Exploring Nature: 5 Outdoor Learning Activities for Preschoolers

Written by Ilona Bannister

Published on December 6, 2023

This post may contain affiliate links; please see our terms of use for details.

• Outdoor learning is fantastic fun for preschoolers while also being an important part of their mental and physical development. 
• Outdoor activities for kids don’t have to be structured or formal for children to benefit from them. 
• Learning outdoors can be fun for parents and children alike.
• Outdoor learning can reinforce learning your child is doing at home. 

Outdoor learning offers young children many benefits. Learning through playing outside is important for preschoolers’ physical and mental health and motor skill development. It’s also linked to an increased interest in science and better learning outcomes when kids get to school.

Outdoor learning activities don’t have to be structured or formal. Preschoolers are naturally curious and learn from the natural environment organically. 

However, you can encourage kids to spend more time outside with your involvement in tailored activities that are so much fun, they won’t even know they’re learning! 

We’ve put together a guide to the best outdoor learning activities for preschoolers to help you spend some time together outside learning through fun hands-on experiences.   

Activity 1: Outdoor Murals 

Doing art projects outside encourages creativity and imagination and exercises fine motor skills.  It’s also great for working on observation skills and appreciating nature.

Outdoor art also gives your children an opportunity to engage in messy play with easier clean-up and less stress. 

You Will Need: 

• Large poster board, roll of butcher paper, or recycled sides of large cardboard boxes. 
• Non-toxic washable poster paint or squeezy paint. 
• Different-sized and shaped paint brushes and sponges. 
• Bowl of clean water for rinsing. 

No products found.

Directions: 

Set up your large paper on a flat, washable surface, like a patio or deck. Provide your child with paints, brushes and sponges. 

There are several ways you can direct the activity: 

• Let your kids paint whatever comes to mind and freestyle.  
• Paint your child’s hands and feet and have them make a tree or a rainbow out of their hand and footprints. Include yours too. 
• Give your kids a theme, like the solar system or zoo, and challenge them to paint a mural of it. 
• Ask your child to observe the nature scene around them and paint it. 

Let their creation hang to dry outside while they help you rinse off and clean up. 

For extra artistic fun, hang your child’s artwork on a clothesline outside to create an outdoor art gallery to show to friends and family.  

Learning Outcomes: 

Art-based outdoor activities for preschoolers help build: 

• Fine motor skills.
• Creativity. 
• Observation. 
• Color recognition. 
• Sensory awareness. 
• Confidence. 

Activity 2: Nature Scavenger Hunt

It isn’t always easy to get kids up and outside into nature. Add a scavenger hunt to make your next nature walk more interesting and fun.  

This outdoor activity is excellent for improving observation, identification, and problem-solving skills. It also increases your child’s interest in nature and is a great introduction for your preschooler to science.

You Will Need: 

• A list of items to find, appropriate to your environment. 
• Small bags or buckets for collecting items. 
• Small spades or nets to collect things with. 
• Optional pencils and clipboards to check off found items.

Directions: 

Come up with a list of items your child could find in the place you’re visiting. To add numeracy learning, ask them to find a certain number of things—for example, five acorns. Give your child a list and a collection bag. 

For added fun, put the list on a clipboard with a pencil which makes kids feel very important. 

After the hunt, sit down and go through the items and discuss their features, elements, and roles in the environment. 

Learning Outcomes: 

This activity is great for: 

• Observation. 
• Developing an interest in science and nature. 
• Problem-solving. 

Activity 3: Mini Gardeners

Planting seeds and watching them grow over time is one of the most valuable activities you could ever do. Children learn so much from the experience of growing and taking care of plants. 

This outdoor activity helps children learn about the plant life cycle, understand where our food comes from, and practice patience. Children will work on observation and caretaking skills, as well as developing a sense of responsibility. 

Don’t have a backyard or a garden? No problem! This activity can be adapted to planting seeds in pots and growing them in your kitchen or a window box. 

You Will Need: 

• Seeds. 
• Soil. 
• Plant markers. 
• Kid-size gardening tools and gloves.
• Water for plants. 
• Small pots or garden beds. 

No products found.

No products found.

Directions: 

Follow the seed packet instructions for the best location, soil, and time of year to plant. 

Have your child help you dig holes, plant the seeds, mark them, and water them. Every few days ask your child to check on your plants to see if there’s been any change and make sure they’re watered.  

As your plants grow, chart their progress in a gardening journal or on a chart to enhance writing and observation skills. Discuss the life cycle of a plant and ask your child to predict what will happen. 

If you don’t have a lot of time or space to observe your plants or want something that’s faster growing for younger children, try planting seedlings in pots rather than starting with seeds. Plant a bean in a pot in your kitchen. Look for fast-growing giant sunflowers and strawberry plants for quicker results. 

Learning Outcomes: 

Gardening helps kids with: 

• Connecting with nature. 
• Developing interest in science. 
• Learning to follow a process. 
• Developing patience and responsibility. 
• Learning to record observations. 

Activity 4: Backyard Obstacle Course

A homemade obstacle course is a fun way of getting your kids outside and working on those gross motor skills. 

Add some STEM learning by involving your kids in creating the obstacles and building the challenges. 

There are readymade obstacle course kits on the market that are easy to set up. But you can make one easily with a little imagination and some household items. 

No products found.

You Will Need: 

Optional ideas for things you can use to set up your course include: 

• Old pillowcases or yard clipping bags that can be used for sack jumping. 
• A play tunnel to crawl through.  
• A jump rope to do a certain number of jumps.
• Hula hoops to step through. 
• A kiddie pool full of water with floating objects and a net for your child to fish them out. 
• Cones to kick a ball around or to walk through. 
• Non-slip stepping stones to balance on. 
• Outdoor climbing toys that you already have. 

No products found.

No products found.

No products found.

Directions: 

Have your kids help you set up a course in your backyard or an open space in the park. Challenge your kids to come up with as many creative ideas for your course as they can. If they find materials outside they’d like to use, like sticks or rocks, find a safe way to use these. 

Once your course is set up, help your kids get through it. You can encourage them to go fast and time it, but you can also just let them try to complete it. Make sure you take a turn too! 

Learning Outcomes: 

This physical activity will help your kids with: 

• Gross motor skills. 
• Hand-eye coordination.
• Following instructions and a sequence of events. 

Activity 5: Outside Writing Practice 

While establishing the correct pencil grip is important, sitting down at a desk to practice writing is not the only way to work on this fine motor skill. You can reinforce letter and number recognition and support early writing with outdoor activities. 

You Will Need: 

Optional materials you can use to practice writing outside include: 

• Shaving cream. 
• Sidewalk chalk. 
• Natural materials like sticks, rocks, or leaves. 
• Spray bottle filled with water. 
• Flat, hard surface outside. 

Directions: 

Try these different ways of writing your child’s name or practicing their letters: 

• Challenge your child to write their name in shaving cream on the patio, or, alternatively, create a flat surface of shaving cream and let kids trace their name in it. 
• Give your child a letter and ask them to draw a picture of something starting with that letter with sidewalk chalk in your driveway. 
• Get your kids to gather up some sticks, stones, and leaves and work together to spell their name or make the shape of a letter out of those materials. 
• On a dry day, take a spray bottle with water and help your child spray the shapes of letters on the ground. 

There are so many ways to organically encourage your child to practice writing outside, like tracing letters with sticks in the mud.  Look out for those opportunities whenever you’re outdoors.

Learning Outcomes: 

Outdoor writing activities are excellent for: 

• Fine and gross motor skills. 
• Literacy practice. 
• Creativity. 
• Communication. 

Parental Involvement in Outdoor Learning

A recent study¹1. Bento, G., & Dias, G.. The importance of outdoor play for young children’s Healthy Development. Porto Biomedical Journal. 2017;2(5), 157–160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pbj.2017.03.003 published in the Porto Biomedical Journal suggests that outdoor play is linked to better academic achievement and better mental and physical health. 

However, outdoor activities are also an excellent way to bond with your child, create memories, and spend quality time together.

Use Outdoor Play to Reinforce Learning 

Kids love their parents’ and caregivers’ involvement in their activities, and outdoor learning in the fresh air is a fun way to reinforce the learning they’re doing at home. 

For example, if you’re trying to practice letter recognition with your child, getting away from workbooks and pencils for a while to write letters in shaving cream outside can really boost their skills and help them remember the concept in a new way. It’s also a fun boost for everyone’s mood! 

Things for Parents to Remember for Outdoor Learning 

We know that outdoor activities for kids are great for their learning and good for your family relationships too. However, there’s nothing worse than doing something fun outside, only to realize you’re not prepared for the elements or an emergency. 

Here are some things to remember for safe outdoor learning fun: 

References

1. Bento, G., & Dias, G. (2017). The importance of outdoor play for young children’s Healthy Development. Porto Biomedical Journal, 2(5), 157–160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pbj.2017.03.003