5 Ideas for Open-ended Play Outdoors
When the weather is beautiful, it’s best to get out of the house and enjoy it. We have gathered some fresh ways to engage in open-ended play when outside.
1. Mud Kitchen
If you have recently had some rain or have a hose and sandbox, you can easily create a mud kitchen. Make sure they are in clothes you don’t mind getting dirty and have a plan for cleanup before coming back into the house. Set up an area with pots, pans, and utensils and watch as the kids pretend to cook and bake imaginary dishes.
2. Obstacle Course
Round up a few outdoor items like jump rumps, hula hoops, cones, and other items. Create a simple obstacle course that has them jump, crawl, balance, and race around these items. Mix it up by changing the rules after a few rounds, like moving some of the items into new configurations or having the kids hop on one leg for parts of the course.
3. Build with Natural Materials
Sticks, rocks, pinecones, leaves, and more make wonderful building materials. Incorporate some miniature figures or animals to encourage creation of children’s own small worlds. Add some whimsy by building fairy houses and placing them around the area.
4. Shadow Play
On sunny days, you can take advantage of the shadows from trees, buildings, and even each other. You can talk about how light and shadows work. Children can use sidewalk chalk to trace shadows and create a scene.
5. Outdoor Music Stations
Sometimes music outside is more fun (and tolerable) than music inside. Set up a variety of musical instruments outside and encourage the kids to make as much noise as they want (or the neighbors can tolerate). Drums, xylophones, even pots and pans can be great for exploring different sounds and rhythms.
BONUS:
Go on a Color Scavenger Hunt
Our Color Quest will help your child see the beauty in the world around them and burn off some energy too.
