The importance of outdoor learning activities
Learning outdoors has physical, social-emotional, and cognitive benefits for preschoolers.
Physical benefits
- Children who spend time learning outdoors spend less time interacting with screens, which can lower their risk of nearsightedness and obesity.
- Being outside encourages more physical play such as climbing, running, and jumping which strengthens children’s hearts, lungs, and muscles.
- Safe exposure to sunlight helps children produce vitamin D, which helps them absorb calcium to promote healthy bone growth.
Social-emotional benefits
- Playing outside helps children learn to interact with one another through things like sharing play equipment and taking turns, and helps them form healthy relationships.
- Exploring outdoors can improve children’s sleep and moods.
- Learning to care for plants, animals, and insects in nature fosters a sense of responsibility and independence.
Cognitive benefits
- Spending time outdoors gives children opportunities to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom. Children are able to connect concepts to practical, hands-on experiences and understand their place in the world.
- Outdoor play encourages children to use their imaginations and develop problem-solving skills as they discover properties of natural materials.
How to incorporate outdoor learning activities for preschoolers
Get out in nature regularly
You don’t have to take your children to a special location to experience nature. Children can experience the benefits of the great outdoors by playing in a school playground, taking a walk around the neighborhood, or visiting a local park. Even something as simple as bringing Storytime outside can be an opportunity to expose your children to the natural environment around them.
Use your children’s interests as a guide
Incorporating outdoor activities that reflect your children’s interest will get them excited about outdoor play. Most classroom activities can be adapted to an outdoor setting. For example, if your children love arts and crafts, there are plenty of ways to use natural materials like twigs and leaves in art projects.
Encourage safe exploration
It’s important for children to have access to safe and age appropriate outdoor playground equipment. Remind your children of ways to play safely, like using play equipment in the intended way (e.g. going feet first down a slide) and how to be respectful towards nature. Have children wash their hands before and after outdoor activities. Check your local forecast before going outside, so children can dress appropriately.
Engaging ideas for preschool outdoor activities
Engaging and interactive outdoor activities are crucial for children’s development, as they encourage exploration, creativity, and physical exercise. Whether it’s a nature scavenger hunt, sensory play, art projects, or water fun, this next section offers a variety of exciting outdoor activities that will captivate the imagination and keep preschoolers entertained.
5 Educational Outside activities for Preschoolers
1. Nature color hunt
This activity provides a great nature-filled sensory experience as the children learn to identify colors in nature.
Instructions: Give the children a list of colors to find as they walk in nature. They can identify the color of the nature item and draw a picture under the corresponding color.
For an added sensory lesson activity, have the children collect a few items and have a discussion during circle time about the color, texture, smell, and sound of the nature item.
Learning objective: Children will learn to match and identify colors in nature as well as use sensory-related vocabulary.
2. Nature memory game
This next activity, a large-scale memory game, is inspired by Growing Book by Book. The children will have fun playing a familiar memory game with a physical and outdoor twist.
Instructions: Print large matching nature images (with the corresponding name of the nature item) and glue them to paper plates. Place the plates on the ground outdoors face down and have children take turns turning over two plates to see if they match. As they are turning over the plates, the children can say the names of the items. If the child does not select two matching items, the plates are placed face down and the next child takes a turn. If the child turns over two plates that match, they earn a point.
Learning objective: Children will practice memory and concentration skills while learning nature-related vocabulary.
3. The letter and number race
This letter and number recognition game was inspired by Inspirational Laboratories. Children will have fun sorting numbers from letters while staying physically active and enjoying the sensory experience of dipping their hands in a bucket of water, sand, or water beads.
Instructions: Children race between water-filled buckets to sort letters from numbers (or try using sand or water beads in cooler weather). Add plastic or foam letters and numbers, or print letters and numbers on card stock, cut to size, and laminate.
Learning objective: Children will practice letter and number recognition while practicing sorting, an early math concept.
4. Sight word soccer
Sight word soccer combines literacy and physical skills. This outdoor learning activity allows older children to practice their sight words while running and kicking. For younger children, turn it into a fun letter recognition game.
Instructions: Write sight words on an index card and tape them to small cones. Call out a word and have the children take turns kicking the ball to the corresponding cone.
Learning objective: Children will learn their sight words while practicing their eye-foot coordination.
5. Nature patterns
The variety found in nature offers great opportunities for sorting, making patterns, and creating designs, supporting early math concepts and artistic expression.
Instructions: During a nature walk, have the children look for leaves, rocks, and twigs on the ground. Collect them, sort them by color or size, and create a pattern design on the side of the walking path. Leave the design on the ground for folks passing by to enjoy.
Learning objective: Children will learn how to create and recognize various patterns while practicing their fine motor skills.
Get outside
When great weather days abound, preschoolers have the chance to fill their days with outdoor play. Being outside helps children with their emotional development while also encouraging their curiosity.
Outdoor activities are a pivotal part of a child’s early education, helping them develop cognitive skills, gross and fine motor skills, language skills, and a special appreciation for nature.