6 Outdoor Playground Activities and What to Pack

As my girls get older, our normal playgrounds don’t hold the same excitement that they used to. They get bored after 20 minutes and I want to make the trip worth it (read: come home with exhausted kids). I started to keep a bag packed in the car with items that keep the girls entertained when they’re tired of the slides (and I’m tired of pushing a swing). Here are 10 of my favorite outdoor playground activities, and what I bring with me. Some of these things are doubles of what we have at home. I like to keep this bag in each of our cars so that we’re always prepared (get the multipacks).

6 Activities for Outdoor Playgrounds

I keep everything in an open tote (like this). I love something that has pockets and is easy to see into so I know what I have. This will also let dirt filter through and is super light weight.

• Ball Games. You could bring a bunch of specialty balls that suit your family, but I like this 8.5″ – 9″ Bouncy Ball. It’s great for bouncing, rolling, throwing, and using for soccer, or head back over to the playground and turn rolling it down the slide into a game or race. Just make sure you don’t lose the pump! We only carry 1 and the girls share.

• Chalk Drawing. We are artists and like having lots of colors so we use Colorful Chalk. I like this kind because it’s colorful and has a nice plastic storage box. We use it to trace leaves, play tic tac toe, hopscotch, draw bugs we see, trace each other, practice spelling. I love this outdoor playground activity because the rain will wash it away so you don’t have to worry about cleaning up.

• Blowing Bubbles. Get the multipack so that you can pack a bottle for each kid, and a spare for when someone inevitably spills theirs. We keep a gallon jug refill at home (I buy that at Target in the summer). This is a great activity for outdoor playgrounds if you want to make friends since all kids love blowing, chasing, and popping bubbles! Store in a ziplock baggie if you’re concerned about leaks.

• A Picnic. Somehow my kids have developed a Pavlovian response to playgrounds – they set foot on a playground and ask for a snack. Without fail. Regardless of when we last ate. You can keep snacks in your bag or pack them each time. We love applesauce pouches, clementines, bananas, apple slices, raisins, veggie straws, etc. I also bring a small lunchbox cooler with sandwiches. A picnic at the park is such a classic outdoor playground activity.

• Running Games. My kids ask to play hide and seek and I’m not comfortable letting them out of my sight. Instead we play Tag, Duck Duck Goose, or Red Light Green Light

• Scavenger Hunt. I’ve created these photo scavenger hunt boards for kids. You can laminate them to reuse them, or print off a handful and keep them in your back. This is such a great activity for outdoor playgrounds because you never know what you’ll find and it can lead to fun conversations. I’ve created 3 FREE scavenger hunt pages that you can download here.

Other Essentials for Outdoor Playgrounds

• Baby Wipes – Bubbles are messy. Chalk is messy. Snacks are messy. Playing is messy. Just keep a pack of wipes with you for the clean ups. We use standard baby wipes, but you could opt for sanitizing hand wipes.

• Sunscreen – I forget to put sunscreen on my kids 100% of the time when we are trying to get out the door. I keep a tube in our bag so that I can put it on when we get there, and reapply as necessary.

• A hat and sunglasses for me – I keep a dedicated hat for me in the car so that I don’t have to remember to grab it. You could also keep cheap sunglasses in here too.

• A blanket & towel – I don’t put these in the bag, I just keep them in my trunk in the summer. The towel comes in handy when you hit the playground and all the slides are still wet from dew or overnight rain. The blanket is great for impromptu picnics. I use an old quilt and old towel. Nothing fancy, but they get the job done and I’m not sad if they get forgotten or destroyed.

Of course, don’t forget water! I love these Water Bottles (for me and the kids) – I get 14oz for the girls and 32oz for me.

If you’re looking for other fun ways to keep kids entertained, check out this post with what I bring to restaurants to keep kids happy. The post includes ideas for toddlers and little kids, plus another free download!