44 Preschool Outdoor Learning Ideas
You’ve planned your learning activities for the classroom or home, but it’s just too nice outside to be indoors. What to do? Take learning outdoors! I’ve put together 44 preschool learning activities that are perfect for the outdoors.
Science with nature.
And more.
Lose the 4 walls and the ceiling and get outdoors with this fun collection!
44 Preschool Outdoor Learning Ideas
- Paint with Bubbles: Whip up a batch of vibrant bubble paint and make prints.
- Outdoor Canvas Painting: Collect flower petals and add them to a watercolor canvas art activity.
- Water Spray Alphabet Hunt: Work on letter recognition or letter sounds with water and a spray bottle! (Mom Inspired Life)
- ABC Excavation Sensory Bin: Fill ice trays with ABC beads and freeze for a fun letter exploration activity. (Parenting Chaos)
- Garden ABC Hunt: Get outside and enjoy some fresh air while practicing letter recognition. (Fantastic Fun and Learning)
- Alphabet Ice Boats: Match the letters on the boats as the ice starts to melt. (School time Snippets)
- Alphabet Game with Water Balloons: Pop the balloons and match the letters to the objects. (Teaching Mama)
- Color Hunt: Print out the free color scavenger hunt page and look for those colors in nature. (Buggy and Buddy)
- Fizzy Fine Motor ABC’s: Here’s a fun way to cool down while working on letter recognition. (Parenting Chaos)
- Architecture Letter Scavenger Hunt: Go on a hunt to see how different buildings and items look like letters. (KC Edventures)
- Name Writing Nature Hunt: Spell your name using materials that are found on a nature hunt. (Adventure in a Box)
- Parachute Man Alphabet Activity: Drop the parachute man and identify the letter he landed on. (Play Teach Repeat)
- Little Bo Peep Name Hunt Game: A fun way to work on learning the letters in your name! (Messy Little Monster)
- Garden Frame Ten Frame: Use common weeds and a few sticks to work on counting to 10. (Rainy Day Mum)
- Measuring Mother Nature: Take a ruler on your walk and measure the natural objects you find along the way. (Mother Natured)
- Water Race to Learn Letters and Numbers: Toddlers and preschoolers can race to learn letters, work on letter sounds, and practice counting and number recognition. (Inspiration Laboratories)
- A Rock-In’ Scavenger Hunt: Spell out simple words while finding rocks with letters written on them. (How Wee Learn)
- Take a Listening Walk Outdoors: Document what you hear while taking a nature walk. (Fantastic Fun and Learning)
- Sorting Seashells: Collect seashells and sort by shape and color. (Playground Parkbench)
- Playdough Nature Walk: Make imprints with leaves, acorns, rocks, tree stumps – whatever you find along the way! (How Wee Learn)
- Learn about Biodegradable Materials: Go on a walk and notice the different stages of decomposition. (Mother Natured)
- Rock Balancing STEAM Activity: Combine the science of gravity, basic engineering, and art while enjoying nature. (Rhythms of Play)
- Heat Wave Science Magic: Harness the power of the sun and make your own crayons. (Mama Smiles)
- Explore Color and Temperature: Find out if color affects the temperature of an object. (Inspiration Laboratories)
- Bubble Play: Make your own bubbles and try some fun activities that little kids love. (Red Ted Art)
- Floating Flowers: Collect flowers from the garden and add to a tub of water. (Twitchetts)
- Learn with Leaves: 7 math activities that you can do outside! (Crafts on Sea)
- Exploring Senses in Nature: Make an easy DIY mystery bag and fill with natural materials for a fun tactile sense activity. (Natural Beach Living)
- Play with Helicopter Seeds: These are fun to use for large motor activities, nature hunts, fine motor, counting, and in crafts! (Lalymom)
- Outdoor Play Ideas Jar: Use the free printable for activity ideas, place in a jar, and let the kids pick a fun outdoor idea. (Kitchen Counter Chronicles)
- Cutting Lavender: If you have lavender in your yard, invite your child to snip it for some fine motor fun. (Teach Me Mommy)
- DIY Dice Game: Work on gross motor development while completing the task that the dice lands on. (Days with Grey)
- Hammering Ice: Fill ice cube trays with water and small plastic bugs, freeze, and take outdoors to hammer! (Beauty Through Imperfection)
- Sink or Float Science: Fill a tub with water, collect items, and see if they sink or float. Use the free printable to document results. (Buggy and Buddy)
- Blow Bubbles with Household Objects: Discover which household objects work best to blow bubbles. (Playground Parkbench)
- Spread Shaving Cream on Blocks: Help your children develop spreading skills with this fun activity. (Happy Hooligans)
- Nature Number Art: Collect items on a walk, roll the dice, and create something with that many of the pieces. (Mosswood Creations)
- Sand Cast Starfish: Next time you go to the beach, make this fun keepsake! (Crafts by Amanda)
- Shadow Art: Add some hands-on STEAM to your outdoor time with this fun art and science activity. (Rhythms of Play)
- Stone Faces Craft: Collect rocks on a nature walk and use the free printable to create funny stone faces. (Messy Little Monster)
- Jackson Pollock Art: Drip paint on a large sheet outdoors! (Learning and Exploring through Play)
- Nature Paintbrushes: Collect pieces of nature while on a walk and then use them to paint with. (Messy Little Monster)
Find hundreds more activities on my outdoor activities pin board!
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About Sheryl Cooper
Sheryl Cooper is the founder of Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds, a website full of activities for toddlers and preschoolers. She has been teaching this age group for over 25 years and loves to share her passion with teachers, parents, grandparents, and anyone with young children in their lives.
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Comments
- Kinderena May 31, 2017 at 11:45 pm
The activities mentioned here are so creative and interesting that adults would also find it luring to play with them. It will help in building a special bond between the parents and kids and thus ultimately leads to the better upbringing practices.
