10 Best Outdoor Activities for Kids this Easter
Fed up of being stuck indoors? A breath of fresh air and a spot of running about could be just the solution for cabin fever that’s reaching boiling point after such a long time being stuck at home.
If you’re ready to get outside (whatever the weather) then here are our top 10 outdoor activities for kids this Easter...
1. Geocaching
If your kids love a challenge (or if you need to incentivise little legs with a reward to encourage them to walk that bit further), then geocaching may be for you. This free and hugely popular hobby involves using a mobile app to track down mini treasure chests with the rule: if you take something, leave something.
There are literally thousands of these caches all around the country – you may even walk past several each day and not even realise. You get everything from quizzes to solve in order to find the coordinates, to micro-caches which are hard to spot. The kids will love hunting for treasure and feel ‘in on the secret’.
2. Ice Egg Hunt
Fancy an Easter Egg Hunt with a difference? Pop small toys inside balloons then add some coloured water. Pop them in the freezer or, even better, leave them overnight in the garden if it’s set to drop below freezing.
Once frozen, cut away the balloon and hide the ice ‘eggs’ around the garden to find. Once they’re all found, create a nest where the small toys can ‘hatch’ (defrost).
3. Orienteering
A fantastic way to introduce basic map-reading skills to children is to take part in orienteering.
You can find simple trails all over the place and the kids will love learning to use a compass to find their way between different control points. You might just discover a new family hobby.
4. Hit the Slopes
You don’t have to leave Blighty to get on the piste. Dotted around the country are a huge number of dry ski slopes, many of which are starting to reopen from 29th March 2021 onwards following the easing of COVID restrictions. You’ll be able to sign up for lessons for little ones, or many offer tubing and tobogganing on a ‘have-a-go’ basis.
Check out the ski bobs at Snowtrax in Dorset or let the kids have fun in the Alpine Adventure Park on site. At Cardiff Ski and Snowboard Centre they are now offering lessons for the under-6’s called ‘Mini Snow Bears’. Just another couple of dry ski slopes include Ski Rossendale in the North West and Suffolk Ski Centre in Ipswich but you’re sure to find one near you.
5. Hot-food Picnics
We tend to associate picnics with the summer, but the colder weather shouldn’t hold you back.
Pack up a flask of warming soup and wrap hot, freshly-cooked sausages in layers of foil and newspaper, then head out for a picnic.
6. Bike Riding
You may have already cycled A LOT during lockdown #1, #2 and #3, but that doesn’t mean you should miss out on family bike rides this Easter.
Why not grab your bikes and discover somewhere new? We suggest heading onto disused railway tracks that have been converted into trails. These are often surrounded by trees and go through cuttings and are therefore less exposed. They also tend to be on firm ground for young cyclists.
7. Spring Scavenger Hunt
If you have little ones that want to get out and about, but need a focus to keep them out of mischief, then an outdoor scavenger hunt could be the solution.
There are plenty of free, downloadable scavenger hunt cards available online, but we particularly love this printable Spring Scavenger Hunt card from Teaching Mama because the kids aren’t only tasked with just finding items, they are also encouraged to spot smells and sounds.
8. Make Your Own Bird Feeder
Give little-feathered friends a hand and make your own bird feeder. Use cardboard toilet rolls, peanut butter and bird seed to make simple bird-feeders. Follow the instructions here.
String them up in the garden where they can be seen from the window, then get watching! Which British birds can you spot?
9. Stargazing
Before the evenings start to get light again, take advantage of Easter as an opportunity to stargaze with little ones. In the summer months children are usually in bed a long time before the stars come out, so this can be a fascinating opportunity for them.
Choose a clear night and sit out wrapped in blankets and simply watch the night sky. If you want to know a little more about what you’re looking at there are plenty of stargazing apps to choose from, such as Sky Map.
10. Puddle Jumping
No sunshine? No worries! Pull on your wellies, grab some waterproofs, and go and make peace with the rain.
Jumping in puddles is one of the joys of childhood and, by planning for it, everyone will be happy. A good squelch through some mud will also create fun from the bad weather.
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