Lambton Family Hub

Outdoor Adventures

10 Ways to Play Outside

Simple activities using found materials, a little imagination, and the space around you.

Before you start: Choose a safe play area. Use fallen materials whenever possible, and ask an adult before playing near water.

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Nature colour hunt with small objects sorted in an egg carton
Look & findNature

Nature Colour Hunt

Choose six colours and find one small natural object for each one.

You need

  • An egg carton or small container
  • Optional coloured crayons or markers

What to do

  1. Choose six colours to look for outdoors.
  2. Find one small natural object for each colour.
  3. Place the objects in separate sections of the carton.
  4. Arrange them from lightest to darkest.
  5. Return the objects to nature when finished.

Adult help: None once the search area is established.

Land art picture made with leaves, sticks, and stones
CreateNature

Land-Art Picture

Make an animal, pattern, or imaginary place with things you find on the ground.

You need

  • Fallen leaves
  • Sticks
  • Stones
  • Flowers or grass already on the ground

What to do

  1. Find a clear patch of ground.
  2. Use sticks to make the outside edge of a picture.
  3. Fill the picture with leaves, stones, and other natural materials.
  4. Create an animal, pattern, face, or imaginary place.
  5. Leave the artwork outside for someone else to discover.

Adult help: None.

Tiny nature village built with sticks, bark, stones, and leaves
BuildImagine

Build a Tiny Village

Build tiny houses, paths, and gardens, then invent names for your village.

You need

  • Sticks
  • Stones
  • Bark
  • Pinecones
  • Leaves

What to do

  1. Choose a safe place for the village.
  2. Build tiny houses with sticks and pieces of bark.
  3. Add stone pathways.
  4. Use leaves for roofs, rugs, or gardens.
  5. Invent names for the buildings and village.

Adult help: None.

Mud paint studio with soil, water, and outdoor paintings
MakeMessy play

Mud Paint Studio

Mix soil and water to make different shades of paint for pictures and patterns.

You need

  • A small container
  • Soil
  • Water
  • A stick or old paintbrush
  • Cardboard, rocks, or pavement

What to do

  1. Put a little soil in the container.
  2. Add water a few drops at a time.
  3. Stir until it looks like paint.
  4. Paint pictures or patterns with a stick or old brush.
  5. Try different soil to create different shades.

Adult help: Help choose where mud painting is allowed.

Nature weaving made with sticks, string, grass, and leaves
WeaveNature

Nature Weaving

Make a little frame and weave grass, leaves, and flowers into it.

You need

  • Four sticks
  • String or yarn
  • Grass, leaves, and small flowers

What to do

  1. Place the sticks on the ground to make a square.
  2. Ask an adult to help tie the corners if needed.
  3. Wrap string back and forth across the square.
  4. Weave grass and leaves over and under the string.
  5. Add flowers or feathers that are already on the ground.

Adult help: An adult may need to tie the frame.

Listening map drawn outdoors with sounds marked in different directions
ListenDraw

Listening Map

Draw a map of the sounds you hear around you.

You need

  • Paper
  • Pencil
  • Something firm to write on

What to do

  1. Sit quietly in one outdoor spot.
  2. Draw a small circle in the middle of the paper to represent yourself.
  3. Listen for sounds.
  4. Draw or write each sound in the direction you heard it.
  5. Use different symbols for birds, wind, people, insects, and vehicles.

Adult help: None.

Nature museum display of small objects arranged on a tray
SortShare

Make a Nature Museum

Collect a few fallen treasures, sort them, and give someone a museum tour.

You need

  • A towel, tray, or piece of cardboard
  • Interesting natural objects

What to do

  1. Collect a few fallen natural objects.
  2. Place them on your display surface.
  3. Sort them by colour, shape, texture, or size.
  4. Make a small label for each collection.
  5. Give someone a tour of your museum.
  6. Return everything to where it was found.

Adult help: None.

Shadow tracing of a small outdoor object on paper
ObserveDraw

Shadow Tracing

Trace a shadow, turn it into a picture, and see how it changes later.

You need

  • Paper
  • Pencil or chalk
  • Small outdoor objects

What to do

  1. Place an object where the sun makes a clear shadow.
  2. Put paper beside or underneath it.
  3. Trace around the shadow.
  4. Turn the tracing into a new picture.
  5. Try tracing the same object later to see how its shadow changed.

Adult help: None.

Stick maze with paths and a small stone
BuildPlay

Stick Maze

Build paths and dead ends, then guide a small object through your maze.

You need

  • Fallen sticks
  • A small stone, pinecone, or toy figure

What to do

  1. Find a flat area.
  2. Arrange sticks to create paths and dead ends.
  3. Place the stone or figure at the maze entrance.
  4. Try moving it through the maze.
  5. Rearrange the sticks to make it more challenging.

Adult help: None.

Mini nature boat made from bark, a leaf, and a small stick
TestFloat

Mini Nature Boats

Build a tiny boat, test it in shallow water, and change the design if it tips.

You need

  • A piece of bark or a large leaf
  • A small stick
  • A leaf for the sail
  • Grass or a thin stem for tying

What to do

  1. Choose a flat piece of bark or sturdy leaf for the boat.
  2. Place a small stick upright in the middle.
  3. Carefully push a leaf onto the stick to make a sail.
  4. Test the boat in a shallow puddle or container of water.
  5. Change the design if it tips over or does not float.

Adult help: Supervision is needed around water. Use only a shallow container or puddle.

Ready to head outside?

Choose one activity, gather what you need, and make your own little adventure.

Did you make it? Send a photo to events@lambtonfamilyhub.ca.

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