I received free product and compensation from Claritin® to write this post. All opinions are my own.
It’s spring and the living is easy, except when you have two young kids who need a creative outlet for all of their energy. That’s when it’s time to head outside, even if it’s just 20 minutes a day. Keeping young kids at the age of two busy requires patience and imagination. One thing it doesn’t require is lots of money. The makers of Claritin want to make sure everyone has a chance to experience the great outdoors. They’re committed to helping allergy sufferers enjoy outside activities, whether it’s helping relieve the sniffling and sneezing of seasonal allergies or by inspiring others with their 20 Minutes of Spring Project. They’re in year two of a three-year partnership between Claritin and Boys & Girls Clubs of America, where Claritin has committed up to $500,000 to fund programming and create resources to help get kids outside.
Here’s 7 easy low-cost outdoor ideas for young kids that are big on budget-friendly fun.
1. Sidewalk Chalk Artwork. Purchase sidewalk chalk at the dollar store and head out to the patio or sidewalk. Large pieces of chalk are best for young kids, who are still working on their fine motor skills. Encourage the kids to draw their favorite things. One of J’s favorite activities is writing “words.” I sit on the patio and write names of family members and pets and she “copies” me. Clean up is easy too. All I need is a hose.
2. Bubble Fest. Another dollar store purchase, bubbles can be created in different sizes by using common kitchen tools. Straws, biscuit cutters, and cardboard tubes make great additions to bubble play.
3. Nature Hikes. This doesn’t have to be a hike through rugged terrain. A simple stroll around the neighborhood can introduce children to nature. Stop to smell the flowers, pick dandelions, or find rocks. This is a wonderful way to discover colors, textures, and shapes.
4. Picnics in the Park. We have a large park in our area with a huge green space. Once a week we take a picnic to the park, relax by the river, and then play in the fountain. If your area doesn’t have a park like this, pack a blanket, head out to the backyard, and enjoy a small picnic. You don’t even have to pack lunch; a bag of animal crackers, goldfish, or other simple snacks will do.
5. Gardening. There’s nothing like playing in the dirt. Gardening doesn’t have to be complicated or need much space. Start with a container garden and three edible plants. The kids will have fun watering and caring for their plants. As a bonus, you’ll be able to eat the harvest.
6. Look for Low Cost Community Activities- Whether it’s Family Movie Night in the Park or Free Concerts, most communities offer evening activities from once a week to once a month during the summer. If you’re not sure if your community offers these programs, check the website of the local convention and visitor’s bureau. They usually have a page listing local summer activities.
7. Visit State Parks. We’re lucky enough to live near several state parks. They’re an excellent place to spend the day with plenty of opportunities for picnicking and hiking. They’re also affordably priced; $5 for one car per day. But, here’s an even better deal. Check with your local library before visiting. Our local libraries have annual park passes that can be checked out for 3 to 5 days, making the visit free.
I love spending time outdoors with the young kids and think all kids should have a chance to get outdoors and use their imaginations. The makers of Claritin agree, and in the first year, they developed a Play Breaks Guide to help keep kids active. This year Claritin provided an Imagination Playground for Boys & Girls Clubs of America at PS 125 in Harlem, NYC. This will give the kids the opportunity to enjoy the outside and participate in some of their favorite activities.
A new survey commissioned by the makers of Claritin found that spending as little as 20 minutes outside in nature can help make you feel happy. Furthermore, 97% percent of Americans surveyed find that spring is a great season to experience the simple joys that outdoor activities provide.
*Use as directed.
Want to help make a difference with the kids of Boys & Girls Clubs of America? It’s simple – post a picture of your favorite family-friendly outdoor spring activity on Facebook or Instagram with both #Claritin and #20MinutesofSpring by June 21, 2018. Every post triggers a $5 donation to Boys and Girls Clubs of America (up to $50,000).
You can learn more at Claritin.com/20MinutesofSpring.
What are your favorite low-cost outdoor activities for young kids?
Great ideas. We used to go to the park a lot when my son was little. It was always fun for him.
I know when you have kids! They need to be entertain always! They a full of energy! And this is a great idea!
Great ideas and activities for the little ones. I used to love taking my kids to the park and enjoy some time outdoors
This is a really cute activity list. The little ones can be easily entertained sometimes.
I love taking them to thr park. They always make new friends.
Awesome ideas! I have been planning our summer around low cost local options instead of extravagent travel plans, and I am loving the low key laid back feel.
Claritin always helps me around allergy season. Glad they have a chewable version for kids!
I love all of these ideas. I’m always up for some fun activities that don’t cost much. I’ve already got a lot of plans this summer with my girls that either cost nothing or are super cheap.
I love this list. We went on long walks and looked for birds and other animals along the way. It was free and the kids loved it!
Love your post! So many great ideas! Can’t wait to share it with my SIL who has a little one!
These are such great activities to do with the kiddies. We are always at the playground!
When the weather is nice, we do a lot of hiking and biking. We love being active and spending time out in the fresh air enjoying nature.
These are great ideas to keep kids entertained during summer break. We have a splash pad nearby and that keeps the kids happy for hours. It’s fun and entertaining for them.
My kids LOVE getting outside! I will tell you, Claritin has been a lifesaver for my poor daughter this year. She is suffering so bad!
Summer for us is about having fun for free! We will be exploring new parks and hiking new trails. Have a great summer!
I love free or low cost things to do with my kids. During the summer, it gets too hot in the summer so if we do any outdoor activities we try to get out either early morning or later in the evening unless it involves water. We love spending plenty of time at the swimming pool or splash pad so that we can cool off.
These are some great ideas. I really try to provide my kids with experiences and they do not have to cost money to do that. Walks in parks and really to just get away and be together is important.
I love going on nature walks with my little one. When he’s older, we’ll be going on nature walks with purpose: we’ll scour the trail and I’d love to teach him about different plants, animals. etc.
My mom has allergies and it affects so many things. None of us got them but her. I love low cost things the kids will have a blast doing! Theyre so easy to make happy when they’re little. 🙂
I love that we have forest preserves with paths around us. We will go for walks and count flowers or birds that we see.
Children’s Claritin is a must-have in our medicine cabinet! These are some great ideas for low cost activities.
These are wonderful ideas. We love to visit our state parks. We were just camping in the Rocky Mountain National park last week and guess what, we forgot the claritin and had to come home a day early because my son’s eyes were so swollen from allergies and it got to me pretty badly too. We will remember it before we head out on our next camping trip.
These are great ideas that I will be taking advantage of soon! My kids only have 1 week left of school.
All such fun activities! My kids loved bubbles and sidewalk chalk when they were little.
These are all great activities to do outside, I must admit allergies are awful this year for both my youngest and me. Driving me crazy, I’ll have to try Claritin!
My tots are older teens now and reading your ideas brought back so many fun activities we did when they were younger. I love that you’ve found some active things that don’t break the bank (because so many do). And of course love having Claritin on the ready during this deadly allergy season.
These are great ideas. I am constantly asking my kids to come hang out with me in the garden. We also love going to the park at least once a day
So many great ideas! Things can get so costly so looking for low cost activities during the summer months to keep the kiddos entertained is a top priority!
There is nothing like having some low cost ideas to hand, especially over the summer. I used to love using chalk on the ground!
These are all great low budget ideas for entertaining young children. I don’t have kids of my own but I do have nieces and nephews and it gets expensive entertaining them!! LOL!!
These are fun ideas. I love low cost activities. We tend to go to our neighborhood pool a lot over the summer, or we do explore State Parks!
OH how I love kids at that age. Anything you do they will love. Claritin also is very helpful this time of year.
Summer vacation for us is fast approaching. Never understood why our kids go until mid-June, but, that’s a whole other topic. A good nature hike sounds like a great activity to take the kids on soon.
I love these ideas. When my kids were little, I used to find inexpensive things to do that let us have fun together. You don’t need expensive trips, you just need each other.