Last Updated on February 26, 2021 by Nikole

Intro

You may be finding it hard to travel at the moment or simply finding an adventure outdoors. There are so many restrictions and lockdowns because of Covid. We can all easily get anxious staying at home all the time. (Check out my post about Anxiety and How the Outdoors Can Help.)

I’ve come up with a few things you can do with your family that won’t require you to travel halfway around the world.

Most of these have been tested at camps and daycares I have worked at, and they have proved to be entertaining. I also wouldn’t have made it through my summer of nannying without some of these activities.

Outside Activities

Cardboard Boat

This was a favorite activity with most age groups I’ve had to care for over the years. You can either make a tiny boat out of cardboard that will float in the tub, or you can make a big one that your child can float in.

Let your kids take the lead on it, and help them along the way. If you need a better idea of how to get started check out this tutorial with steps and pictures.

Make it a competition, whoever’s boat floats the longest wins a prize. This will keep children entertained for hours and will stretch those creativity skills.

Damming up a River

I’ve only done this with the camp staff’s kids once and they had so much fun.

You don’t even have to do anything, but sit back and watch. All you need is a creek, sticks, and rocks.

Stick Fort

This is a great activity especially if you have a lot of trees in the yard. Simply gather some longer branches and lean them against a tree or wall. You can also make a teepee out of them by leaning them against each other at the top.

Obstacle Courses

Not only is this activity great for entertainment, but it will get everyone’s energy out. You really don’t need to build anything.

Here are a few ideas you can incorporate into your course.

• Hula Hoops– Have your child jump through the hoop, or throw something through it.
• Chalk– Hopscotch is a great thing to include in your course, and it’s easy to draw.
• Sticks– Place some sticks in a row and have your child hop over them, or stick them in the ground so your child can weave in and out.

If you are still having a hard time coming up with ideas check out these 11 obstacle courses for kids.

Have a Picnic

This needs no explanation. You could have your kids prepare the meal before you head out to your picnic destination.

Hide and Seek (at night)

This was my all-time favorite game as a kid. For some reason playing it at night made it much more interesting. All you need is some flashlights.

You can make this game more action-packed by adding in a base. Everyone who is hiding has to get to the base and try to not get tagged by the person who is seeking. Of course, this can be a bit dangerous at night, you can also do it during the day.

Film a Movie/ Photo session

Kids can’t seem to get enough of the phones. Why not let them have the phone for a while and put on a fashion show with a photoshoot. Or you can film a movie.

Rainy Days

Blanket Forts

Gather all your blankets and drape them over the furniture for a fun-filled day of blanket forts.

Fair day

This one was actually inspired by my mom. She would have different booths set up in the house for me and my brothers to play games at. We would win prizes (usually some sort of candy or maybe a cake at the end of the day) for playing the different games. Here are some of the games she would set up, that you may find enjoyable.

• Apple bobbing
• Pin the tail on the donkey
• Pinata-You can even take some time to make your own with your child, check out this tutorial on how to make a pinata.
• Basketball– Set up a laundry basket and have your kids try and throw a ball into them.

Scavenger Hunt

Write down a list of things your child can find within the house, or if it’s not raining you can do it outside.

You could also reverse it, and have your child write down the list of things for you to find.

Treasure Hunt

This is somewhat similar to a scavenger hunt, but you would have a list of steps to follow.

You will have all of your notes prewritten with directions on them. Then you will have to hide those notes according to the directions you just wrote on them.

For example, you would start off by writing, “Go to the couch and look under it.” Then, you would put a note under the couch that would say, “Now, go to the pantry and look inside of the pop tart box.” You can write as many notes as you would like (depends on how long you want it to last).

The last note should lead to some sort of treasure, and that’s the goal of the whole hunt.

Keep everyone Sane

I hope some of these ideas proved to be helpful while some of us are still locked away in our houses. Just remember to get yourself and your family outside more often. You could go on a camping trip or just set up a tent in the backyard.

Check out my post about how being outside can help relieve anxiety. It’s so important that you try to get outside for a little bit every day.

A great person to follow on Facebook is, Tiffany Prohaska. She has some awesome mommy tips and is super down to earth. She can give you some great new ideas to keep the family entertained and give you a more positive outlook on family life.

Keep finding new ways to get outdoors. Let me know some of the activities and adventures your family has had through the lockdown.