Outdoor Fun Archives - Homeschool Preschool

10 Outdoor Family Games That Are Perfect for Fall

September 7, 2017 by Homeschool Preschool Leave a Comment

The temperatures are dropping. After a long, hot summer, we’re enjoying the cooler days. We’ve got out windows open, and we’re enjoying being out in the backyard even more.

These fun outdoor family games are perfect for your next family game night, neighborhood block party, or just an relaxing afternoon with the kids!

Outdoor Family Games

1. Art on the Lawn | Grab an old bed sheet, and spread it out in the backyard. Give each member of the family some paint and paintbrushes, and you can work together to create a one-of-a-kind masterpiece!

2. Make a Leaf Labyrinth | Is your backyard full of fallen leaves? Or, will it be before the season is over? Create a leaf labyrinth. The whole family can pitch in to rake the leaves into the center of the yard. Then, the parents (or older siblings) can create a leaf maze for younger kids to enjoy.

3. Scavenger Hunt | Print out an autumn scavenger hunt page (or several for teams). Split into teams, and see who can find all of the items first.

4. Pebbles and Pinecones | Gather sticks and stones and other nature items on your next nature walk. Use your findings to create a nature mandala as you play Pebbles and Pinecones as a family.

5. DIY Cornhole Boards | Got a handyman amongst you? Get the gang together to build a couple of cornhole boards. Mom and/or dad can build them. Kids can decorate them or fill some pre-sewn beanbags with dry corn. Then, team up and see who wins! Not crafty? You can buy a set, and then have fun!

6. Tic-Tac-Toe | While this example has ladybugs and bumblebees, you could totally paint your pieces to resemble pumpkins, candy corns, or autumn leaves.

7. Twister | With a couple of cans of spray paint and a large open space, you can set up your own Twister game in the backyard.

8. Glow-in-the-Dark Bowling | With some glow sticks and plastic water bottles, you can set up a bowling alley in your own backyard. To make it fall-ish, use a mini pumpkin as your bowling “ball”.

9. Pumpkin Ring Toss | Grab some pumpkins and a few rings (you could use plastic bracelets), see who can “ring” the pumpkins.

10. DIY Backyard Games | Any one of these ten DIY backyard games would be perfect for an autumn family game night!

What’s your favorite outdoor family game?

Fall is just around the corner! Woohoo! You have to check out these amazing fall crafts for preschoolers. Which one will you try first?

Are you looking for a simple fall craft to do with your preschoolers? This Fall Leaf Family is a simple leaf craft you can with with tots and preschoolers.

Check out some really fun fall leaves preschool activities you can incorporate into your upcoming autumn homeschool preschool lessons.

Send Preschoolers on an Easy Treasure Hunt

August 11, 2017 by Sara Dennis 1 Comment

Nothing is worse than bored kids stuck inside on a rainy day. Instead of listening to the kids whine, send them on a treasure hunt!

With these seven tips, your kids will be off (and entertained) in no time!

Easy Treasure Hunt

1. Decide on a Treasure

The first question you need to decide before you begin your treasure hunt is what will be the treasure. The world is your limit! You can use movie tickets, candy, oranges, toys, birthday presents, books, or even a favorite stuffed animal.

My strong recommendation is to find a treasure which is easy to hide.

2. How Many Clues

Determine how many clues you need. Begin with only 3-5 clues the first time you play with your children. Preschoolers are easily frustrated. When your child comes back begging for more, just add more clues the next time!

3. Use Index Cards

Grab a pile of index cards to use as the clues. You can hide the index cards as they are or place them inside an envelope. Both methods work.

If you have two or more children searching, they can solve the clues together or you can color code the index cards.

4. Hide the Treasure

The secret to a successful treasure hunt is to work backwards. Hide the treasure and draw a picture on an index card of where the treasure is. For instance you could hide the treasure in a laundry basket and draw a picture of the laundry basket on your card.

5. Continue to Hide the Clues

Now you find a hiding spot for the index card with the laundry basket and draw that hiding spot on the next index card. As an example, you may have hidden the index card on the piano keys. Now draw a picture of the piano on another index card before hiding this card.

Continue to hide index cards until you’ve completed the appropriate number of clues. Remember to keep the game super easy the first time you play it. Leave your child begging for more!

6. The Final Clue

Give the final clue (or first clue) to your child to begin the treasure hunt. Now watch your preschooler search for the next clue!

7. Enjoy the Treasure

Once the treasure is found, spend a few minutes enjoying it together.

Bonus: Next time try creating 20 or more clues for a more advanced game. Searching for the treasure will keep your kids busy. Remember to save the cards. The next time you choose to play, simply mix up the clues and reuse them to create a new treasure hunt!

Treasure hunts are fun on a rainy afternoon. They also make a marvelous game to play at a birthday party. Kids love searching for treasure in the house or backyard.

Have your kids searched for treasure lately?

If you are needing to spend some good quality time with your kids, here are a few ways you can do that! These six suggestions are not only fun but frugal!

Even if you like routine and structure, you can still be the fun mom! It’s time to loosen the reigns a bit, and spend quality time with your kids.

5 Tips to Enjoy Nature Hikes with Preschoolers

June 12, 2017 by Sara Dennis 1 Comment

Summer is almost here! The weather is warm, the birds are singing, and little fawns are dancing through my yard. It’s the perfect time to enjoy nature hikes with your preschoolers.

Enjoy Nature Hikes with Your Preschoolers

1. Short Hikes

Nothing is worse than trying to drag a preschooler on a 5-mile hike. They energetically dash around the first mile. The second mile is a bit slower. By the time you’re into the third mile, your preschooler is shuffling, whining, and begging for you to carry them. And that’s not even thinking of the misery during the last mile of the hike!

Start slow. Begin with short hikes that are only 1-2 miles in length. Your preschooler will have the energy to dash around the entire hike without shuffling, whining, or begging.

Over the summer you can increase the length of the hikes to 2-4 miles. Keep in mind your little one won’t be little forever. Soon they’ll be dragging you on 5-10 mile hikes and begging for more!

2. Be Patient

Time isn’t the same for kids as it is for us. Along with keeping to shorter hikes, plan an entire morning or afternoon for your hike.

Your child will want to throw rocks in the pond, splash in the puddles, and pick the flowers. You’ll spend time watching the grass grow, the birds swim, and trying to catch a frog in the river.

The goal of a nature hike isn’t to hike and check it off your to-do list. It’s to introduce your preschooler to nature. Watch the clouds, chat about the rabbits, and examine the leaves.

Leave your timetable at home.

3. Repeat Hikes

Nature hikes are best repeated again and again and again. Last year my kids and I walked around a local lake almost every week. During the late winter, we saw ducks arrive, bushes budding leaves and felt the chilly air.

As spring progressed we watched ducks pair off, examined new leaves, and enjoyed the warmer air.

Later as we meandered our way around the lake, we saw flowers on the berry bushes and turtles sunning on a log. The ducks had disappeared.

By summertime, the kids were munching on blackberries while watching baby ducks swimming in the lake.

Repeating the same hikes throughout the year gives children an appreciation for the changing season. They see the bushes change, the birds grow, and the flowers bloom.

So don’t worry if there are only one or two hikes short enough to enjoy with your kids. Kids enjoy seeing the changes as the seasons pass.

4. One Plant per Month

As you enjoy your nature hikes, pick one native plant to learn each month. A plant a month gives you time to learn about it and search for it on your hikes.

Have fun studying the native plant. Memorize the various names, draw it, and pick a sample to dry. Your kids will love recognizing the local flora as they hike around the county.

And even at the slow rate of one plant a month, you’ll gradually build a large knowledge base of the native plants of your area.

5. Once a Week

Nature hikes are best enjoyed every week. Plan on heading out as a family on a nature hike Saturday mornings or Sunday afternoon.

Regular hiking will build endurance so the family can enjoy longer hikes in the years to come. You’ll make beautiful memories of hiking around your county and build strong family bonds.

A weekly hike is perfect for a young family.

The entire family will enjoy nature hikes if you remember to start small. Head out every week and watch the changing seasons as a family.

Do you enjoy regular nature hikes as a family?

Frog Jumping Day on May 13th is the perfect time to have a bit of fun while teaching your preschoolers about frogs.

The learning doesn't have to stop during summer break, but it doesn't have to be formal either. Discover more than 50 fun summer learning activities for young kids.

5 Ways to Teach Preschoolers with Hopscotch

June 23, 2016 by Sara Dennis 2 Comments

Hopscotch is a fun childhood game. You draw a large hopscotch on the sidewalk, put a number in each square, toss a rock, and jump away. Hopscotch is also a great way to teach preschoolers.

Hopscotch is a fun childhood game. You draw a large hopscotch on the sidewalk, put a number in each square, toss a rock, and jump away. Hopscotch is also a great way to teach preschoolers.

Teaching Preschoolers with Hopscotch

Hopscotch is traditionally played outside. You grab a piece of chalk and draw the hopscotch on the sidewalk. If you have a cement basement or indoor garage chalk also works. You’ll simply need to mop it up when you’re finished playing.

You can also use masking tape to create an indoor hopscotch for your kids. Use masking tape to put number or letters inside the squares. You can also fill in the square with masking tape and use a marker to write inside the squares.

1. Numbers

Numbers from 1-10 are traditionally written in each square. Do the same initially with your child, but have your kid yell out the number the rock lands on. It won’t be long before your child knows their digits from 1-10. There’s no reason to stop with 1-10. Once those digits are mastered, write the digits from 11-20 in the squares. Encourage your kid to yell the numbers as loud as possible. I don’t know about your children, but mine love to yell.

2. Addition and Subtraction

As your child becomes adept at counting, begin putting simple addition and subtraction in each square. You or your child tosses the rock onto the hopscotch. Before you begin hopping, have your child answer the problem. Hopscotch is a fun way to drill addition and subtraction facts with preschoolers.

3. Alphabet

At other times fill your hopscotch in with letters instead of numbers. You won’t be able to fit all the letters into a simple hopscotch board, but you can fit 10 letters. Slowly work through the alphabet over several weeks as your child sings out the letters as they hop.

4. Simple Words

As the alphabet is learned, begin to fill in the various squares with simple words your child can read or sight words they’re learning. Tossing a rock, yelling the word, and hopping to success is a fun way for preschoolers to learn to read.

5. Names

Don’t leave the hopscotch at just numbers, letters, and simple words. Introduce names of family and friends as you play. Kids love being able to read and write their names, names of siblings and friends, and the words Mommy and Daddy.

With a bit of ingenuity you can have a blast teaching your preschooler their numbers and to read using the simple game of hopscotch.

Do you play hopscotch with your preschoolers?

If you enjoyed this post, check these out:

10 Outdoor Family Games That Are Perfect for Fall

Outdoor Family Games

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Send Preschoolers on an Easy Treasure Hunt

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