“Get outside and connect” is a challenge to go outside every day, no matter the weather. This guide explains the movement and includes a list of fun outside activities for kids and families to get you started!
Get outside in nature daily to connect with the things that matter most: your kids and family, friends and community, the natural world, and yourself. Even more importantly, get outside to connect with all that is. It’s easy for anyone to go outside and practice their form of worship, regardless of spiritual preference.
The only thing that matters is being outdoors to connect with something greater than ourselves, no matter what you call it. You might also enjoy these outdoor activity ideas. It includes a more detailed explanation of educational outdoor activities for children and adults of all ages!
What is Get Outside and Connect?
“Get Outside and Connect” was first published in the Rhythms of Play newsletter in January of 2015 as a series of 52 weekly posts, with emails alerting readers to the latest outdoor activity suggestions. It also offered encouragement and a more detailed explanation of each outdoor activity, beyond the quick list of ideas below, to help readers get outside for at least 15 minutes daily (with the intention of spending much longer).
At completion, this series of outdoor activities created a year of weekly activities for kids and adults. Today, instead of emails linked to blog posts, “Get Outside and Connect” is now a helpful guide with information about this movement to get children in nature. It also includes a giant list of outdoor activities you can use at a glance to find fun ideas for kids and adults. The list of outdoor activity ideas for kids and adults below is regularly updated and republished to stay relevant and current.
Thankfully, the challenge to get outside daily never ends!
In other words, the “Get Outside and Connect” movement is still thriving. Please join us by getting outside daily! Other authors, blogs, brands, and influencers have created calls to action to help more people get outside, to immerse themselves in the natural world, enjoy the great outdoors, and reap the many benefits of time spent in nature. I could list them all, but they are as numerous as ways to play outdoors. The best part is that anyone is welcome; you can start anytime, and everyone is encouraged to join the fun. Get outside and connect today!
Get Outside and Connect:
Our world has become increasingly plugged in over the years. Everywhere I go, I see more and more people lost in their bubbles—smartphones, tablets, e-readers, computers, TVs, cars, homes, offices—and having less and less connection with ourselves, others, nature, and most importantly, Mother Earth, the Universe, Great Spirit or Goddess, God, Allah, The Creator, or all that is.
Even worse is what is happening to our children. Childhood obesity is at an all-time high, and children are spending less and less time outside. At the same time, screen time of all varieties is on the rise. This is not a good thing for our children or the future of our precious planet.
For example, one of the most painful things for me to see is a couple at a restaurant enjoying conversation while their child sits next to them, plugged in and completely disconnected. I see this everywhere, and it hurts me inside. What happened to the importance of the family meal? Research has repeatedly shown that spending time together at mealtimes benefits a child’s psychological health. The same goes for spending time in nature.
If technology is such an advantage to our lifestyles, where did we go wrong? How can we reconnect with what’s most important? The answer for me was simple—get outside, period. I have decided to make this a 52-week, 365-day-per-year lifelong challenge. And I encourage you to do the same. Please join every single one of us who promotes outdoor play because it’s fun and makes life worth living! The plan is to get outside and connect for at least fifteen minutes daily, 365 days per year, regardless of the weather.
Go Outside Daily to Enjoy a Healthy Outdoor Lifestyle:
Going outside daily offers numerous benefits for physical and mental well-being, regardless of age, culture, beliefs, or spiritual practices. Engaging with nature allows children and adults of all ages to disconnect from the stresses of daily life, rejuvenate their minds, and improve their overall mood. Whether someone worships nature, finds solace in a higher power, or appreciates the world’s beauty, spending time outdoors fosters a deeper connection to their beliefs and surroundings. It allows one to reflect, meditate, or pray, enhancing spiritual awareness, mindfulness, and perceived quality of life.
Moreover, regular outdoor activity and time spent in the natural world help children and adults of all ages build self-regulation skills and promote a healthy lifestyle with physical exercise. Daily movement strengthens the body and reduces the risk of chronic illnesses. Best of all, getting outside daily can help increase one’s perceived happiness, joy, and satisfaction in life and lead to a greater sense of connection with oneself, those around you, nature, and your highest capital, “S” Self.
Whether it’s a walk in the park, a hike in the mountains, or simply sitting by a peaceful lake, going outside each day will enrich our lives and nurture our connection with ourselves, others, the world we inhabit, and The Great Spirit, The Goddess, Universal Spirit, or The Universe, God, Allah, The Creator, or whatever or whomever you choose to believe in.
How to Get Children (or Adults) Outside Daily:
I know how hard it can be to get outdoors on some days. Sometimes, the hardest part is gearing up and taking the steps to get out the door. We often distract ourselves with low-priority tasks to appear busy, rather than spending our time on meaningful activities like relaxing with family, completing tasks, or accomplishing goals.
I call this problem getting stuck at “Procrastination Station.” Avoid this common pitfall by creating a daily rhythm with a specific time to go outside. This will make it much more manageable to honor your commitment to getting outside to connect. Sign up for the QuickStart Guide to make it easy.
It can also be easier to get children outside when you tell them you’re only going out for a few minutes, especially when the weather is challenging. So tell them they have to go for at least 15 minutes, but you’d like them to stay longer if they can. I often have a hard time getting my daughter outside on our daily outdoor adventures. But once we get out there, she always ends up staying for hours. For example, our daily walk can last anywhere from an hour to four hours, and we don’t even go that far!
Always Allow Extra Time to Stay and Play:
Plan to get outside for at least 15 minutes at approximately the same time every day. This will help you create the habit of getting outside. But be sure to leave plenty of time afterward. I’ll bet the kids will want to stay much longer once you get out there. I always do! Today, it’s harder for me to go back inside to work or complete another task or chore than it is to get out the door every day.
Once children are out there, let them engage with nature so they are too busy to think about anything else, and I guarantee they will want to stay much longer. My daughter gets so preoccupied that I can often do my own thing outside, including meditate, or get some much-needed work done.
A healthy outdoor lifestyle is a gift you can give your kids and share with your family for the rest of your life. Save children from nature-deficit disorder. You can start at any time of year. Soon, you will realize you have established the habit of getting outside daily. Set a goal to get outside and connect with your family, yourself, and nature today!
Sitting outside under an umbrella, overhang, or porch to avoid pouring rain counts—unless you feel like dancing in the rain and jumping in puddles. Sitting in your house watching the rain out the window does not. Speaking of rain, you might enjoy this list of fun things to do outside in the rain that the whole family will love!
Best Outside Activities for Kids and Adults:
Below is a list of 52 outdoor activities for kids and adults to help you and your family, friends, nature school, group, or community connect all year. There are things to do, things to learn, and places to explore that will get the whole family outside having fun! Bookmark this page, add it to your favorites, or use the form to email it to yourself for easy reference.
Use these fun outdoor activities to help you and your children, students, friends, family, group, or community get outside daily, have fun, and learn through play, no matter your age. You will notice that I am still updating the list below with the original outside activities published as part of the Get Outside and Connect Challenge in 2015.
Today, most outdoor activities listed below have been updated and improved for 2026, while others still need these enhancements. Please bear with me as I continue improving the activities and ideas to make them even better for you. I think you will notice from previous improvements that they are well worth the wait. You may also like these outdoor learning and nature activities for kids. It has several other nature activities you might enjoy.
I hope you enjoy connecting with everything that matters most to you with the outdoor activity suggestions below:
Giant List of 52 Fun Weekly Outdoor Activities for Kids and Adults:
- Make a nature journal and start using it.
- Spy on squirrels and record your adventures.
- Take your camera for a walk to capture flora, fauna, and other aspects of nature.
- Do something kind for nature, Mother Earth, or the planet.
- Play with shadows and enjoy other fun, educational activities, such as painting shadow art with DIY chalk paint.
- Go on a heart-shaped nature scavenger hunt to look for hearts in nature, and take pictures of the ones you find. (Click the link to see a video of natural hearts.)
- Hug a tree or play a tree-hugging game.
- Go for a hike or take a walk in the neighborhood.
- Enjoy fun bird-watching activities.
- Go on a nature scavenger hunt to make a nature sensory bin.
- Find fallen trees and logs to walk across to strengthen motor control and develop the sensory system.
- Fly a kite on a windy day.
- Search for the first signs of spring, or go on a scavenger hunt.
- Plant sunflowers.
- Investigate worms.
- Plant flowers in the springtime.
- Collect and paint rocks.
- Pledge to the Earth outdoors.
- Enjoy an outdoor nature scavenger hunt with a sensory card.
- Go fishing with magnets outside.
- Observe bees.
- Search for the signs of summer, or go on a scavenger hunt.
- Pick fresh flowers to make suncatchers and other flower crafts.
- Go berry picking or wild foraging.
- Enjoy water-wise sprinkler play to cool off on a hot day in the front or backyard.
- Enjoy a picnic at the park, in nature, or in your backyard.
- Explore a shore near or far.
- Build a sandcastle or create a magical drip castle.
- Make mud pies.
- Go bouldering or climb a mountain.
- Visit a splash pad.
- Play in a creek.
- Try rock balancing, but please be aware, stack rocks with care.
- Climb a tree!
- Go for a bike ride.
- Make a nature mandala.
- Search for signs of autumn or go on a fall scavenger hunt.
- Roll down a hill for fun, excitement, and mood-boosting reward.
- Visit an apple orchard to pick apples.
- Go on a nature walk or hunt for natural materials to make nature arts and crafts.
- Find your way out of a corn maze.
- Take a stroll through a pumpkin patch.
- Enjoy outside free play and reap its many benefits.
- Catch and count falling leaves in the autumn.
- Enjoy one of these fun ways to have fun outside with fall leaves.
- Collect acorns to make acorn marble necklaces and ornaments.
- Search for the first signs of winter or go on a winter scavenger hunt.
- Build a campfire; use these instructions and tips for a safe bonfire with kids.
- Collect, press, and preserve fall leaves.
- Enjoy 20 ways to play in the rain.
- Conduct a human sundial shadow science experiment.
- Try rain painting with this fun rainbow rainy day art idea.
Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer Seasonal Activity Lists:
The ideas below include several fun outdoor activities for kids and adults in every season — fall, winter, spring, and summer! Click the links below for more seasonal outside activities for kids and adults.
- Summer activities with a printable bucket list.
- Fall activities with a printable bucket list.
- Winter activities with a printable bucket list.
- Spring activities with a printable bucket list.
Outdoor DIY Play Areas and Spaces for Homes and Schools:
Adding the outdoor play spaces below to your front yard, backyard, or schoolyard makes it easy for kids of all ages to get outside daily to learn through play.
- DIY Giant Outdoor Chalkboard
- How to Start and Grow a Fairy Garden
- Best Sandboxes to Buy or DIY
- Sand and Water Tables to Buy or DIY
- How to Make an Outdoor Mud Kitchen and Art Table
- Grow Sunflowers and Make a Sunflower Fort or House
Seasonal Celebration Ideas:
Another fun way to get outside is to celebrate the quarter and cross-quarter days that fall within the seasons’ rhythms throughout the year. Look at the seasonal celebrations below to learn more about them and fun ways to celebrate.
- Samhain (Hallows)
- Winter Solstice (Yule)
- Imbolc (Candlemas)
- Spring Vernal Equinox (Ostara)
- May Eve or May Day (Beltane)
- Summer Solstice (Litha)
- Lughnasadh (Lammas)
- Fall Autumnal Equinox (Mabon)
Avoid Nature Deficit Disorder: Get Outside Daily with this Fun List of Outdoor Activity Ideas!
Fight nature deficit disorder! Get outside and connect with your family, yourself, and nature today! If you’d like to join us, you can start at any time. Begin your 52 weeks right where you are. Let’s do this, shall we? Ready, let’s go! From my family to yours, we’ll see you outside!
