Mix up the usual mealtime routine with a backyard picnic. Simple sandwiches and fruit and cheese make the perfect menu. If you’re looking for other healthy and new recipes that are easy and delicious, try these. Top it off with this 5-minute mud pudding recipe for a fun and easy dessert everyone will love!
All it takes is aluminum foil, bath toys and a garden hose! Kids will love floating boats and ducks down their kid-made stream. Make it educational by putting rocks and sticks in to create a dam. Hours of fun and creativity!
Get your hiking boots on, pack a picnic lunch and get exploring! Use alltrails.com to plan the perfect hike for your family. Make it a short hike or make a weekend out of exploring new trails!
You don’t have to buy a water table to reap the benefits of filling and spilling. Use a kiddie pool, large plastic bin or get really creative and build your own out of PVC pipes. Grab shovels, measuring cups and buckets and let the water fun begin!
Whatever happened to pen pals? Grab those pens and markers and get creative! Decorate a hand-made card or postcard and write a happy message to make a friend’s day. Let your child put on the stamp and hand deliver it to the post office or mailbox.
There are so many simple and creative ways to use chalk, and each requires little prep and materials (our favorite kind of activity)!
Mini Chalk Town - How cute is this mini town? Draw roads and a town filled with buildings, parks and streams. Use your child’s favorite cars and trucks to explore!
Stained Glass Art Mosaic - We’re sure you’ve seen these on the many walks you’re taking these days, but they’re still making us happy. Grab painter's tape, tape out a design and get coloring! Let your child remove the tape to reveal your beautiful artwork!
Use Chalk in New Ways - Switch up how you use plain, old chalk with these different ideas! Paint your drive with Sidewalk chalk paint or create beautiful masterpieces with Puffy paint sidewalk chalk.
Throw some toys in a container with water then freeze them for some excavating fun! Give your kids plastic or wooden toys and let them have a blast finding the frozen gems!
If you’re looking for a homemade recipe that’s easy, tasty and good for your kids, check out these two-ingredient recipes made of yogurt and fruit!
We’re always looking for easy art. These adorable and incredibly easy Coffee Filter butterflies and monsters are made from art supplies that don’t require any pre-shopping! All you need is coffee filters, markers, scissors and water! If available, grab some pipe cleaners and googly eyes too to make them extra cute.
Create a scavenger hunt by making a list of items found in nature. Here are some ideas, but have your child add their own too! Squirrels, bunnies, different tree bark, a shape in the cloud, their favorite color flower, ants, bees and butterflies. Don’t just keep it to “things.” Have them hunt for sounds like an owl, the wind blowing through the trees, flowing water or tweeting birds. This is a great way to practice being mindful, too.
Finally, if those weren’t easy enough — here are SUPER EASY ideas for when you’re just not feeling up to collecting several items or cleaning up a mess! Grab your Outdoor Blanket and enjoy relaxing outside. Sometimes, those moments are the most memorable.
- Bring crayons and paper outside, put a blanket down under a tree and have quiet coloring time while listening to the birds.
- Lie on your back and find shapes in the clouds
- Move snack time to the blanket. Grab popcorn, fruit or a healthy popsicle and enjoy it away from the kitchen table.
- Blow bubbles and let the kids chase after them while you just watch.
- Read a children’s summer book under a tree.
