Toddler Outdoor Play and Activities

Toddler outdoor play encourages toddlers to improve their gross motor skills. Being outside gives them more space to run, jump, climb and explore.

They can kick and throw a ball far, play with ride on toys, ride a tricycle, climb fences, play on small slides, swings and trampolines, and have fun on an inflatable jumping castle.

They can improve their co-ordination by playing games with a bat and ball, and learning to throw a ball through a hoop or into a bucket.

At playgrounds they can climb on climbing frames, go through tunnels, walk across bridges, play on roundabouts, slide down big slides and swing on big swings.

All good for developing their balance and physical capabilities.

Being outside also stimulates their curiosity and encourages them to explore, discover and experiment. This gets them involved in activities where they learn and understand more about the world around them.

Simple things such as filling a small watering can and watering plants can engage them for lengthy periods. As can playing with a hammer and nail, one of my grandson's favorites.

Playing with water lets them fill different containers and empty them and see which things float and which do not.

Playing with a bucket and spade in a sand pit. Filling a bucket with sand and emptying it and seeing the difference between wet and dry sand.

Making shapes and building castles with wet sand. Toddlers imaginations run riot and in their mind they are building all sorts of wonderful things.

Outside visits to places of interest are fantastic for a toddler. Places such as:

Aquariums - to see and learn about seahorses, crabs, lobsters, star fish, sharks and all sorts of fish.

Animal Farms - to see and learn about goats, pigs, cows, horses, sheep, hens, ducks and turkeys.

Botanical Gardens - to see and learn about trees, bushes, flowers, bees , butterflies and ladybirds.

Fishing Harbours - to see boats, fish nets, fishermen and seagulls.

Penguin Colonies - to see and learn about penguins, eggs and nesting.

World of Birds - to see eagles, pelicans, owls, humming birds, ostriches and many others.

They all keep a toddler engrossed, asking questions and learning.

Toddler outdoor play favorites though seem to be a little pool with containers to fill and pour from, a sand pit with bucket and spade, a climbing frame and a jumping castle.

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