outdoor art

CRAFTS, HIKE, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Rock Painting Fun with Kids
- September 23, 2021
Are you looking for a way to encourage your kids’ creativity and keep their little feet moving on the hiking trail? Maybe those two things don’t seem related, but they are! Today, adventure travel and homeschooling mom of three, Rebecca Jimenez, is sharing her tried and true secret to getting kids excited about hiking – rock painting! Not only put all those rock nature treasures your children adore to good use, but your kids will have artistic and creative fun, and will be begging you to hit the trails so that they can leave them behind! This is a game-changer, my friends! Hiking with kids “ROCKS!”

Family hiking

Our family loves to hike. We are always looking for the best trails to hike and the best mountains to climb. If your kids are like mine, they have tons of energy, and they are always ready to run around, be loud, and explore their surroundings. Spending time hiking is a great way for kids of all ages to get outside in nature. Children need to exercise and breathe in the fresh clean air. Kids can be themselves outside! They can be loud, and they are free to run around, explore, and see what kinds of treasures they can find in nature.

Hiking with kids can be an amazing adventure and a great way to spend quality time as a family in the great outdoors. But, sometimes kids get bored on hikes, or easily distracted. A perfectly planned family hike can quickly become a literal uphill battle both mentally and physically. That’s no fun for parents or kids. Even my kids that love hiking only have “so much” they can take. Sometimes we need an activity to keep those little feet moving down the trail. That’s when we discovered the beautiful simplicity of leaving painted rocks on our hikes. This simple activity made our hiking adventures so much more fun for the kids. Let me explain…

Kids love rocks

My children have always been fascinated by rocks. Big rocks, small rocks, smooth or rough. It does not usually seem to matter. It makes me smile whenever my child hands me a rock, and says, “Look, mommy! Isn’t this the best, most colorful rock you’ve ever seen?! I bet it’s super old! Maybe as old as the dinosaurs!”

Sometimes I can see them feeling shy holding what they perceive as a “special rock” and they want to ask me more about it. My kids have sometimes asked me if the rocks could be “real gold” since there is often a fleck of shine to them. Maybe silver? Maybe a diamond? It must be a special mineral of some sort, right? Kids are always daydreaming of striking it rich with their miraculous finds.

“When a child gives you a gift, even if it is a rock they just picked up, exude gratitude. It may be the only thing they have to give, and they have chosen to give it to you.” -Dean Jackson

Rocks are everywhere

If you’re like me, you love everything your child gives you. I always want to “exude gratitude” when they give me a present. Since our family spends most of our time outdoors, the presents my kids kept giving me were rocks. Yep, rocks.

Lots and lots of rocks. Small rocks. Big rocks. Heavy rocks. Dirty rocks. Sometimes rocks with little creepy crawlies on them. Sometimes rocks with a unique shape, a smooth spot, a special color, or a cool fossil. Our pockets and packs are always filled full of rocks, and still… the rocks kept coming. I’m just as guilty – I love looking for unique rocks and showing them to the kids. Every now and then, one ends up in my pocket, too!

When we come home from a day outside, the kids empty their nature treasures onto the table. Sometimes we have other nature goodies like leaves, acorns, and sticks, too. But always rocks. They are a constant. Rocks are always fun and so easy for kids to find. We then and sort, count, and often times clean the rocks that the kids found.

What to do with all these rocks?

Our rock collection was starting to get a bit unwieldy. With so many rocks at home, this got me thinking about how could I make finding (and getting rid of) rocks even more fun for kids? I got the idea to paint the rocks to look like real gold, silver, or diamonds. More fun than that would be painting rocks with bright colors, fun designs, inspirational quotes. We’d seen “kindness rocks” around and loved the idea of making our own to place in fun spots on our hikes. I had a feeling my kids would love this. And I was right!

Creating rock art with kids is as easy as 1, 2, 3
1. Your kids will have a blast finding rocks (they probably already do).
2. Everyone has a super fun time painting rocks and coming up with unique designs.
3. It’s even more fun hiding, and (re-finding!) beautifully painted rocks.
Painted rocks and hiking

Now instead of bringing rocks home to live in our house forever, we were turning them into art and taking our painted rocks with us to leave on the trails. A hide and seek of sorts. Now the kids were actually asking me to go hiking! Yep! You heard that right. They were actually begging me to take them on long hikes to hide and look for more rocks!

Share the rock painting fun

Do you know what makes hiding rocks even more fun? Including others. People you don’t even know. We loved the idea other rock painters and rock painting groups did to brighten people’s days and share their painted rock art. So we started leaving messages on the bottom of the rocks for other people to take photos of the rocks! We make it easy by using a hashtag so we can see where the rock will ‘travel’!

If you’re impatient like me, the hashtag is #RunWildRocks, but more on that later.

Rock painting ideas for kids

What is your child really into right now? Maybe it is dinosaurs, cars, fairies, superhero characters, space, rainbows, unicorns, bugs, or monsters. Try easy ways to incorporate what your children love into your rock art.

You can also do seasonal rock art. Creating ghost rocks around Halloween or ladybug rocks in Spring are both super simple and they look cool too.

Remember, you don’t have to be a Picasso to have fun painting rocks! If drawing a dinosaur sounds like a daunting task, simple words work great! “Beep beep” for cars, “bam” for a superhero, or the word “magic” for fairies work great too. Write your favorite quote or saying. Paint rocks with words of encouragement for people to find on the trail – things like “keep going” or “you’re doing great!” You can also paint one letter on each rock and hide them in order to spell out a secret message!

If all else fails, it is hard to go wrong with a smiley face, heart, sunshine, cloud, or rainbow.

Getting started painting rocks with kids

Getting started painting rocks is easy! All you really need are some rocks, some paint, and some creativity! The main thing to keep in mind is these rocks will be outside. So, washable paint or other supplies that are easily cleaned up is not ideal. I also would not recommend using crayons, washable markers, watercolors, chalk, or colored pencils. If it can wash out of your clothes, it can wash off your rocks. So dress for mess and let’s get started!

Supplies for rock painting with kids
1. Rocks – Large, flat, smooth stones work best for rock painting. Include the kids when you’re finding/collecting your rocks. Make sure your rocks are also washed and dried before painting. Kids are great at washing rocks!
2. Waterproof paint – I like to use inexpensive craft paints such as acrylic paint. Acrylic paint comes in squeeze bottles, tubes, paint pens, and little paint craft kits. You could also use nail polish, permanent markers, or paint pens.
3. Brushes for each color – Acrylic does not wash off easily between colors, so I suggest buying a cheap pack of brushes to keep things simple and clean.
4. A paint holder – I like using plastic paint wells to keep the paint separate.
5. Paint smock or messy clothes – Painting can be fun, but let’s remember to dress for mess. Don’t dress your kids in anything that you wouldn’t mind getting ruined or covered in paint.
6. A flat surface that will be painted on – I suggest a paper plate, table cloth, or even a poster board. All these items can also be turned into works of art.
7. Stencils – Stencils are optional, but they can be a tremendous help if you are intimated by art or want to make something more intricate.
If you are looking for additional supplies suggestions or a full list of recommended rock painting art supplies, I’ve got you covered. Just click this link and see all my rock painting supplies suggestions.

Every child is an artist.” -Pablo Picasso

Tips for successful rock painting with kids

Rock painting with kids will be most successful if you ensure the following key points are met:
1. Make sure to have your “art studio” ready.
2. Have all your art supplies ready.
3. Dress for mess and tons of fun!
4. Come prepared with some creative ideas for art.
Spark creativity with a comfortable studio

Kids love to be independent. Especially with all things messy, right? Set your child up for rock painting success by creating an “art studio”. Get creative with your studio setup. An outdoor art studio on the back patio or on a picnic table at the park can be an amazing way to spend a day outside. Let your child take charge with their paint and creativity. I promise you will be rewarded with lots of smiles.

Where is your child most comfortable? Sitting in a chair? Lying on the floor? Bouncing up and down? Find the spot that works best for you and your child. Giving your child the space to stretch out may keep the creative juices flowing, and the rock painting fun lasting longer.

Ideas for rock art

Everyone enters creating rock art at different artistic stages. There is absolutely no wrong place to start rock painting. Younger children and beginning artists will likely fall under the beginner’s section below, but they may be interested in trying more advanced ideas. There’s no right or wrong way to paint rocks – it’s more about the fun than anything! Roll with it and enjoy painting rocks with your kids.

Beginner rock painting ideas

Small children love to get messy and create their own work of art. With your young artist, I’d suggest just letting them have fun making whatever they want. Super messy toddler rocks oftentimes are the sweetest rocks to find on the trail. Here are some examples of easy to do beginner rock painter
- Thumbprint art works well at this age. You can assist by making thumbprint hearts, bugs, and butterflies.
- Children who are beginner painters do great with simple art projects such as suns, hearts, smiley faces, and rainbows.
- Simple words are always fun too. One of my favorite rocks we made had the word “hi” and a smiley face.
- Splatter art can also be really fun for beginner painters. Jackson Pollock is a famous abstract expression artist that is famous for his “splatter art.”
Splatter art is easy! All you need to do to create amazing splatter art is:
1. Start by placing your rock in a shallow box to prevent mess.
2. Paint your rock completely in any solid color, and let it dry.
3. Splatter contrasting colors onto the dry painted rock!
Intermediate rock painters

For the intermediate painters, I’d suggest more slightly more elaborate painting and longer words. For example, add a cloud above the rainbow, snow on top of the mountain, a sparkle on the water, or trees in the forest.

Words of inspiration are also amazing on intermediate rocks. Some words we like to use are: love, hope, smile, dream, wish, peace, and happy. If you’ll be leaving your rocks on hiking trails, consider adding hiking words like: keep going, you’re doing great, almost there, hike away, or hiking rocks.

Extra decor on rocks is also fun! Don’t be afraid to add a little glitter, sparkles, feathers, pom poms, or glue on some google eyes to those little bugs or monster rocks!

Advanced rock painters

For the advanced artist, there are so many fun things you can do with your rocks. What inspires you? Longer quotes or messages of hope and inspiration can be a magical way to adorn your rocks. Intricate patterns, flowers, scenery, nature, and animals are also an amazing way to express your creativity. Draw your favorite cartoon character, book character, animal or portrait. Mandala-style rocks are a fun way to introduce intricate patterns onto rocks.

Hiding rocks for others to find – #RunWildRocks

A really fun aspect of painting rocks with kids and then hiding your painted rocks is leaving them for other people to find! I’m so excited to help you with that! Follow these easy instructions so that we here at Run Wild My Child can see your rocks!

Using a permanent marker or paint pen write the following on the back of your rock:
1. Take a pic and post to #RunWildRocks
2. If there is room on your rock, you can add: “Keep, move, or hide me!”
3. Take a picture of your rocks and use the hashtag #RunWildRocks on Instagram so we can see your beautiful works of art!
Tips for hiding painted rocks with kids

Once you’ve painted your rocks, hiding rocks is just as much fun as painting and finding them!
- We like to leave rocks in obvious places so that the youngest hikers can easily spot them.
- A child’s eyes are low to the ground, so make sure to leave your rocks so that a child can easily find them.
- Avoid bushes or placing the rocks where they could easily fall over.
- It’s fun to leave the rocks at the beginning, middle, and toward the end of the hike. That way the children feel that extra reward when finishing a hike.
- We like to leave rocks at obvious bends in the trail, and significant stopping points or views.
- Position the rocks so that they can be seen from far away.
- We often prop our painted rocks on other rocks or trail signs.
Art book recommendations for kids

If you want some extra fun reading material about art, painting, and even rock painting, here are a few of our favorite art books for kids:
Let’s rock

I hope you and your family are motivated and excited to make amazing rock art with your kids! Your family is going to have the best time hiding and finding your beautiful works of art outside! Don’t forget to use the hashtag #RunWildRocks on the back of your rocks so we can see your beautiful works of art! Post them to Instagram so we can share!

Are you ready to hit the trail with painted rocks?

About the author

Rebecca is a wife, and mom to 3 thrill-seeking, hiking-addicted, and healthy-living kids. But..it wasn’t always that way. This multicultural family was living the fast-paced city lifestyle outside of Miami, Florida. After seeing so many screen-addicted indoor kids, Rebecca and her husband decided to make some drastic changes. They began an epic homeschool road trip across the United States! Now, based in the Rocky Mountains of Utah, you can find Rebecca and her family exploring and seeking adventures in the great outdoors. They are always finding the best mountains to climb, and the most epic trails to hike. They particularly love finding adventures in the US State and National Parks. The family enjoys all outdoor activities and spending time in nature. They enjoy hiking, camping, rock climbing, paddleboarding, and looking for native plants and animals. She is passionate about creating an active and healthy lifestyle for her family and getting kids (and adults!) off screens and outside!

You can find Rebecca online in the following locations:
Instagram: @familyonthetrail
CRAFTS, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, SUMMER
Squirt Gun Painting with Kids
- July 19, 2021
Summer has arrived and this means even more outdoor fun activities with our little ones! But, what to do with our creative little ones? The ones who want to create, draw, paint the entire day? Arts and crafts are great for creative kids, but sometimes art activities can tend to keep your little ones indoors more often than you’d like. If you are looking for a fun way to combine art and some family fun outside, look no further. Today, Creative Team member Tine Voeten, a European traveler and mother of two, is taking her kids’ art projects outside and sharing all about squirt gun painting with kids.

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Painting is just another way of keeping a diary” – Pablo Picasso

The fun of squirt gun painting

Squirt gun painting is the perfect combination of two of our favorite summer activities: art and playing outside! We geared up with this combo in mind and took our squirt gun painting in the wild! Today, I’m here to share everything you need to know to get start squirt gun painting with your kids. This is a fun summer outdoor activity for kids that’s sure to entertain them for hours and make beautiful memories.

Why painting is healthy?

Everybody knows that the act of painting is relaxing. But, did you know that painting has many advantages to improve mental health and overall quality of life? Here’s a quick reminder of the benefits of painting:
- Painting stimulates creative growth. Not only creative people should paint. By painting, less creative people can stimulate their creative growth. Practice and focus allow people, young or old, to learn creative skills.
- It reduces stress and gives you the ability to cope with stress better.
- Painting sharpens the mind and improves memory through conceptual visualization.
- It cultivates emotional growth. Creating art helps kids and adults to express their emotions.
- Creating beautiful art through painting encourages a more optimistic approach to life.
- It builds problem-solving and helps develop fine motor skills in your child’s hands.
When you combine these advantages with going outdoors, this is a family activity that should be on every family’s monthly activity list! I am very sure it will become one of your top summer activities!

Squirt gun painting supplies
- Paint (tempera or liquid watercolors)
- Water squirt guns
- Water
- Funnel or a plastic bottle cut in half
- A big piece of plastic, preferably something you can reuse afterward (optional)
- Canvas or strong paper (poster board)
- Painters tape (optional)
All of your gear can be bought on a budget or repurposed from what you already have at home. We bought our squirt guns in a discount shop and they work perfectly. Same for the canvas we bought in the same shop. Everything else we already had at home.

What kind of paint to use for squirt gun painting?

You can use either tempera paint or liquid watercolor paint for squirt gun painting with kids. Both work just fine. However, I wanted to make sure our materials were all safe to use outdoors and easy to clean up. We opted for tempera paint, the most common natural, and child-friendly paint. Another advantage parents will appreciate is that it is easily washable from clothes and skin. Our choice was made!

Best squirt guns for painting

You don’t need fancy squirt guns for squirt gun painting. Actually, you probably want to go as cheap as possible on these because the paint may end up rendering them unusable for regular squirt gun play (although, we had no problem washing the paint out completely). We choose inexpensive squirt guns from a discount shop and they worked great for our purposes. Try to find ones with an easy trigger for your kids, especially if they’re really little. If you don’t want to have to wash out your squirt guns between each color, get a variety pack of squirt guns so that each squirt gun can contain its own color.

Squirt gun painting set up

Here’s the step-by-step tutorial on squirt gun painting with kids that covers everything you need to know to make this the most fun summertime outdoor art activity for kids.

Step 1: Prepare your squirt gun painting area

Protect your yard and nature

Whether you are water squirt gun painting in your own garden or on location (in the woods, on a hike), you may like to cover some of the delicate areas for paint drops. If you’re concerned about the paint staining or ruining a surface, you may want to take this activity onto the grass or protect the area under/behind the canvas with a large tarp or sheet of reusable plastic. Also, prepare a small table with a cover to put guns and paint down whenever you need to reload, without making a complete mess. And believe me, the first load of paint goes fast, thanks to the enthusiasm of our young ones.

Decide how to hang your canvas

If you have an outdoor easel, you can use it for the best result. You can also hang your canvas on the fence, a tree (like we did), or even just prop it up a bit.

Find the perfect squirt gun art location

We decided to go to a forest we love so much, located very near to our home. We took our water squirt gun painting gear with us as the sun was setting with the goal: create squirt gun paint art and have a blast! All packed with a bag full of guns, paint, another bucket of water, and a blanket/plastic to cover our work area, we took our chance to catch the most beautiful moment of the day.

Be prepared

We prepared extra paint and water in case the guns would empty fast. At home, all of our materials were ready to use. In the forest, we had to be a bit more creative when it came to setting everything up. In the end we put everything on a blanket in close range. It was perfect!

Step 2: Fill your water guns with paint

Once your area is set up for painting, you’ll want to make the paint and fill your squirt guns. We recommend using a funnel to help get the paint into the squirt guns to cut down on the spill and mess. You can also use plastic baggies to mix/make the paint and then snip off a corner and squeeze/squirt the paint into the gun. If the plastic stopper hinders your efforts, cut it off and then recap the squirt gun once the paint is in. Shake your guns well before using.

How to make squirt gun paint

Start with basic tempera paint. You’ll want to dilute your paint so that it’s not super thick and squirt/runs better on the canvas. The paint should be a 50/50 split between paint and water. You can either fill the squirt gun with the paint and then added water and shake it up. Or, you can mix the paint and water together (before putting it into the squirt gun) in a cup to get the right consistency. Either way works just fine! Use a funnel when pouring paint into the squirt gun.

Step 3: Squirt on the canvas

Once your water squirt guns are ready the game is on! Make sure every child has enough space to squirt his or her own canvas. And let them squirt all over. They will love it! The little artists can paint at close range, a technique that is easier for our younger kids. This gives a great effect on the canvas and on the child!

If your children know how to use the water gun, they can stay further away and fire paint across the garden.

When all the squirt gun painting is complete, let the canvas dry outside or in a safe space overnight (or until the paint is fully dry to the touch). Then bring it in to hang on the wall or give as a gift!

Different ways of squirt gun painting

There are so many fun and different ways to paint with squirt guns. There’s no right or wrong way to do it! Just have fun and create! Here are a few different ideas to get your creative juices flowing.
- Painting on the canvas with only a squirt gun (no attributes or anything else)
- Relief painting with tape and stickers – Add forms and figures on top of the canvas to create fun art when they’re removed. For example, use painter’s tape to make a shape or the first letter of your child’s name on a canvas. When the paint is dry, you can remove the stickers or tape gently. This results in the greatest birthday gifts for grandparents!
- One child standing in the front of the painting to squirt a silhouette. Canvas and paper might be too small, but this is great fun with a white sheet! Oh, and don’t forget to put on some play clothes, ready to get dirty!
Paint and create – watch the fun unfold

That focus when the children start pumping their guns! The enthusiasm when they paint squirts out of the guns onto the canvas! The astonishment of how fast the paint squirts onto it and the beauty of the colors when they spatter and drip all over the fabric! This is such an amazing activity for kids. My girls just couldn’t get enough of it. I suppose most of the time this will be the case with kids, so I advise you to bring some spare canvas with you. They wanted to create more and more!

Aisha, our oldest daughter was fully focussed on her art piece and kept adding layers till she was happy. Our youngest daughter, Sienna, decided to use her hand to let the colors blend even more. In the end, when she noticed there wouldn’t be any contrast on her painting, she decided to paint her nose instead! They were having so much fun!

Squirt gun painting trial and error

I have to admit, we first did a try-out of our squirt gun painting before we got it right. Doing a trial run (not on your canvas) is a step I highly recommend. First of all, it is just so much fun, so the extra squirt gun painting was entertaining. But also, this activity does require a bit of preparation (as we needed to find a spot in the woods to do this), so I’m glad we tried it out at home before hitting the trail with our gear.

We powered up in the garden and measured how much paint and water needed to be added to get the best result. Our trial check let us know that we added too much water the first time. This resulted in very pale-colored paint drops that didn’t even stick to the canvas at all. If this happens to you, no worries, you can always add more paint on the spot, if you bring your funnel and paint to your own outdoor art studio.

Clean up time

But exactly as it is at home, after the fun comes clean-up! In the forest, we made sure everything was in the same conditions as when we arrived there. We had enough water in the bucket to clean the paint in the area. All plastic we brought to the painting fiesta we of course took back home. Nothing was left behind.

And what did we win from this adventure? Lots of fun and in total four amazing paintings from the greatest artists in the house!

Have you ever squirt gun painted with your kids?

About the author

Tine is a natural-born adventurer from Belgium. She met her husband, soulmate, and the father of her two girls while working and living in the Dominican Republic. Nine years ago they moved back to Europe and are still exploring European grounds. Her happy place is wherever her kids are, but she spices up life by discovering unknown places, planning new adventures, and going outdoors as much as possible. Having kids added a big value to her life, because seeing life through the eyes of her little ones lifted it to a completely different dimension. Their family goal is to travel the world, living a location-independent lifestyle. The family is now working on a couple of projects to make this dream happen! In the meantime, they keep on exploring and Tine keeps on writing and inspiring other families to explore just like them.

You can find more from Tine online in the following locations:
Instagram: @kidsdelmundo
RWMC posts: Tine Voeten
Website: http://www.kidsdelmundo.com
INFORMATION, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Creative Backyard Play Spaces for Kids
- June 24, 2020
We’re all spending a lot of time at home these days. And while that’s fine, we need to make sure a significant portion of that time is outdoors. Kids need outdoor playtime and the good news is that they can usually make the most of whatever outside space they have. This could be anything from a backyard, to a doorstep, a rooftop, a balcony, patio, or driveway. Today, we have the amazing Jemma of Thimble & Twig, London teacher and mom of 4, showing us how to make creative backyard play spaces for kids that encourage play and time outside!

The importance of time outside

Time outside is so beneficial for little ones, as is unstructured free play. Combining playtime and outdoor space means that kids can learn as they play. Outdoor play can help kids to become inventive, explore, and learn about the world around them. While they’re inventing and playing games with siblings or friends, they are improving their communication skills, learning about compromise, and how to negotiate. There are so many amazing benefits to unstructured free play outdoors.

However, not everyone has an outdoor space that encourages unstructured free play. Your outdoor space may not feel inviting to kids or inspire their imaginations. But, it doesn’t take much to change that! With a few simple changes or updates to your outdoor play area, you can create a space that encourages open-ended unstructured playtime and sparks your child’s imagination.

Creating outdoor backyard play spaces

Below, we’ve listed a few creative backyard play spaces and areas that you can incorporate into your backyard, patio, deck, balcony or any outdoor area. These can be interpreted and reinvented in a number of ways, based on your space, budget and age/interests of your kids. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on your outside space to make it more kid-friendly. A lot of the ideas below can be created cheaply or at no cost at all.

Climbing space

A climbing space is a great activity and form of exercise which uses every muscle in the body, and many, many parts of the brain! Climbing is awesome for children’s minds, bodies, and coordination. Kids love climbing, so it’s a good idea to include some sort of climbing space in your outdoor play area.

A climbing frame is amazing, but you could equally create a great climbing space out of old tree trunks, wood pallets or old chairs. If you have a strong wall in your garden or a fence, let your kids climb on it. Allow tree climbing or set up a rope climber. You could also use these climbing holds to create a climbing wall along a fence or the side of your house!

Digging space

Digging helps kids get immersed in imaginary worlds – they can pretend to dig to Australia or make sandcastles and fairy houses. The physical act of digging can strengthen hand muscles (needed for holding a pencil and handwriting) and improve hand-eye coordination.

Try to include a simple digging area in your outdoor play space to make your garden fun for kids. You could include a sandbox with buckets and shovels or a muddy digging area with toy cars. Set up a garden area where the kids can plant veggies and help dig up the weeds. Give them an area to dig for worms or look for rolly-pollies.

Water space

The best parenting advice I ever received was to “just add water” whenever kids were getting antsy or grumpy! If ever my son is feeling restless, I give him a squirty bottle of water and send him water the flowers! This simple task turns into a game and unstructured free play, which can occupy him for hours!

It makes sense that kids would love any kind of water space in a garden or backyard. You can start with a bucket of water and some pots and pans for mixing and stirring. Give them a hose and let them wash their toy cars (or your car!). Set up a water table or fill up a plastic sandbox with water. Add a kiddie pool or a sprinkler. Make an easy water wall out of plastic recycling – kids will love the pouring action! Add some funnels and this would be great for the hot summer months ahead! If you need more inspiration, see our favorite water games here!

Growing space

Another great element of a kid-friendly backyard is a space where kids can experiment with growing their own flowers, fruits and/or vegetables. Give them some compost (or let them help with the composting process), a few pots, dirt and seeds and let them loose planting. Talk out your plan, but let them decide where to plant and position their pots.

If your kids plant the seeds themselves, they’ll be much more likely to care for the plants. Give them a hose or a child-sized watering can and they’ll be prepped to love on their garden! If you’re feeling more adventurous you could add a vegetable or fruit garden. You can check out our post for ideas for the easiest and best kid-friendly vegetables!

Small world space

Kids love a space to have imaginary made up adventures with their toys. Tiny things fascinate kids, so a “small world” space it’s a great thing to add to an outdoor area. Depending on what your kids’ likes and interests are, there are countless ways to tailor a small world space just for them. There are some brilliant ideas in this Fairy Garden post and we have a great post on creating a dinosaur garden for kids.

If your child is into cars, trucks or trains, you could create a small space with roads where they can play. Using simple masking tapes or washi tapes – you could create a whole town for them to play with their cars! If your kids are into tractors, create a space where they can dig and create with their toy diggers, which will help develop their imaginations. Or using water and sand you could create a small world beach area with toy fish and sharks. The possibilities are endless!

Creative space

Incorporating art into the outdoors makes so much sense. It’s less messy and much easier to clean up for a start! Spread out a sheet and let your kids go wild with paints. Put the paints in a spray bottle and let them squirt or turn mud into paint (just add food coloring to mud) and let them play! Set up an outdoor chalkboard or an easel for them to draw to their heart’s content. Another easy way to let kids get creative outdoors is to give them a cardboard box to paint on! If you have a fence, try using washable chalk or chalk paint and when they’re finished with their masterpiece, they can wash it away with a paintbrush or the hose. No fence, just use the chalk on the sidewalk or the driveway! It’s a classic and well-loved kid-friendly activity for a reason!

Muddy space

Kids love nothing more than getting muddy and playing with mud is a great textural sensory activity. If possible, give your kids a little patch in the yard to dig in. No dirt? Get some potting soil and fill up a kiddie pool with it! Add some simple shovels, pans and bowls with mud in to mix and stir. You can create a mud kitchen with pallets if you want a more permanent place for kids to be able to mix, create and make potions. Or there are plenty of mud kitchens available on the market. My kids love making concoctions and creations in their mud kitchen! Check out our mud kitchen post for tons of ideas of mud kitchen recipes and potions. Or this post has 7 awesome & fun ways to play in mud.

Amazing backyard play spaces for kids

These are the basic elements for creating some super fun backyard play spaces for kids in your own yard that will encourage outdoor unstructured free play. Adding elements like these to your space will provide a safe and secure outdoor play and learning area for kids close to home and keep them entertained. Hopefully, this has given lots of creative play ideas for garden and backyard spaces to make them truly exciting for kids. Try adding a few of these and they’ll want to play outside all day long!

About the author

Jemma lives in London, England with her husband and kids. Her all-time favorite thing to do is take photos and capture memories of her family. She’s on a mission to ensure parenthood doesn’t rush by so quickly by creating mini family outdoor adventures and hopefully some big adventures too, one day! She’s a mum to four and an English teacher to many. She loves sharing her passion for storytelling, adventures, and nature crafts on her blog and here.

Find more from Jemma in the following locations:
Instagram: @thimbleandtwig
Blog: http://www.thimbleandtwig.com
Facebook: @thimbleandtwig
Etsy shop: ThimbleandTwig
RWMC posts: Jemma