7 outdoor family fun ideas to get down with the kids

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Living on a farm meant there wasn’t much chance that N wouldn’t love the outdoors. He’d play outside all day given half a chance. I on the other hand, as so many other adults do, put off going out because of everything else that gets in the way.

Of course it wasn’t always like that, I used to enjoy as much as any other children playing outside. In fact, our childhood house overlooked a green and all the kids from the estate would play out there together from age 4 or 5 through to 16. Luckily we have the green space on the farm, but gravel and grass isn’t conducive to outdoor play during the winter or some outdoor play. It’s really not easy to scoot on our gravel drive.

Usually evenings are spent out in the garden, but weekends we tend to go further afield, even if it’s only to the park. If you’re a reluctant parent who’s not keen on being out in all weathers, here’s some activity ideas where the adults can get outdoors with the kids. Because why should the children have all the fun?

Outdoor family fun ideas

Get the scooters out

Once you’ve bought the scooters, it’s a free activity, and you can get some great adult scooters as well as children’s ones. Harking back to my youth, there was 2 wheeled and that was it. Now you can get scooters for any age – 3 or 4 wheels for younger children, through to stunt ones. We love going out to the park, and a scooter’s handy for parents trying to keep up with children on bikes.

Ride a bike

Most people can ride a bike but if not, get one and learn. It’s great to take the bikes out or go for bike rides near home. Or once children are more confident lots of forests and country parks have trails.

Skates

In my youth roller skates were essential for being cool. Roller blades didn’t become popular until I was an older teen and had gone off to uni, but in more recent years Heelys have taken off (not literally! That would be cool). I’ve never seen an adult on Heelys but you can buy adult sizes, so why not give the children a run for their money. Or let them loose in those while you stick with old school roller skates.

Frisbee

I love playing frisbee and N quite enjoys a go in the garden. It’s a great outdoor toy to take on holiday, whether on the beach or at the campsite. Lightweight, good for all ages, and if your children aren’t old enough to throw or catch them, they love picking them up and bringing it to you.

Tennis

We all get Wimbledon fever at this time of year and tennis is a brilliant outdoor family activity. Either join your local tennis club, play at public tennis courts or just in the back garden or drive if safe. N plays at his after school tennis club and loves it, and the other day after school we put up the ‘badminton’ net at the right height and played for a bit. It’s great to see your children have a passion that you also enjoy.

Outdoor pool

Ok, it always feels like a hassle going swimming, but children love it. Get some holiday spirit and go to your local outdoor pool and enjoy all day playing and swimming. It always feels like a bit of a treat going to the outdoor pool, and even if it’s cloudy, it’s a magical feeling to swim in. N always finds it a novelty, but make it a regular thing and you’ll all get fit and learn to be safe through improving their swimming.

Of course, if the weather’s really good, then get a large pool for the back garden instead.

Geocaching / Scavenger hunt

Perfect for parties, scavenger hunts are great for children, but why not do one as a family. You could even team up with another family and set tasks for each other so it’s a surprise for you all.

The alternative is geocaching, joining in with thousands of other people using online clues to locate hidden caches.

These are just several activities that are perfect for encouraging parents to get outside with their children, perfect for weekends or those long summer holidays.

What type of things do you get up to with your children in the great outdoors? Do you do any of these as a family?