by TMOM TEAM MEMBER ANNA KELLER

Spring is here in full force, and our family has been spending so much time outside as a result. If you’re like me, it can help to have some ideas for fun outdoor activities as a way to keep things fresh on that front. Yes, playground time, unstructured time in the yard and family walks are a blast, but sometimes it’s fun to mix things up a bit!

With that in mind, I’ve put together a list of some things families can do together to enjoy the spring weather – and to keep moving (which we know helps everyone feel their best)!

For Families with Younger Kids:

• Have a dance party in the backyard! Bring music (you can just use your phone or computer for it, or set up a speaker if you have one on hand) and see where it takes you.
• Introduce playground games from your childhood. Think hopscotch, red light/green light, kick the can and four square. 
• Have fun with water! On especially warm days, set up a sprinkler. The whole family can have fun jumping through it to keep moving without breaking a sweat. Step it up a notch if you have a tarp to make a slip n’ slide, too!
• Plant and tend to a garden. This is something that will need ongoing maintenance, so the family can work on it together every few days. Pulling weeds is an especially great way to get some movement in while also keeping your garden healthy! 
• Fly a kite. Take your kite to an open area (the field in front of Reynolda House works great for this) on a breezy day and watch it soar.
• Go on a scavenger hunt. Whether this is at home or a park, put together a list of things for your kiddo to look for, and then have a blast finding them together.
• Hang up a homemade bird feeder. You can go old school and use the pinecone + peanut butter + birdseed approach and then find the perfect branch to tie it to. You’ll all enjoy watching birds come to dine afterward.

For Families with Older Kids:

• Have a water balloon fight. Stay cool on especially warm days and keep everyone on their toes as you try to escape each other’s throws!
• Set up a corn hole tournament. Use boards if you have them, or borrow a friend’s or neighbor’s for a weekend if you don’t! 
• Enjoy a family bike ride. This can happen in your neighborhood, or maybe you drive or (safely) bike to another area with a little more space or for a change of scenery. Use our directory to find bike trails all over the Triad. Don’t forget the helmets!
• Play a round of disc golf. Read our blog post about disc golf.
• Pull out the jump ropes and hula hoops. Get some contests going.
• Pitch a tent in your yard. Have an outdoor sleepover!

For Families with Kids of Any Age:

• Kick a soccer ball around. You can step it up a notch by setting up equipment (either actual soccer equipment or getting creative with other elements you have on hand) to practice drills in a fun way. For example, put down some shoes in a row, spaced apart a bit, and dribble around them, weaving in and out.
• Go on a hike. While a walk around the neighborhood is great, it can also get old. Get out into nature a bit more and enjoy the experience together! Use our directory to find trails and parks all over the Triad.
• Create an obstacle course around your yard. You can adjust the level of difficulty based on your kids’ ages, but have fun with creatively using objects or just elements from nature to build a course everyone will love.

Set up a lemonade stand. We have one each year with my daughter, and she loves interacting with neighbors and then using her profits as a donation to a local non-profit of her choice.