Spending time with the family outside is a great way to stay healthy and share time together. Sunlight, fresh air, and plenty of space to move provides various benefits for all ages. This year bring the family together to try something new or engage in a beloved pastime. There are plenty of outdoor family activities worth trying this year, so we’ve compiled a list for every season. Keep reading to discover new ways to spend time with your family outside.
Winter Family Activities
Winter can be a challenging time to go outdoors. But that’s no reason to stay in all season. There are plenty of opportunities when the weather is safe to explore the outdoors. Just be mindful to look at the forecast beforehand.
- Go sledding.
- Build a snowman.
- Make snow art using a food coloring and water mixture in a spray bottle.
- Host a big snowball fight, complete with forts.
- Go on a winter hike after a fresh snowfall.
- Check out a winter festival with ice sculptures.
- Go snowshoeing.
- Look for animal tracks in the snow and see where they go.
- Go skiing.
- Make ice ornaments by placing water and whatever you find outside into a bowl. Let it freeze then take it out and display it.
- Use sandbox toys to play with snow.
- Walk through nearby neighborhoods and see the holiday lights.
Spring Family Activities
Seeing the outdoors bloom and come back to life is an exciting time of the year. After spending more time indoors due to the cold, spending time together in spring is a great way to get the family back into the habit of going outside.
- Make sidewalk chalk art.
- Attend an outdoor egg hunt.
- Go to a nearby town to check out their playgrounds.
- Fly a kite.
- Paint rocks.
- Start a garden.
- Go for a bike ride.
- Throw paint on an empty canvas.
- Go bird watching and look up facts about the birds you see.
- Spend an afternoon geocaching.
- Enjoy a picnic at a local park.
- Open a lemonade stand.
Summer Family Activities
Bright sunshine-filled days, warm weather, and summer vacation are a winning combination. Join in the fun and get the family out together.
- Make homemade popsicles with farmers market goodies.
- Go fishing.
- Spend a day at the beach.
- Have a water balloon fight.
- Play flashlight hide and seek at night.
- Go rollerskating.
- Go on a bug hunt and look up information about what you catch.
- Make a snack using ingredients from your garden or local farmers market.
- Host a car wash.
- Make a slip and slide in your yard.
- Go kayaking or canoeing.
- Spot constellations while stargazing.
Fall Family Activities
Before the winter chill completely sets in make the most of the warmer days.
- Attend an outdoor fall festival.
- Go camping and tell scary stories.
- Enjoy a bonfire and make s’mores.
- Create a backyard obstacle course with piles of leaves to jump in.
- Go Trick or Treating.
- Go apple picking.
- Do a fall-themed 5K
- Walk through a community garden or go visit an arboretum.
- Race paper boats.
- Have a tie dye day.
- Craft bird feeders using what you can find outside.
- Carve pumpkins outdoors.
There are so many outdoor family activities worth trying this year. But even if you’ve already done many things on this list, what matters is spending time together and getting the benefits of being outdoors. Going outside has been proven to relieve stress, improve sleep, and lower blood pressure. Plus it’s an excellent opportunity to spend time with your family.
Sources: Very well family, CBC, Take them outside, Love to know, Purewow