Summer is here, and this year it's looking more home-bound than ever. If you have a toddler — or even big kids — at home and are desperately searching for things to do with them outdoors from the safety of your own home, we've got you covered.
Zahra Kassam, CEO and founder of Monti Kids, a Montessori-based subscription box for babies and toddlers, shared 11 awesome ideas to keep little ones entertained at home with activities that follow the Montessori method, which is based around the foundation of kids “learning how to learn” through hands-on activities that help with their cognitive, physical, linguistic, social, and emotional development.
Outdoor Color Matching Scavenger Hunt
Chalk is an outdoor summer staple. Grab different colors of chalk and have your little one draw circles on the ground about one foot apart. This is great for building their fine motor skills. Once you are finished with the circles, take your little one on an adventure around the yard or neighborhood and look for objects outside that match those colors and put them in their corresponding chalk circle.
“Paint” With Water
A fun painting activity without the mess. Grab a paintbrush and a bucket of water and have your child “paint” the cement or a wooden fence (if you have one). You’ll be amazed at how long they’ll be busy!
Nature Soup
This is a great sensory activity for your little one. You only need some items from the outdoors, your kitchen, and water. Collect items from your yard or neighborhood — sticks, flowers, pinecones, or grass are great. Set up a big bowl or basin and a ladle or spoon from the kitchen. Dump your nature finds in the bowl and let your child pour the water in too. Once they’ve made their nature soup, allow them to serve it and have some fun. They can use the ladle, cups, and bowls to practice scooping and pouring into the different containers. Pro tip: have a towel on standby in case they get wet on their “cooking” adventure.
Open a Car Wash
Set up a bucket or hose with sponges and a gentle dish soap and let your little one scrub their bicycles, ride-on toys, or even your car tires. This is especially great for hot days!
Rock Scavenger Hunt With Color Matching
Go on a scavenger hunt for different rocks outside. Then come back and paint the rocks in sets of matching but different colors. Once they’re dry, you can use the rocks for a color-matching game — either to each other or other things in their environment.
Mud Kitchen
While a mud kitchen might get a little messy, this activity is great for their sensory skills. You can have this setup as a permanent fixture outside or you can make it as needed. Your little one can build, create, and manipulate just as they would with Play-Doh or their nature soup from above. Make sure to have a hand-washing station nearby for when they’re finished.
Stick Maze
A stick maze is a fun activity that will test their problem-solving skills. Have your child draw a basic maze on a piece of paper so you know what you’ll be building. Collect branches that you have around the yard or neighborhood. These will be the building blocks of your maze. You can either have your child make the maze they drew using the sticks or you can build it together. Then, take turns trying to make it through their maze.
Nature Stamps
This is a classic activity using fruits, vegetables, and other items you’ve found in nature. You can use the end of a celery bunch or an apple cut in half already supplied for your child and have them look for other items in nature. Grab some washable paint and have your child dip the different items in paint to see what prints they make on a piece of paper. Your child will love making a mural out of all of the different nature stamps.
Build a Fort Out of Found Objects
While most of our children build forts out of pillows, blankets, and chairs during the winter months, it’s now time to use their creative building skills outside. Have them collect different items such as sticks, leaves, straw, and use their creative-thinking skills to build a fort in your backyard. If what they have on hand is too small for them, perhaps a fort for a favorite stuffed animal or a toy would work too!
Animal Footprints
With small animal replica toys and figurines you can make different footprints in either rolled-out clay, mud outside, or dipped in paint and “walked” along the sidewalk. Notice the similarities and differences in the prints.
Let Your New Walker Take a Stroll
As your little one learns to walk, they will want to explore their curiosity while taking advantage of their newfound skill. Allow them to take a pull toy on a walk around the backyard or your neighborhood. A pull toy helps build strength, balance, and coordination.
