Say bye-bye to bedtime struggles when you let these outdoor toddler activities do the heavy lifting
The first clue that you’re getting close to that most coveted of all parenting coups, the Total Toddler Bedtime Knockout, is the uncontrollable laughter. It comes right after sweaty head territory but before hilarity turns into hysteria. And, if you’ve worn out your toddler from sunup to sundown, you can bypass the hysterical stage of the evening altogether and sail smoothly into bedtime. And when it really comes down to it, isn’t an easy bedtime with a tuckered-out tot every parent’s dream?
1. Plan a scavenger hunt. Whether you pull a pre-organized list off the internet or create your own, enjoy watching your toddler expend some serious energy while hunting for one item after another.
Our favorite way to wear them out is simple: Number ten squares of paper and take a close-up photo of the area where it’s hidden. These should be recognizable but make them think—sticking out from under doormats with bright patterns, underneath dog bowls, or in dad’s shoe are all good spots. Then let your kid flip through one image at a time on your photo roll as they collects each of the squares of paper. Once they’re all found, they can be traded for a prize (or not). This works especially well for kids who are non-readers because the photos are easy clues (and what toddler doesn’t know how to work an iPhone)?
2. Play hopscotch. Between drawing the board with chalk on your driveway, numbering the squares, finding the perfect rock and then hopping through a few rounds, this is a solid bet. Try it in the morning when the heat hasn’t set in. They’ll play for longer and burn more energy.
3. Host a bubble dance party. What could be easier than turning on the bubble machine paired with kid-friendly tunes and letting the kids dance, dance, dance the day away. Let them shake their thing or add a freeze dance challenge if they need some extra laughs.
Related: Spotify Playlists for Babies & Toddlers Parents Will Actually Enjoy
4. Make homemade ice cream. I know. Sugar. Kids. Doesn’t seem like the best way to tire them out, right? But with nothing but two Ziploc bags, heavy whipping cream, sugar (or fruit), ice, and rock salt—and the most important ingredient here: elbow grease—you can make it happen. Just place the ice cream ingredients into a smaller bag, then place that bag inside of a larger one that’s filled with ice and a handful of rock salt. Then shake, shake, shake to create their (and your) new favorite treat.
5. Make a mess with shaving cream. Whether you’re inside (stick to the bathroom in this case) or outside, shaving cream is an easy and inexpensive way to have sensory play. Let them paint on their legs, give themselves mustaches or even fill a baby pool with it to squish between their toes. It’s easy to wipe off and wash out in a bathtub.
6. Make bird feeders using peanut butter (or sun butter), pine cones and bird food. Tie a string to the bottom of the pine cone and hang it from a tree that’s easy to see from inside. For older kids, keep a log of every type of bird you see and make a chart of which ones visit most.
7. Play in a mud-kitchen. Even if you don’t have an official mud kitchen, you make make one on the fly. Fill a kiddie swimming pool with a few scoops of dirt, turn on the hose and make mud. Add a couple of construction trucks and you’re on the verge of hours of messy, happy play.
8. Let them build anything they want out of cardboard boxes. To amp up the fun, give them tissue paper, glue and other found objects to decorate.
9. Paint rocks. Turn them into ladybugs, the Earth, hearts, or load them up with abstract designs. Then send your kid(s) out into the yard to find the rocks a perfect home. Or go big by hiding them around the neighborhood. The extra walking should help tucker them out.
10. Play freeze tag. The person who is “it” tries to tag the others. Once you’ve been tagged, you have to stand (frozen in the position you were in when you were tagged) until another “untagged” person can tag you to free you.
11. Fill small, handheld water pistols with diluted non-toxic paint. Let them shoot their pistols at a canvas (or perhaps, a shower curtain) to create awesome abstract art.
12. Have a water balloon fight. Now that it doesn’t take more than a few minutes to get a serious pile of water balloons filled, adding this to your toddler outdoor activities list is easy. Fill ’em up and have fun tossing them at each other or just lobbing them into the yard. Even better? Cleaning up the pieces will tire them out just as much as throwing them did.
13. Freeze small objects (matchbox cars, doll shoes, marbles, keys, etc.) in bowls of ice. Let the bowl sit in a lukewarm bath to loosen the block of ice, then turn it out onto a cookie sheet. Encourage them to be ice archaeologists, chipping away with spoons and forks to reveal what’s frozen inside. This is especially fun to do in the afternoon when it’s too hot to run around but you still need some outdoor activities. A set of gloves will help keep hands from getting too cold.
14. Go on a bike ride. Break out that balance bike and put some miles on it between dinner and bath time. We guarantee an easy bedtime for your little cyclist.
Related: The Best Bath Toys, According to Amazon Parents
15. Wash your car or your dog or their outdoor ride-on toys. Toddlers love a good soap bucket, rag, and hose—not to mention a sense of accomplishment.
16. For the littlest artists, provide cotton balls, a bowl of water, and construction paper for lots of easy and mess-free entertainment. They’ll love dipping the cotton balls into the water, squeezing them out, and making designs. The trick here is to keep them from over-saturating the paper to the point of tearing—which is no fun for anyone.
17. Set up a tent in the back yard, build a “fire pit” and pretend to be on a campout.
18. Create an obstacle course and time them as they complete it. Simple obstacles work best, so look for a tree to race around and back, set up some outdoor pillow cushions to jump over, draw a start and finish line with chalk for tricycle or scooter racing and incorporate climbing and going down a slide in your back yard.
19. Have your little one stay in character when you play a quick game of animal charades. No prep necessary for this easy guessing game. Just pick your favorite animal and go for it. With each successful guess, trade places and start again. Ee-i-ee-i-o!
20. Have a superhero showdown. You might be ducking to avoid Batman’s (imaginary) gadgets and Spidey’s web all afternoon but the nonstop giggle-fest will be worth the effort.
21. Use windows as a creative space. Give your kids brushes and spray bottles, and watch them paint, clear, and paint again. Washing windows was never so much fun. Don’t forget your squeegee.
22. Catch lightning bugs. If you can. Watch them twinkle in a glass jar (remember to poke holes in the lid) filled with grass.
23. Climb, swing, and slide at a local playground. Nothing says “get that energy out” quite like a local playground. Plan to spend an hour at yours before heading home for bath, stories, and lights out.
