10 Spring Outdoor Activities
With Spring in full swing, now is the perfect time to start thinking about fun outdoor activities to enjoy as a family.
We’ve rounded up our favourite spring family activities which you can do outdoors. However, with the ever-changing British weather, you have to be prepared for everything. Don’t forget to pack wellies, waterproofs, sunglasses and even UV-protective swimwear!
Here are our 10 spring outdoor activities:
1) Discover all your local parks and woodlands
We have lots of lovely green spaces to get excited about in the UK. You can use this handy website to locate your local parks and woodlands and to find out about their opening hours. It's also a brilliant resource if you are looking for different spaces that you can visit locally. Discover them all and maybe you'll come across a hidden gem or your new family favourite.
2) Organise a spring-themed scavenger hunt
Add a bit of a challenge to your family walk. List 5 or 10 signs of spring that you can spot in your local park or in the neighbourhood and send your little explorers off to search. You can set a time limit to make the hunt even more competitive.
3) Try building a den
Use the great outdoors for learning in nature. Studies show that playing and learning in natural settings can reduce anxiety, distraction, and calm little minds. And when schools take children outside to learn, little explorers show increased motivation and become more self-directed. Why not try building a den with your little explorers or building a bug hotel.
4) Learn about trees
Trees are such an important part of our lives. They provide homes and hiding places for all sorts of wildlife including insects, birds, squirrels and other animals; they give us lovely fruits and nuts and materials for building and making paper. Trees also help to keep our air clean and our ecosystems healthy. We breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide while trees breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen - could we be more perfect partners? Some ancient trees have been around for hundreds of years becoming part of history. A woodland walk is a perfect time to teach your children about different trees and how to identify them. The Woodland Trust Guide to Identify Trees is a brilliant resource, plus they also have a free app you can take with you.
5) Try rock pooling
Rock pooling at a local beach is a brilliant activity that explorers of all ages, big and small, can enjoy. Spring is a great time to go out and explore your local rock pools and look out for fascinating marine creatures (check out this list of great rock pools if you need inspiration). All you need is a bucket or a Tupperware container and a pair of wellies. Encourage children to note what they see or even draw the creatures they have spotted. To make your adventure even more exciting, download a spotter sheet and take with you – we love this rockpool spotter sheet from Wildlife Watch.
6) Fly a kite
The spring winds are ideal for kite flying. When picking a location, an open field or a hill is perfect and remember, the higher up you go, the better! The weather conditions are also super important and can make or break your plan of flying kites with children. If the weather is breezy, but not enough to bowl you over, then it’s the perfect time for flying kites. With a nice breeze, your children can make the kite soar and dance. You can make your own kite with your gang using this handy guide.
7) Build an obstacle course
If you’re lucky enough to have a garden, build your own ultimate obstacle course with children. It takes only a few minutes to set up and will provide long hours of fun for the whole family. The choices are unlimited, and you can use anything you have handy. Here are more tips on how to build a fun obstacle course.
8) Get them gardening
Gardening is fun and has lots of benefits. It’s a great way for children to spend more time outdoors, it strengthens their connection to food and can set them up with a healthy hobby for life. Take the children to the garden centre and get them to choose some bulbs (such as freesias, lilies, tulips…) and plant them together. If you live in the city and don’t have access to your own garden, why not build an indoor herb garden.
9) Look for puddles
Who doesn’t love splashing in puddles on a rainy day? Pull on a pair of wellies and see who can get the muddiest. Nothing beats making a good old-fashioned mud pie while you’re out and about so children can get their hands well and truly dirty as well. Our waterproofs are machine-washable at 30 degrees so you won't have to worry if they get a little too muddy!
