Top 8 Summer Nature Activities for Kids
Getting kids outdoors and teaching them about our planet is easy with our affordable nature activities for kids.
During the summer months it can be hard to keep kids entertained and you might be running out of ideas.
When looking to get your kids outdoors it’s important to find affordable nature activities that are engaging and fun.
While you may be able to splurge occasionally, it’s cheap and easy activities that will get you through the summer.
8 Easy and Affordable Nature Activities for Kids
Use our list to help keep your kids engaged and busy with these easy nature activities for kids.
Hunting for Bugs
When it comes to affordable nature activities for kids, it doesn’t get more simple than hunting for bugs.
This activity doesn’t require any special materials or tools. If you do want your kids to feel like official bug catchers, you could always purchase nets for around $10.
Show them the places where insects usually can be found. Start with lifting rocks and pot plants to see what creatures are hiding.
You could also get dirty and try digging in the garden for worms and other grubs. There are many exciting places that kids can find creepy-crawlies!
You don’t often meet a child who isn’t fascinated by bugs of any shape and size. With plenty outside to be discovered, this is bound to keep your kids entertained for hours.
Planting a Garden
Creating a garden is one of the great outdoor nature activities for kids that the whole family can do together.
Choose how involved you would like your kids to be but know they will certainly enjoy helping you pick out plants and seeds.
Why not let them help plan where the garden will go and create a child-friendly garden design.
The best parenting advice we can give is to make an edible garden. This is relevant for all living arrangements as you can have container gardens for units and apartments.
By growing your own veggies and herbs you will:
- learn where food comes from
- eat nutritious and healthy food
- save money
- learn about sustainable living
- help the planet
- preserve excess produce
Planting a garden is an affordable nature activity for kids of all ages and it’s also an opportunity to teach your kids about where food comes from.
Tree Climbing
Tree climbing is another free and easy outdoor activity your kids will love. There is nothing better than planning the route to take and then seeing the world from a different view.
This activity can take place in your own backyard, or anywhere with trees big enough to climb. If you don’t have trees in your backyard go to a local park or a friends house and explore there.
Climbing trees is great exercise and also encourages problem-solving skills. Make sure that there is adequate adult supervision.
Try adding a tire swing for you all to enjoy – if your kids let you on it!!
Another top idea is to build a tree house. Involve your kids in the design, picking materials and even the construction. They will lose many hours up in the canopy and you may even be allowed access.
Flower Crafts
Flowers are a beautiful part of nature, and can be enjoyed fresh or preserved forever.
Pressing flowers is one of the easiest nature activities for kids and your children will really enjoy the process.
The first step to flower pressing is to find some flowers to work with. Send your kids to search in your yard or ask friends and neighbours if your kids can pick some of theirs.
Pressing flowers is a relatively simple activity, and you only need parchment paper and a heavy book.
There are many different crafts to create using flowers. Try making a pressed flower place mat for your dining room table.
Obstacle Course
An obstacle course may sound complicated to put together but it doesn’t have to be. You can make it a simple process by using the materials you have on hand. Doing this is another example of affordable nature activities your kids will love.
Kids of all ages have vivid imaginations and they love using them during playtime.
If the only materials you have are sticks, that’s okay! A stick can become a balance beam or an obstacle to jump over. It doesn’t take much to foster a child’s imagination.
You can even give them a challenge and have them create their own obstacle course!
Go For a Hike
Going on a hike combines all of the great things about being outdoors and nature activities for kids.
Going on a hike can involve the whole family – even the dog. Not only are you all getting some exercise and staying active you are out exploring your surroundings.
You can hike in a state park, up a mountain, or even around your own neighborhood.
You will all be smitten by the beauty of our world when you take the time to pay attention to it.
Scavenger Hunt
Scavenger hunts are a win for kids of all ages whether you have a preschooler or a teenager.
There’s something incredibly exciting about solving puzzles to find hidden treasures.
Running scavenger hunts are fun and affordable nature activities for kids and the parents who set them up. It costs very little if you’re able to use items around the house.
To make the scavenger hunt more exciting search for affordable treasures for your kids to find. Remember though that the most fun part for kids is the problem-solving as they work through the puzzles.
Make a Birdfeeder
Watching for birds is an easy nature activity for kids that can be done in your own backyard.
The best way to invite birds into your yard is to make a birdfeeder.
You don’t have to be a carpenter or any kind of expert to build one with your kids. In fact, there’s a way to make a birdfeeder using just one board.
Once you’ve constructed your birdfeeder, you can let your kids get creative and paint it before you place it in your yard.
Once done your kids will get to enjoy bird watching as often as they’d like. You may even be able to help them identify different types and species.
Conclusion
It is important to get the family outdoors and involved in fun nature activities for kids.
We hope you have been able to find ideas for easy and affordable nature activities in our list above.
Gardening with children is a great way to teach kids about the environment. It can also help the family budget and come together both outdoors and indoors as you prepare your harvest. Keeping your kids’ skin for the summer heat, applying sunscreen would be an option.
If kids are interested in horse riding, then check out our article Tips And Tricks For Kids Starting With Horse Riding. And find out our post on summer learning activities for your kids.
My name is Andrea Thompson and I’m a home based freelance writer. I’m 23 years old, married to my best friend, and mother to a wonderfully independent and opinionated 3 year old girl and step-mother to a sweet seven year old boy. I live in a tiny, little town in Kentucky, where I spend my free time fishing with my kids.
Writing has always been my passion, which I followed through high school, and for a while in college. Life happened, and once I discovered we were pregnant, I switched directions; opting for the healthcare industry because of the stability.
Finally, years later, I was in a place where I could leave the day job that never truly made me happy, and pursue my dreams. I’ve built, and am still building, my writing career from scratch. But, I’m passionate and I’m good at what I do. And, in the end, I can prove to my daughter that she can do anything she wants with this life.
