20 Easy At Home Outdoor Activities for Toddlers

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Toddlers don’t need complicated and extravagant acitivites set up for them. Easy at home outdoor activities for toddlers aren’t that hard to come up with, but sometimes you can have a bit of brain fog.

These activities are things that I’ve found work so well at keeping my kids entertained.

I don’t do complicated and I don’t do things that require a lot of prep or supplies.

Children are fully equipped with wonderful imaginations that will help them turn basically anything into a toy that they can then play with.

You won’t find extravagant here, instead, you’ll get practical outdoor toddler activity ideas that you can pull from on those days when you just need a little help from a mom friend.

Simple and Entertaining At Home Outdoor Activities for Toddlers

Some of the activities below require purchasing items but they are things that your child will love and use often. Mostly though, these easy outdoor activities are just things that you already have on hand.

Remember, there are 20 toddler activity ideas listed here which means that you don’t need all of them or even half.

Treat this as a jumping-off point for things that you may not have thought of before and they can all be done in your own backyard.

#1 Water Painting

Here’s a fun fact…I loathe the thought of toddlers and finger paint. It makes me hyperventilate thinking of all the monitoring it’ll require, and I’m not even super worried about having a clean house.

I’ve just cleaned up my fair share of toddler messes after having 3 kids and I don’t love purposely inviting more.

Something that has always worked so well, not just for my toddlers but for all of my kids is water painting. It is seriously one of my kid’s favorite outdoor activities.

Give your toddler a bucket of water, a paintbrush, and let them have at it outside on the house wall or the fence.

Basically, they can paint anything with that water to their heart’s content and it’s the perfect way for them to paint without you worrying about the mess.

This activity has kept my kids happy and occupied for a good long while on many a summer’s day.

#2 Car Washing

Now, I wouldn’t really trust my toddler to wash my car without doing a number on the paintwork, so I don’t expect you would either.

I’m not talking about letting your toddler wash your car but instead set up a car wash station for some toy cars.

Get them all dirty first and then give your child a tub of soapy water and a scrubbing brush. They’ll have so much fun getting them clean!

Pretend play really does give hours of entertainment and this is the perfect activity for warm weather days.

#3 Water Table

When my kids were really little toddlers I just loved having a water table for them. You don’t need anything super fancy, just make sure it’s stable.

You can turn this into all kinds of sensory play, but you can also just keep it simple by filling it up with water.

This is a fun outdoor activity for siblings as all 3 of my kids still love to play together with toys like this.

Here are some other fun ideas and different ways to add even more variety to this.

#4 Sandpit

If you have a dirt pile then by all means let your toddler have at it. My son used to play with his digger in the dirt pile forever when he was about 2.

However, I know that some of you don’t have yards that allow for that, or perhaps you don’t necessarily want your toddler playing in actual mud all day long.

If that’s the case then I suggest investing in a sandpit. It’s a great place for them to have loads of fun and make as much mess as they like.

Getting one with a cover is a must to avoid bugs and cats making use of it more than your toddler.

#5 Treasure Hunt

What child doesn’t love the magical feeling that comes from a treasure hunt? You can easily and quickly set this up for your toddler in the backyard.

Don’t overthink it. Hide things around the yard and have your toddler look for them. You could make each one a treat or save the treat for once they’ve found everything.

#6 Water Mat

Water mats are so much fun! They’re a great sensory activity that is easy to keep in your yard and doesn’t make a bunch of mess.

#7 Water Sprinkler

I don’t know about you but this is what so many of my summer childhood memories are made of. Running through the water sprinkler.

I’ve found that on those afternoons when my toddlers are hot and bothered and nothing pleases them that water is almost always the answer.

In the winter that means an early bath but in summer simply turning on the sprinkler and letting them play with it makes a world of difference to their mood.

#8 Sidewalk Chalk

How much fun is playing with sidewalk chalk? I love being able to let my toddler loose outside with pavement chalk and also playing alongside them.

If your toddler loves creative things then sidewalk chalk really is a great way for them to have lots of fun while expanding their imaginations.

You can get creative and make roads, games, and all kinds of other fun designs to make the most of this outdoor toddler activity.

They’ll get to work on honing their gross and fine motor skills, while also working on shape and color recognition.

#9 Water Transfer Station

This activity sounds a lot fancier than it is because basically all I mean is giving your child multiple containers to transfer water between.

My 2-year old will spend a solid hour just playing in this way and you don’t need anything fancy.

I usually give her a container of water, some measuring cups, some plastic bowls, and and spoon or two.

#10 Play With the Hose

This one is about as simple as they get. Give your toddler the garden hose and let them just play with it.

My son used to spend forever outside watering the grass and playing with the water in whichever way his imagination led him.

Water play is one of the best options during the warm months. Just always make sure you test the temperature of the water before letting your child play with it.

Children have been known to get burnt from hose water if it has been left out in the sun.

#11 Bubbles

I have a love-hate relationship with blowing bubbles for my kids.

They love it so much and it makes them laugh but also…they never want it to stop.

So yeah, maybe invest in a bubble machine?

Regardless, this is a simple and fun outdoor toddler activity that your kid will love.

Bubble solution is super affordable or you could even make your own.

#12 Dig in the Dirt

I referred to this above but I think it’s worth its own heading. Let your kid dig in the dirt. It is one of the best outdoor activities and your kid will have such a great time!

Trust me, it’s good for them in so many ways.

I see all of these beautiful sensory play activity ideas online and when people ask me what I do I sometimes feel inadequate as a parent when I say I don’t do anything.

I don’t because there’s no need to. My toddlers get PLENTY of sensory play when they’re outside.

There are so many different textures to be found in your very own backyard. Nature really has done all the work for us.

I understand that there are climates where that’s not possible, but if you can send your toddler outside and let them play in the dirt…you are doing something that is good for them.

#13 A Picnic

toddler girl playing with tea set outside

You can totally have lunch outside for a picnic. I love to do this in the warmer months with my kids because the weather is great and it keeps a lot of the food mess outdoors which means less clean up. Yay!

However, another fun idea is to give your toddler a play tea set and let them set up a picnic outdoors. They could even use things around the garden as pretend food.

It is such a fun way to add a little something different to their day.

#14 A Mud Kitchen

We don’t have a mud kitchen (although my kids play with mud plenty) but I think it’s such a cool concept!

Your toddler can make mud pies to their heart’s content. Just be prepared to have to hose them down afterwards.

You could make your own or there are lots of great options online now too.

This is something that your toddler will have so much fun with!

#15 A Scavenger Hunt

There are lots of simple ways to set up a scavenger hunt for your toddler. You could print off pictures of commonly found things outdoors like leaves, flowers, etc, and do a nature scavenger hunt.

You could also make your own list of things and hide items in the garden. Kids just love taking part in a big hunt and it doesn’t have to be super complicated.

Another great option is to do a scavenger hunt for common outdoor things while going on a walk with your toddler at a local park.

#16 Playing on a Bike or Scooter

Bikes and scooters are things that are very well used in our home. We start our toddlers out with a 3-wheel bike like this one and then upgrade to a balance bike once they turn 3.

Scooters are also a ton of fun and more recently I saw these crazy fun looking things.

If you have pavement chalk then you could create a little town with roads for them to drive through.

#17 Playing in a Paddle Pool

So here’s the thing…pools and water and toddlers all combined just freak me out. I am on hyper alert which is for the best, but it’s exhausting.

In saying that, paddle pools are so incredibly helpful for entertaining your toddler, especially when the temperatures are high. It is just one of those fun activities that you need to be closely monitoring.

They’re super affordable and easy to put together.

You could even add some extra fun by adding pom poms to it.

#18 Playing on a Water Slide

Once Christmas my mother-in-law bought my kids a water slide and they absolutely loved it. It provided hours of fun and entertainment in our backyard.

There are so many cute ones for toddlers that are sure to be a great activity for your child and older kids will love it too.

#19 Mini Trampoline

I grew up using a trampoline a lot as a kid and now so are my kids. However, for toddlers, I think that a mini trampoline is probably a safer and more practical option.

They’re great because you can use them outdoors during the warm month and then bring it inside once the weather cools off.

#20 Free Play

All of the simple outdoor activities I listed above really do come second to this.

In a time when kids of all ages days are hyper-scheduled and they’re filled with anxiety because of how overloaded they are with planned activities, I think it is so prudent to just leave your toddler to play.

They don’t need a million toys or a bunch of planned activities.

Less IS more and it really is so good for your toddler to just be able to use their imagination.

My toddlers all have had screen time and some entertainment from me, but we also have a very heavy emphasis on free play in our home.

I find it so sad that letting my kids just play in the backyard means they’re now labelled as free range kids.

Playing outdoors with our imaginations used to be the norm.

It is wholesome, simple, and so good for them.

Plus, it gives you a break as a mom from the mental load of having to plan and think of everything.

Outdoor fun happens because nature really is the best playground for our kids.

Final Thoughts

It is not your job as a parent to entertain your kids, however there are times when entertaining them keeps you sane.

For that reason, this list of outdoor activities is very helpful, especially if you’re feeling particularly worn out or tired.

However, you should always remember that they don’t need all that and in fact, it has been shown that children actually love just having you near and don’t necessarily need you to be involved in their play at all.

They are fully equipped with everything they need already.

20 Easy At Home Outdoor Activities for Toddlers