Spring has sprung, and we’re ready to play! We compiled 10 activities to get the whole family involved in active and imaginative play this spring. From painting with petals to at-home racetracks, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Keep reading for 10 easy, hands-on activities for toddlers to keep the family entertained and outdoors this season.
1. Backyard Scavenger Hunt for Kids
Sunshine and fresh air are as important as ever, so we created an outdoor scavenger hunt printable for adventures in the sun. Hop on your trike or pile in your wagon to bring the printable on your family walk or complete it in your own backyard as you search for items in nature, like seeds, acorns, and colored leaves! For added activities, use the printable as a coloring sheet or make a craft out of the items collected.
2. Petal Painting
Flowers aren’t only beautiful to look at, but they make for an awesome crafting material, too! Start by taking a wagon ride through nature to collect fallen petals (or, pick the petals from a bouquet indoors that is rounding out the end of its life). Little ones should pick petals from the flowers and soak them in a small bowl full of water. From there, they can experiment by pressing the petals directly to the paper for bright colors or use a combination of petal and water, almost like watercolors.
3. Activity Bingo Card for Families
For a fun spin on family activities, we created a printable activity bingo card for families. There are activities for everyone on this fun printable. From active games like an indoor scavenger hunt and dance parties to creative crafts like coloring and making cards for family members, your whole family will enjoy the variety.
4. Puddle Play
Spring showers bring May flowers… and giggles for the whole family! Instead of cozying up inside on a rainy day, take the play outdoors for some movement and creativity. After pulling on your rainboots and raincoats, little ones should see who can make the biggest splash in puddles, who has the best rain dance or even make mud pies. Add a touch of science by listening to the different sounds made by collecting rain in plastic, metal, and glass containers. Or, float a “boat” in puddles using items from nature, like twigs or leaves, or recycled items. What floats and why?
5. Ultimate Outdoor Game Guide
Hopscotch heroes and four-square fanatics, get ready: this is the ultimate booklet for you. We created a guide to 8 of our ultimate favorites for backyard play. Parents, whether these games are a nostalgic nod to your own days on the playground or a set of new favorites to add to your repertoire, one thing is for sure…you and your kids are going to have a blast! Simply download the free booklet and print out the pages or view them on a digital device.
6. Spring Sensory Bottle
When the play is wrapping up in the backyard, bring spring inside with a sensory bottle. Before cooling off indoors, little ones should pick a few dandelions (or any other pretty flower nearby). With an adult’s help, add the flowers, glitter, and any other decorations to an empty plastic bottle. Then fill the bottle up with water and watch the spring scene come to life. For an added touch, decorate the outside of the bottle with blue tape as a sky and green paper as grass. Check out this example from Kid Craft Room!
7. Spring Scavenger Hunt
We’re going on a spring hunt! Whether you read the classic children’s book, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen or participated in your very own neighborhood bear hunt, we created a spring hunt inspired by this classic activity. Host a neighborhood activity by assigning each household an item on the list. They should hang the free printable in their windows for little ones to look for and check off the list during your next wagon ride. Alternatively, use the printable as coloring sheets or host a bear hunt throughout your house by placing items in different rooms.
8. Cloud Gazing
Instead of rushing to get home after an outdoor picnic, lay back and relax on your blanket. Little ones should let their imagination run wild as they make up stories about the cloud shapes they see. Bring along paper and markers for little ones to draw what they see in the sky, so it stays with them forever, even after the wind blows away the clouds!
9. Gardening Activities for the Whole Family
Digging in the dirt, smelling the springtime air, and picking flowers are not only good for the body but also good for your well-being! Get the whole family involved with these gardening activities for the whole family. Whether you build a bird feeder or plant flowers, little ones can test out their green thumb through these sensory skills and new experiences.
10. Sidewalk Chalk Test Track
Sidewalk chalk is a classic warm-weather activity! Level up this spring by drawing a racetrack on your driveway or sidewalk. Little ones can add as many twists, curves, and loops as they please. When it's done and ready, grab your scooters or balance bikes to test out the tracks! Toddlers and preschoolers in the neighborhood might want to test out your driveway track on their next walk, too!
We hope you have fun outdoors this spring playing with the whole family. If you try out any of these ideas, let us know by tagging #radioflyer on social media. Happy Spring!