Outdoor New Year’s Day Activities for Kids:  Setting an Intention for the Year

A new year is right around the corner and many parents make a resolution to spend more time outside with their kids. Spending time outside together can be fun, easy, and super beneficial for both the kids and the grown-ups! If getting outside more often with your kids is a goal for you this year, start the year off right and spend New Year’s Day outside! Today, Katie Fox, full-time RV-roadschooling mom of two, is here with all kinds of fun and easy outdoor New Year’s Day activities for kids and families. She’ll help you make outdoor time a priority for your family this year by setting your intention on the first day of the year! 

New year, new start

With each new year that comes around, people plan to do things a little bit differently. You can call these changes for the year resolutions, intentions, goals, promises, or even simply plans. The point of them is to focus on something good, try something new, or do better than the year prior. We all want that. Especially, when it comes to raising our kids and doing what we feel is best for them.

Getting our children outside is one of those things that we all know is important. We know the benefits of spending time outside: in short, you get healthier, happier kids. Some families seem to always find the time to make outdoor time happen. But, most of us struggle to balance all the things we need to do each day, and getting our kids outdoors ends up falling to the wayside.  

Don’t worry! If spending more time outside with your family is something you’d like to try doing in the new year, we’re here to help!

Commit to spending New Year’s Day outside with your kids

You can absolutely make it a goal (or whatever form of new years resolution you prefer) to spend more time outside with your kids. In fact, I encourage you to set an intention for the entire year with action – by beginning the new year outside with your kids. That’s right – let’s go outside this New Year’s Day! 

We’d love it if you’d join us in starting the new year out with action that matches the goal you’d like to achieve. Spend new year’s day outside with your kids and start the year on the proverbial right foot. Not only will this reinforce your commitment to spending more time outside, but it’ll show your kids you mean it and give you a jump start on the new year in a fun and refreshing way! 

Below, you will find a variety of ways to spend the first day of the year outside as a family. Not only are there many different outdoor New Year’s Day activities for kids, but I’ve also included a few outdoor and family-focused Run Wild My Child challenges you can sign-up for! 

Let’s kick this year off right and enjoy the great outdoors with our families! 

Outdoor New Year’s Day activities

New Year’s day is the perfect time to spend quality time together as a family, and there are so many ways to spend the day outside with your kids. Here are some simple and fun outdoor New Year’s Day activities for Kids. I’ve included lots of examples to help you find the perfect way to embrace your desire to be outdoors and spend more time together with your kids. 

First-day hike

Have you heard of the concept of a first-day hike? This themed hike is exactly what it sounds like — a hike you do on the first day of the year! It is so easy to implement and completely customizable to fit your family’s needs. All you do is pick a trail (it can be new to you or a family favorite) and hike it together as a family. If you’re looking for a new hike, check out the All Trails app and pick one in your area. 

Never been hiking and want to give it a try? The first day of the year is the perfect time to explore this activity as a family. Hiking is much easier to do than it might sound. You don’t need much to get started and you’ll get to spend some quality time outside with your little ones. Need some tips on hiking? Our website is full of hiking tips for families. 

Play outside together

Outdoor New Year’s Day activities don’t have to be elaborate. Simple play is more beneficial for your kids than you can imagine. And when you play outside with your kids, you’re not only modeling, you’re making memories with them. There are so many fun ways to play and make that your outdoor New Year’s Day activity. 

Whether you are wanting to spend more time together in the coming year or simply want to spend more time outside together, this list of 100+ Outdoor Winter Activities for Kids is sure to help you start the year on the right track. Pick any activity from the list (or let the kids pick one) and make it happen! There’s even a free printable checklist of all the activities you can print out, hang on the fridge and check off as you complete them! 

Make and hang bird feeders 

Spending the first day of the year giving back to nature is the perfect way to begin the new year. Believe it or not, birds can struggle to find food in the winter months, so setting up bird feeders is a wonderful way to help them out. Not only that, but bird feeders also give you and your children the perfect opportunity to bird watch in your own yard. It’s a win, win!

Setting up a birdfeeder sounds simple (because it is), but it’s a great way to bring more nature to you! And maybe you didn’t know, but birds are fascinating to watch! Every day it’s like a mini soap opera at the feeders in the backyard.  Here are some easy-to-make bird feeders you can try with your family. 

Go for a walk

Taking a walk together is a great outdoor New Year’s Day activity, and a wonderful way to set an outdoor intention for the year! It’s simple and it is such a great way to connect with your children. No planning, fancy gear, or expensive equipment needed!

Start a new tradition and make family walks through your neighborhood a daily or weekly occurrence in your family. Try going for a walk at the same time, like an evening walk after dinner. Not only will the schedule help to make it a habit, but it is also the perfect way to get out excess energy before bed. Plus, this time is a great way to let the daily frustrations go and spend quality time talking with your kids.

Polar bear plunge

If you like the idea of jump-starting the new year by giving your heart and body a literal jumpstart, a polar bear plunge is perfect for you! The polar bear plunge gets its name from the fact that you jump into cold water, in the winter, and swim around – sort of like a polar bear. It’s a really exciting outdoor New Year’s Day activity to try with your kids! 

There are official polar bear plunge events all over the world and participating in one of these is quite the experience. But, all you really need is some really cold water to jump or swim in. If you have an unheated pool, it will work perfectly. If you live near a lake or other natural body of water that is safe to swim in, jump on in and swim like a polar bear.

The best part? Kids are generally excited to participate and doing something once a year, even when it is super cold and sort of unpleasant, is a ton of fun. Just keep in mind even the best swimmers can struggle from the shock of the cold water, so plan ahead and make sure kids wear a flotation device. Also, make sure to have someone waiting with warm towels and piping hot cups of hot chocolate to warm you up after!

Partake in a fun run/walk

Fun runs are a great way to get outside and do something active on the first day of the year. Not only are most fun runs raising money for some organization, but you are also out and about with like-minded people. Fun runs are usually 5Ks (3.1 miles) and can be walked or run together as a family. Some places even offer 1 mile runs/races for kids. Check your local community for a new year’s themed fun run in your area. 

If there are no organized runs near you, that’s ok! With so many things going virtual these last few years, fun runs have too! You can always opt to complete a virtual fun run and do it on your own time. There are a few options available for virtual fun runs/walks out there. Some of the proceeds from Medal Dash’s New Year’s virtual event go toward Make-A-Wish Foundation and Virtual Run offers a variety of themed run/walk options throughout the year, including a new year’s option.

Go camping 

Camping in the winter is totally a thing! If you already have camping gear and you want to do something different this year, consider ringing in the new year while camping! If sleeping in a tent in the cold is not something you are excited about, consider car camping with your kids. It’s exactly what it sounds like –camping in your car with as many pillows and blankets as you can bring! Want something a bit easier, how about glamping? Book a cabin in the woods or a yurt somewhere and wake up immersed in nature! 

If you don’t know much about camping and want to give it a try for the new year, this ultimate guide to camping with kids is sure to be helpful. 

Try something new

What better way to start the new year than to try something new outside!? It can be literally anything, so your options are endless! Think about it — what’s something that you’ve been wanting to try/do with the kids, but just haven’t (for whatever reason). Now is the perfect time! 

Don’t have an idea of your own? We’re here to help. Take a look at the RWMC 100+ outdoor winter activities for kids and pick one your family has never done before and give it a go. What have you got to lose? (You might even love it and have fun!)

Volunteer 

Your outdoor New Year’s Day activity could be charitable, beneficial, and educational. Giving back to your community and nature on the first day of the year is such a wonderful thing and can be done in a variety of ways. There may be some organized volunteer opportunities already planned for new year’s day that you can sign up to participate in. Check in with your local environmental group, community garden, school, conservation department, nature center, or other organizations you want to support in your area. If you don’t know where to start, this post about volunteering with kids may be useful. 

Enjoy a family bike/scooter ride

Grab the bikes/scooters and helmets and enjoy time together on a leisurely ride through your neighborhood or along your favorite bike trail. Bike and scooter rides are two really fun and easy outdoor New Year’s Day activities for kids of all ages. If you (parent) don’t all have a set of wheels, no worries! Kids love to be chased by and race the grownups in their lives. The point is to all go out and enjoy the outdoors together on the first day of the year. Making a point to do something your kids enjoy, will help them want to repeat the activity with you in the future!

We’ve got all the info you need for how to get started (and be safe) biking with kids. And if you’re already comfortable on a bike, consider taking it up a notch and try mountain biking with your kids. 

Pick up trash

Another way to give back to nature is to spend some time on new years day picking up trash and cleaning up nature. You can simply do it while you walk through your neighborhood or along a hiking or biking trail.

If you want to spend more time giving back in the new year, consider trying to organize a small group of friends with kids and pick up trash at the local park. After your kid’s tire of picking up all the tiny micro-trash pieces they see (or is it just my kids that zero in on the tiny pieces?), set them loose on the playground. Not only are you spending time with friends and family on the first day of the year, but you are giving back in a great way too.

Go birding

Is nature something you want to spend more time exploring this year? Then give birding a try. Birding just means watching the birds out and about in nature. Again, there’s no special gear or equipment needed. You just need curiosity and a vivid imagination so you can make up fun stories about the birds!

Winter is a great time to sit and watch the birds because the trees are bare and the birds are easy to spot. Level up your nature exploring by bringing along a bird identification book or download a birding app and see if you and your kids can identify some of the birds you see. This helps build observation skills in your kids. They have to pay attention to the color, size, markings, chirps, and song of the bird to identify it. 

Play in the rain or snow

Maybe it is raining or snowing on new year’s day and so getting outside together doesn’t seem like a feasible option. Guess what? It totally is! There is no such thing as bad weather, right?! 

If it isn’t storming and it is safe to go outside, go! Be sure to bundle up, put on rain jackets, boots, mittens, or any other weather-appropriate clothing. Then, let your children explore this “less than pleasant” weather with you. Puddles are a blast on their own, but there is also something magical about running through puddles while it is raining. Same with the playing in the snow. There is just something about water (frozen or not) falling from the sky that makes winter outdoor activities more whimsical. You don’t have to stay outside for long, but if getting outside more in the new year is something you want to do, don’t let cold and wet weather slow you down!

The great thing about playing outside during weather like this is that you’re teaching/showing your children that they don’t have to wait for a warm sunny day to get outside and play. You’re teaching them resilience and grit. You’re showing them that there’s beauty and joy in all seasons. These are lifelong lessons that will help them get outside year-round. 

Play in your backyard

Getting outside does not need to be a big event. Outdoor New Year’s Day activities can be as simple as going out in your backyard. If you want to spend more time together outside, it’s ok to start small. Play with chalk, blow bubbles, build a snowman or throw snowballs at each other, play tag or hide and seek, dance in the rain, or play together with your kid’s toys. It really is that easy.  

Participate in a challenge

If you are looking for ways to hold yourself accountable in the new year, Run Wild My Child has created some easy and fun challenges to help you get outside and connect with your children. Not only are these challenges a great way to kick off the new year, but they will help inspire you all year long! These challenges can be done any time, with kids of any age, no matter where you live! 

52 Outdoor Family Adventure Challenge

This is a simple free challenge you get in one little printable PDF. The idea is to complete one single outdoor activity with your kids each week of the year. Do you think you can do it?

The PDF offers a seasonally appropriate outdoor activity option to complete each week of the year, but the list is just a guide. If the chosen activity doesn’t work for you, just pick another! The point is for you and your kids to get outside together once a week, everything else is just a bonus!

Sign up for this free challenge anytime by clicking here.

Intentional 10 Challenge

Now more than ever, kids need face-to-face uninterrupted time with their grownups. If finding time to spend with your kids is difficult or if you want to focus on connecting with your children on a deeper level, the free 10-day Intentional 10 Challenge is for you! 

Once you sign up, you will receive 10 daily emails with different ways to spend 10 meaningful minutes with your kids for 10 days. That’s it! Surely you can commit to 10 minutes a day? That’s all it takes to make a huge difference!

This challenge begins on January 10, 2022. Sign up for the Intentional 10 Challenge by clicking here. 

Wildhood Challenge

Our Wildhood Challenge is designed to “rewild” your child with simple outdoor activities built around a daily theme. This 7-day challenge comes in the form of an e-book and shares so many easy ways to explore nature and get outside with your kids. Tons of great outdoor activity ideas that can be done with kids of all ages. It is perfect for parents who want to rewild their child and just need a little help doing it.

Check out the details for and to buy the e-book for this challenge here. 

How are you spending new year’s day outside?

About the author

Katie lives in a tiny home on wheels and travels full-time with her two mostly wild children, tech-minded partner, two well-traveled pups, and adopted pet snails. As they wander the North American continent, Katie explores as much as possible, with a particular fondness for the adventures her family enjoys in state and national parks. When not trekking through the outdoors, Katie enjoys baking, homeschooling, consuming mochas from local coffee shops across the continent, practicing her photography skills, and soaking up as much knowledge as she can.

As an advocate for families exploring the great outdoors, Katie co-founded a Hike it Baby branch in her hometown in Northern California and tries to encourage families to get outside whenever possible. Katie has a Master’s degree in human development from the University of Missouri, Columbia, but her passion is really history and humanities (which is coincidentally what her Bachelor’s degrees are in). She currently volunteers on the Hike it Baby National team as a contributing blogger.

You can find more from Katie online in the following locations:
Instagram: @familyinwanderland
RWMC posts: Katie Fox