5 Fun DIYs That Get Your Kids Outdoors and Active

You loathe the idea of your kids spending their time staring at one screen or another. However, even the most patient of mamas can only handle hearing, “Mom, I’m bored!” so many times before she hands over a tablet or gives the ok on television time.

Books are great, and even board games offer hours of old-school fun. Arts, crafts and other creative projects chase off the blahs and keep young minds active as well. But when the weather is balmy and beautiful, you’re going to want to soak up some vitamin D, breathe in some fresh air, and get outdoors.

So why not get creative and take your projects out for a spin? Check out this handful of crafty DIYs that are not only fun to make, but also get kids active on sunny days for weeks to come:

Animal Footprints

Have you ever taken a stroll on the beach or gone on a nature walk with your kiddos and contemplated which birds and animals made the various footprints you spotted? Kids can create their own creature prints by walking around on special pairs of upcycled flip-flops.

Emily Fazio of the DIY Network shared this project that is perfect for days on the shore or walks on other soft ground. Just grab some old foam flip-flops (or pick up a few pairs from the dollar store) and cut any sort of animal footprint stamps out of the soles. Let the kids design realistic, humorous or scary feet (what does a chupacabra foot look like, anyway?).

After making some simple plywood “shoes” and attaching the stamps to the bottoms, your kids will have a blast leaving prints for others to discover.

Mud Run

What could top a fun outdoorsy DIY for kids that also gets them physically active? Turn your backyard into a racetrack and obstacle course that keeps them going all year long (in good weather, of course).

Mom of five, photographer and blogger Ashley Campbell decided to throw a “mud run” themed birthday party for her five-year-old son. She shares inspirational pics of the day on her blog, Under the Sycamore.

You can tailor this DIY to your kids’ preferences as well as the materials you have on hand. Just make sure there are plenty of opportunities for getting dirty, sweaty and exhausted.

Ring Toss

Turn your backyard into a carnival with a few entertaining DIY outdoor games, using a few unused plastic toys into a ring toss, for starters.

Kersey Campbell crafted an animal-themed ring toss and shared specifics at Momtastic. Beginning with three or more large plastic toys (big enough to toss rings onto), you will need to drill a hole and glue a dowel into each. Glue them onto a platform and spray paint the entire setup for a more polished look.

Her rings are super simple, too. Just make loops out of rope and cover them with duct tape. Easy peasy!

Reusable Water Bombs

A messy, competitive water balloon fight is a hallmark of outdoor fun. The broken bits of balloon can be a real pain to clean up, though, and aren’t especially environmentally friendly. Plus, when the batch of balloons is gone, the fun is over.

Swap those one-trick ponies for some DIY “bombs” kids can use again and again. Rachel Hollis shows us how to make a batch using stuff you probably have on hand at The Chic Site. Simply cut up several new, clean, dry sponges into strips. Tie them bunches together to make the bombs. Soak them in buckets of water and get ready to rumble.

Lawn Scrabble

Some kids would really rather be indoors reading, crafting or doing something a little more introverted. While there’s nothing wrong with this (shout out to my fellow introverts!), everyone can benefit from a bit of exercise and a change of scenery now and again.

Take the indoors outside with fun activities for kids at home. For example, Lark at Constantly Lovestruck shared her family’s idea for supersized, outdoor “Bananagrams.” Her brother cut tiles of Masonite and painted them with letters to match the tabletop version of the game.

Of course, you could use plywood or even cardboard to make the tiles and still have a blast in the backyard.

The next time the weather is warm and everyone is at home with “nothing to do,” unplug, stash the electronics, go outside and make something fun. You’ll be making childhood memories that last a lifetime!

What are some of your favorite DIY games and activities for outdoor fun? Share your ideas with us!

Cover image by Ashley Ann Photography