3 easy ways to keep children entertained outdoors

After spending a morning with an ice pack on a very sore and bleeding nose after my four-year-old jumped up straight into my head, I was reminded that it was beneficial for us all to be outside as much as possible where we were less likely to crash into each other. Here are some of the activities that can be fun to do outdoors in summer:

Paper planes
We’ve been folding a variety of paper planes this summer, and the children have been drawing on eyes and smiley faces, naming their top planes and creating flying competitions. I bought the 100 Paper Planes to Fold and Fly (Usborne, £8.99) before the summer and pulled out sheets to pack and bring on holiday. The book helped get us started, get the kids interested in the colourful designs (see picture above) and learn some cool folding techniques.

Flowers
This summer, escaping London at times have meant we’ve been able to find wild flowers and pick blueberries, and it’s been fun to see the children relish in the great outdoors. Before the holiday, I received a beautiful children’s gardening book to review – Easy Peasy: Gardening for Kids by Kirsten Bradley (Little Gestalten, £12.95). The hardcover book teaches children about the outdoors, growing flowers and creating bird feeders, as well as classic activities like flower pressing. This last one has been a hit for us, and I think it can be fun to do both with leaves and flowers. With pretty and artistic illustrations by Aitch, I also think Easy Peasy could make a gorgeous gift and inspire more families to get creative and find ideas for making it fun to spend time outdoors.

French Skipping Elastics
Another childhood favourite I’ve tried to introduce in the past is French Skipping. It can be great exercise and fun, requiring limited space and can be done with the help of two chairs and a long elastic band (French Skipping elastics are available on Amazon.co.uk from around £4). I’ve been on YouTube to remind myself of some of the rhymes and easiest ways to skip around the elastics, and it’s been brilliant to have a go again after all these years!

Tags: Book, Flowers, French skipping, Little Gestalten, Nature, Outdoor activities, Paper Planes, Review, Usborne