Games to play with kids outdoors

[jaychops]

I have a terrible imagination and need to prepare myself for some outdoor spring adventures with my 3 year old DD (and newborn when he grows up a bit). She on the other hand has a very active imagination, loves things like bear hunt, gruffalo.

What games do you/did you play with your kids outdoors, in the woods etc? Throw your ideas at me!

We have a dog so were always out in the woods. I used to have newborn in a sling and walk along telling stories when mine were that age - you could start with the ones you’ve mentioned. Just learn them (you’ll already have done that!) and recite as you walk along.
Then graduate to fairy tales, three little pigs etc.
Making ‘fairy houses’ - she fetches and piles up sticks while you feed baby. Decorate with flowers.
DD pretends to be a dog and you give her commands.
Mine could name trees and flowers at that age (can’t remember them now she’s 9!).
Let DD lead the way on the walk.
Make up names for the different ‘landmarks’ you see, and revisit on another walk. We used to walk in the same woodland regularly. I’m feeling nostalgic for it now!

Geocaching

There are all sorts of treasure hunts and ideas on Pinterest. Look at them. But don’t let the picture perfectness put you off or make you feel inadequate.

We would go on ‘gruffalo’ hunt in the woods and wonder where he could be.
We’d also take a magnifying glass and see if there were interesting things to look at.
Often we just looked at the trees, plants and at wildlife and then looked them up.
I remember once having a lovely long sit down while dd gathered various twigs, leaves and flowers to make assemble a lovely nest at the base of a tree.

Take a few crayons and paper and do 'bark rubbing' 'rock rubbing' etc. Collect pebbles to paint at home (a good one if you've got a pushchair to cart them all home!).

Maybe one for when your DD is a bit older: find a tree. Lead her to a tree while she is blindfolded, and get her to feel the bark and leaves. Then take her away, spin her round, take her blindfold off, and see if she can find the tree again.

We’d often collect stuff, like leaves to make a leaf picture later. We didn’t always make the picture, but that was fine.

Hide and find painted rocks. A bit like geocaching but simpler. Many areas have FB Pages to post your rocks, where yiu’ve Hidden them, emwhat you’ve found.

Climbing trees
French cricket
Kick a ball about
Frisbee
Hide and seek
Make a den in the wood
Walk in the wood or countryside or beach
The stone idea that has already been mentioned
Jumping in puddles

Scavenger hunt
Collecting things to take home and glue/stick so signs of autumn became lovely messy collages of crispy leaves, cones, twigs etc.
Kicking puffballs and collecting mushrooms for supper.
Hide and seek
Stone skimming
Making fairy dens and proper den building
Sandcastles and building sand boats on beach
Kite flying
Roll polys down hills
Puddle jumping and wave jumping
Paddling in winter then later swimming in winter
Pebble painting
Mini orienteering
Treasure hunts
Pre phones we gave them a disposable camera.
Fishing in streams with nets
Building dams in Lakeland streams
Bug hunts

Lots of wonderful ideas here that I will be using, thank you!

Mine are a bit older but love Whats The Time Mr Wolf. My youngest started getting into it at about 3.