with the warm sun shining and a nice breeze blowing, take a blanket and a pillow outside and just sit and read a while. Reading in the shade of a tree or under a tent is a relaxing and enjoyable way to get in your Reading comprehension practice for the day. Reading builds vocabulary and lengthens attention spans, so no matter whether your child is reading a classic novel, or a new popular chapter book, the educational value is optimal. (here are some fantastic book recommendations by age)
Summer worksheets for kindergarten
Looking for more fun, summer theme educational activities for prek and kinders? Check out these free summer printables!
- Summer Letter Matching Alphabet Puzzles
- Learn about life cycles with these ladybug life cycle worksheet
- Garden Kindergarten sight Word Activities
- Pail and Shovel Matching Letter Game for Summer
- I Spy Pirate Game
- Summer Handwriting Worksheets
- Hands-on Ice Cream Compound Word Activity
- Garden theme Telling Time Worksheets
- Seed FInd the Letter Summer Worksheets for Kindergarten
- Summer Lego Challenge
- Water Gun Parts of Speach Game
- Playdough Counting Mat Activity with Watermelon Seed Printable
- Summertime Dot Art Printables
- Free Printable Beach Worksheets
- Cute Flip Flip Letter Matching
- Bubble Math Worksheets
- Strawberry Picking Summer Rhyming Activity
Summer Worksheets for Kids
- Smores Kindergarten Math Worksheets
- Smore complete sentence game
- Cute Summer Worksheets for Preschoolers
- Fun Summer Color by Number pages to work on number recognition and hand muscles
- Work on writing with these June Writing Prompts
- Convenient Summer Writing Prompts with ruled lines and pictures to color
- Pool Summer Worksheets for Preschoolers
- HUGE pack of Garden Worksheets to practice a variety of math and literacy skills
- Summer Number Recognition Coloring Worksheets
- Cute Watermelon Seed Counting Worksheet
- Skip Counting Summer Worksheets
- Simple, Free Beach Coloring Pages
- Summer Activity Pages
- Seashell Alphabet Matching Activity
- Firefly Math Printable Counting Game
- Free Summer Worksheets for Kindergarten
- Sight Word Mazes – Summer Worksheets for Kindergarten
- Sun Summer Tracing Worksheets
- Pool Count and Trace Summer Activities for Kindergarten
- Sandcastle Letter Tracing Summer Activities for Kindergarten
Summer Activities
In between reading a good book, sneak in some epic fun with these summer activities for kids of all ages:
- 107 Fun Summer Activities
- How to Make a Lava Lamp
- Water Balls Summer Activity
- Pipe Cleaner Constellations
- Bleeding Tissue Paper Fireworks Craft
- June Activity Calendar
- Exploding Watermelon Science
- Homemade Bubble Solution for GIANT Bubbles
- How to Make Chalk for Summer FUN
- Silly Grass Craft for Kids
Leave a Reply