Outdoor Activity Ideas + Outdoor Time Tracker Printables

One of the best things about this homeschool life is the freedom to take the learning anywhere, including the great outdoors. There are so many fun and educational learning opportunities in every season. Here are some excellent outdoor activity ideas plus some outdoor time tracker printables for your homeschool.

Outdoor Nature Ideas

Don’t leave the science studies indoors with a textbook! Get your kids out into nature with hands-on learning and nature studies. Here are some fun ideas for you to try.

If nature studies sound intriguing, but you’re not sure where to start, then here’s a step-by-step guide to ease yourself into it. Nature studies are fabulous for elementary and middle school aged kids. It’s also a great way to teach multiple ages at the same time without going crazy.

Hands-on learning takes on new meaning when you use a Build a Nest STEM Challenge in your homeschool or encourage your kids to play with dirt! Seriously, let them get dirty as they explore these 25 ways to play with dirt. 

Finally, if you want to take a bulk of your daily learning outside, then check out these forest school activities. You’ll find over 50 lessons, activities, and printables for learning outside with your kids. 

Being Active Outdoors

If you want to start to include more physical activity in your homeschool day, then you’ll be encouraged by this podcast episode about cultivating a Trail Family Lifestyle. You can find hiking and biking paths nearby and add in some physical exercise almost anytime of the year. Don’t forget to download some FREE Outdoor Time Tracker printables to motivate your kids. Make it a family goal to hit 100 hours (or more!) outside in the next few months. You can even have a friendly sibling competition for the most outside hours. Whatever it takes, right?

Physical Education can be challenging for many homeschool families. If you’re looking for some additional outdoor activity ideas, then check out these physical education ideas for homeschoolers.

All of our kids will benefit from plenty of time outdoors but especially the littlest ones! If you’re having motivation issues with getting schoolwork done, it’s likely these will be resolved when you have plenty of breaks to play outside. Here is a list of some great outdoor activities for wiggly kids. 

Do you have a ton of Amazon boxes showing up at your door? Put them to good use and have your kids create their own obstacle course! Bonus: they’ll be busy for hours.

Start small and schedule in some outdoor time this week. Make it a weekly routine. If you’re wondering what to do outside as a family, check out these 24 things to do on a woodland walk.

Time Trackers & Scavenger Hunts

If you want to keep track of your outdoor time, then grab these FREE printable Outdoor Time Tracker Printables.

If you bullet journal, then consider adding a page to keep track of your nature time. You can download an activity tracker printable journal page to help you get started.

Scavenger hunts are another fun way to stay active outdoors. You can print some Fall Scavenger Hunt pages or consider a Montessori-inspired Touch Nature Scavenger Hunt for your younger kids.

Here are additional scavenger hunt printables to check out as you get ready to head outside today!

• Free Printable Scavenger Hunts
• Seed Catalog Scavenger Hunt
• Find & Draw Scavenger Hunt for the Fall
• Rock & Mineral GeoScavenger Hunt
• Fall Senses Scavenger Hunt
• Fall Leaf Scavenger Hunt