GROUPON GUIDE TO COLUMBUS

Five Kids Activities That Will Get Them Outside

BY: Jess Snively |May 5, 2016

Kids Activities outdoors hero jpg

After your kids have survived a winter cooped up in the house, getting them outdoors is the key to maintaining their sanity—and yours. In the great outdoors, the phrase, “I’m booored!” has rarely been uttered, and the sounds of bickering siblings are swiftly overpowered by birds chirping. Thankfully, there are seemingly limitless kids activities and fun places for kids that will get them moving and shaking outside.

But what if your kid is more of a homebody? Maybe they would prefer to read a book about a whitewater rafting excursion than go on one, or wile away the afternoon in front of a video game. To help coax your youngster into the wild, we’ve rounded up a list of outdoor activities for kids based on the indoor activities they already love.

If Your Kid Is… A Consummate Tea Party Host

Then Take Them To A Botanical Garden

Mr. Bear and Barbie have attended a lot of tea parties in your child’s room—”too many,” they’d tell you in confidence. So it’s time for a change of scenery. A botanical garden is quite possibly the most magical place on earth for a tea party. Just pack up the tea set, party guests, and some snacks, and spread out on a grassy patch. While you’re sipping, you can teach your little host about the many species of flora and fauna that occupy the awe-inspiring grounds.

Kids Activities outdoors petting zoo jpg

If Your Kid Is… A Connoisseur of Internet Cat Videos

Then Take Them To The Zoo

Your kid is one of the few who has actually kept the promise of feeding the hamster and walking the dog and scooping the litter box. Or maybe they have a stuffed-animal collection that serves as the neighborhood zoo. Luckily, there’s no shortage of kids activities that introduce them to a world beyond their beloved pets (real or pretend).

A trip to a zoo or petting zoo might change their pleas for another kitten to pleas for an alpaca or Sumatran tiger, but that just means they’ll want to come back and visit the animals more often. If your kid’s a little more adventurous, exploring the outdoors is even better on the back of a trusty steed during horseback-riding lessons or scenic trail rides.

Kids Activities outdoors paintball jpg

If Your Kid Is… A Video-Game Junkie

Then Take Them To A Paintball Range

If you have a hard time peeling your child away from vanquishing bad guys in the world of their favorite video game, you likely have a video-game junkie on your hands. Get them to put down the controller by taking them to a place where reality and game play mix: an outdoor paintball field. There, they’ll be the hero of the day, blasting their opponents with paint and ducking behind obstacles to avoid enemy fire. Best of all, many paintball games are even themed after popular video games.

Kids Activities outdoors amusement park jpg

If Your Kid Is… A Champion Mathlete

Then Take Them To An Amusement Park

Without mathematicians, there would be no roller coasters—a thought that is almost as scary as the roller coasters themselves! We know you’re not complaining that your kid loves to study, but you still want to get them some fresh air. Coax them out of the house with a lesson on real-world applications of their favorite subjects at an amusement park. While you’re waiting in line, introduce them to some simple physics concepts applied during a roller-coaster ride—think gravity and potential and kinetic energy. (Be sure to read our tips for maintaining your sanity at the park before heading into the fray.)

If Your Kid Is… A Creative Type

Then Take Them To An Outdoor Festival

Whether your kid is interested in music, arts and crafts, theater, or dance, outdoor festivals are the place to be. You can bet that local musicians will play tunes in a wide variety of genres—ranging from Irish to African and blues to pop—introducing your kid to styles they might have never heard before. At outdoor festivals, theater and dance troupes often take the stage, too. And if you can resist the funnel cakes and snack tents, you’ll often encounter fine art and handmade wares such as pottery, blown glass, and jewelry that might inspire creative minds.