Are you searching for fun and affordable outdoor play ideas for your preschoolers? Look no further! We have gathered a collection of 13 inexpensive and simple activities that will keep your youngsters entertained for hours. There’s something for everyone, from DIY sandboxes to sensory tables, water play, and creative art projects. With these enjoyable outdoor play ideas, you’ll not only make unforgettable memories with your little one, but you’ll also do it without spending too much money.
Contents
- DIY Portable Sandbox with Boundless Possibilities
- DIY Sensory Table for Endless Outdoor Play Ideas for Preschoolers
- Water Bead Sensory Table
- Sensory Table Food Play
- Oobleck Offers Many Outdoor Play Ideas for Preschoolers
- Cloud Dough/Moon Sand to Mimic Outdoor Play Garden
- Watering the Garden OR Pretending to Water the Garden
- Portable Transparent Canvas Easel for Outdoor Art Anywhere
- Magnetic Ramp Offers Many Outdoor Play Ideas for Preschoolers
- Outdoor Play “Cleaning Station” Ideas for Preschoolers
- Fulfill Many Needs with One Deed=Kids Wash the Car
- Foam Bubble Station for Outdoor Play
- Outdoor Scavenger Hunt for Preschoolers
1. DIY Portable Sandbox with Boundless Possibilities
Playing in a sandbox is a timeless outdoor activity that Meli and Xander love doing for hours. However, many sandboxes that are actually big enough for preschoolers to play in can be expensive. In addition, a lot of sandboxes are not easily transportable. Fortunately, Edgar came up with an affordable and lightweight DIY portable sandbox. It has been one of our go-to outdoor play ideas for entertaining our preschoolers quickly and easily (especially when traveling).
The sandbox is made from a container with a tightly sealed lid to keep little critters out. It is also designed with wheels for easy portability. I don’t have any problems taking this sandbox outside to the deck or yard for the kids to play because it’s that lightweight. Depending on the items you choose to put inside, this sandbox could weigh as little as ten pounds. That’s right, ten pounds!
Furthermore, the fun doesn’t just stop at traditional sand. You can also use kinetic sand or any dry sensory play material. However, I advise against using anything wet as it may leak through the cracks and become unsanitary.
2. DIY Sensory Table for Endless Outdoor Play Ideas for Preschoolers
Sensory tables provide an enjoyable and educational hands-on play experience. To make it even more fun, you could opt for an EXTRA messy sensory activity. You can easily find sensory tables online or in stores. Alternatively, you could use large plastic containers as sensory bins without the table.
The photos depicted in this post show a sensory table with four separate bins held in place by PVC pipes and fittings. Edgar constructed this table a few years ago and has since created a much simpler DIY sensory table. The previous version was complicated to recreate as it involved cutting PVC pipes, which he even admitted was inconvenient. However, the new version involves a 27 gallon storage sensory container with three bins and a few creative optional additions. Oh, and did I forget to mention you can easily make the updated sensory table in less than one hour?
3. Water Bead Sensory Table
Water beads are simple but deserve an honorable mention solely because they are so versatile and tactilely satisfying. I really wish water beads existed when I was a kid. These small, soft beads are delightful to play with – you can pour, squeeze, drop, scoop, and submerge your hands in them. However, they can create quite a mess in just a few seconds, so it’s best to use them outdoors. Additionally, if your child is still exploring the world by putting things in their mouth, I would not recommend giving them water beads. These little beads can be a choking hazard for younger kids.
4. Sensory Table Food Play
As I have noted, sensory tables are incredibly versatile and provide a lot of entertainment for my kids. Anything food-related is always a hit. If they can eat it, play with it, and make a massive mess with it, that is their ultimate sensory experience.
A few of their favorite materials include rice, shredded coconut, uncooked and cooked pasta, jello, pudding, and whipped cream. Additionally, I’ve even ground up stale green snacks that would have gone uneaten, and it became a big hit with my kids. I did not expect that reaction from them. They still ask for the “green sand” to this day.
Please note that you can create colorful pasta using both cooked and uncooked pasta. My preferred method for cooked pasta is to boil it in water with the dye added. We use a microwave-safe bowl to make cooking quick and easy. While some people choose to add food coloring after the pasta has cooked, my preferred method results in less color transfer from the noodles. If you want to make colorful dry pasta, Super Simple has a helpful process outlined in their post.
5. Oobleck Offers Many Outdoor Play Ideas for Preschoolers
Have you ever tried playing with oobleck? It’s a unique sensory material that’s hard to describe. Basically, it’s a solid that feels mushy and starts to melt in your hands as you hold it. Oobleck is very popular among young children and can be enjoyed inside or outside. While it can be messy, it’s easy to clean up. It is also very simple to make. It consists of a 2:1 ratio of cornstarch to water. Mix it until fully blended, adjusting the consistency with more cornstarch or water as needed. You can even add food coloring to make it more visually appealing.
(Notice how the Oobleck looks slightly dry as it separates from the spoon and then melts into the pile of Oobleck in the container).
After you child is finished playing with the Oobleck, you can make the activity more exciting by adding small toys like animal or dinosaur figures, or even gemstones, into the mixture. Though, you may need to add some water to make it easier to insert the toys, but ideally the toys should sink into the oobleck. Once the toys are inside, let the mixture sit in a warm, dry area for 2-3 days until it hardens into an oobleck block. Then, encourage your kiddo to dig through the block using plastic utensils or pretend play tools to find the hidden treasures/toys inside. They can also use paintbrushes or toothbrushes to move the dust out of the way as they dig.
Your little preschooler will have great fun pretending to be a mini geologist or paleontologist.
6. Cloud Dough/Moon Sand to Mimic an Outdoor Play Garden
This sensory material can be referred to by two names. In our household, we call it cloud dough, but it is also known as moon sand. Regardless of the name, it is an enjoyable sensory item nonetheless.
Making cloud dough requires only two ingredients: all-purpose flour and vegetable oil. The ratio is approximately 8 cups of flour to 1 cup of oil. Depending on your flour’s absorbency and your climate, you may need to adjust the amounts slightly. It is ready once you can squeeze the mixture, and it holds its shape while still feeling crumbly.
One fun way to use cloud dough is to mix in cocoa powder to give it a dirt-like appearance. This activity is perfect for a garden-themed sensory table and is enjoyable indoors and outdoors. However, it can get quite messy indoors, so I’ve shared some tips for containing the mess in my post about tidying up. All you need is a flower kit and a garden tools set and your kiddo is ready to get to work!
If you have a child who likes to explore with their mouth, you can make the activity safer by heat-treating the flour before mixing it. Doing this will help kill any harmful bacteria that may be present in the wheat flour. You can heat-treat the flour in either the oven or microwave. While the dough may not taste great, it will be safe for your little one to taste.
7. Watering the Garden OR Pretending to Water the Garden
Letting your kid water the garden can be mutually beneficial. Your plants receive the necessary water while your child becomes your helper and gains confidence.
Meli has a strong passion for watering flowers and plants, to the point where she can spend hours doing it. While this has become a regular activity for her, it also means that we have to make numerous trips to refill her watering can almost immediately after filling it up. Refilling the can was not a big issue initially, but it can become challenging when you have an energetic little boy to keep up with. Thankfully, Edgar devised a perfect alternative for situations where multiple water trips were not feasible.
He created the infinity watering can. It offers the perfect alternative to watering flowers without making a mess while still enjoying the “pouring” experience. It also prevented us from offending our neighbors as we walked down the street pouring what appeared to be mystery liquid onto their landscapes.
Essentially, it is a long-neck watering can with a trimming line threaded through the spout. The trimming line is secured inside the can with a weight. When you “pour the water,” the trimming line comes out, and when you stop “pouring,” the line retracts back in. You can attach anything to the end to represent water. We chose a blue streamer. It is a simple design, easy to execute, and very effective in entertaining young garden-loving kiddos.
8. Portable Transparent Canvas Easel for Outdoor Art Anywhere
Imagine painting in nature on a beautiful day; it sounds like a child’s dream. Now, imagine it being affordable and portable, making it a dream come true for parents too. Edgar came up with a brilliant idea for a portable transparent easel that lets kids enjoy nature while creating beautiful works of art.
The easel is actually a foldable beach chair with the back replaced by a clear table cover to serve as the canvas. Pipe clamps help to hold the canvas in place. Sounds easy to me!
Meli and Xander can’t get enough of this toy that Edgar created for them. It allows them to trace natural items attached to the back, draw the scenery in front of them through a clear canvas, and practice tracing numbers, letters, and shapes with the items attached to the back. In short, there are countless ways to utilize this transparent canvas, and we have created a post that explains how to make one yourself. Additionally, we have included Edgar’s full DIY tutorial video.
9. Magnetic Ramp Offers Many Outdoor Play Ideas for Preschoolers
Are you searching for a cost-effective alternative to the widely popular outdoor magnetic wall? Check out Edgar’s affordable and do-it-yourself version, which is an enjoyable STEM activity for growing minds.
Edgar used sticky magnets in his video, which is ideal for attaching the ramps to the fridge or garage door. Use double-sided tape to mount the ramps on a wall if a garage door is unavailable.
Experiment with different ramp sizes and pathways, and involve your child in designing the ramp’s route. Not only balls but also water can travel down the ramp and reach the bottom. Edgar gave the water a more significant wow factor by adding food coloring. It worked because it definitely caught Meli and Xander’s attention.
10. Outdoor Play “Cleaning Station“ Ideas for Preschoolers
Do you have dirty toys that need a good cleaning session? Encourage your preschooler to do the honors for you. Gather all the toys (or at least some) that need cleaning and set up an outside washing station. Use a designated sensory bin table, a low table with containers, or a mat for your kiddo to sit on with the containers. The scrubbing area consists of soapy water with sponges, rags, or brushes. The rinsing area has clean water with various scooping cups and a towel for drying.
The “cleaning station” does not HAVE to be random toys either. You could also make it themed with vehicles, farm animals, barbie dolls, or play kitchen items to name a few. Another idea is to give your preschooler the dirty dishes from the previous mealtime, and they can do the cleaning process in the fresh outdoors.
Melianna especially loves this activity because she takes great pride in helping me clean up messes and wash dishes. Not to mention she will find any excuse to play with water outside.
11. Fulfill Many Needs with One Deed: Kids Wash the Car
Another activity that always stays in style is washing cars. As a child, I enjoyed washing my parents’ car; now, Melianna and Xander do too. Preschoolers love to help, and they especially enjoy playing with water.
If you don’t have special car soap, don’t worry! This activity is still just as enjoyable without it. Although the car may not be immaculate afterward, that’s not the primary goal. All you need is a hose or buckets of water, along with some rags or sponges.
This activity entertained Meli and Xander for a whole hour and allowed them to enjoy the beautiful weather outside. Oh, and not to mention that Edgar’s truck looked amazing in the area they could reach. Minimal parental effort meets maximum child fun!