6 Free Outdoor Toddler Activities

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If you live in the midwest, you know the feeling of spring finally arriving. That feeling of “We did it! We made it past ANOTHER long, cold winter!”. This feeling is magnified with kids, I swear. My daughter Quinn is almost one and a half aka SUCH a fun age for all the things and we’ve been loving the spring season already. I wanted to share a couple of toddler activities we’ve been doing to spend our days in hopes some of you moms (or dads or nannies or grandmas or etc.) out there get some new ideas and inspiration. Stick along for these FREE activities.

Walks! (obviously). We go on walks just about every day, even in winter, but we have been able to go on multiple walks a day and much longer walks with the nicer weather.  My daughter loves looking around at all of the birds chirping and flying, watching the planes in the sky and observing other people walking their own kids or dogs. I could go on forever about why walks are a great idea, but I’ll let you do the walking and see for yourself!

Parks! We live in a tiny town and a couple of parks are just a short walk away, so we have been taking full advantage. We have also been driving to the surrounding towns and checking out their parks. Don’t be afraid to go down the slides with your little one and truly play with them. Sometimes us adults forget what it’s like to just have a little fun!

Mom and kid dates! At least once a week we are meeting up with friends and their kids to get out of the house for a playdate. Typically this looks like going over to each other’s houses, meeting up at a coffee shop, going on walks together or meeting up at the library. It’s nice because the kids get to play with each other while us moms catch up. These dates are a must for both you and the kids.

Local hikes! Although we don’t have the enormous mountains surrounding us, we still have little trails and lakes we can explore. Get the app AllTrails (not sponsored) to see what’s around you. Sometimes you’d be surprised by the beauty so close to your home. For example, we live close to a gorgeous lake, so we like to go on hikes overlooking this lake. I am still in awe of the view every time. It doubles as a quick destressor and mood booster, too! I found a hiking backpack carrier off of Facebook marketplace similar to this one which we love for hikes like this.

Playing outside! Of all the things, this is Quinn’s favorite. She’s obsessed with walking around our house just exploring all of the outdoorsy things. I love watching her curious little mind explore the rocks and grass and plants. She reminds me that there’s joy in the simple things. We have a small slide and play castle she’s been loving. One of my core childhood memories is playing outside all summer long and I’m so pumped for Quinn to make similar memories. Next on our to-get list is a big jungle gym and sandbox!

The zoo! We don’t live super close to the zoo, but close enough that we can make a morning out of it. Our zoo is outdoors and indoors, but now that it’s nicer out we have been able to enjoy it a little more. This is such a great way to spend the day for both your kid and yourself and it’s a little bit different every time we go. We’ve been able to get free passes for the zoo (and many other places) through our local library. 

Final Thoughts

So there you have it! Six free toddler friendly activities  we are consistently doing this spring to make the most out of the season. It’s been amazing to be able to get out of the house more, breathe in the fresh air and see what else we can explore. Not to mention, Quinn’s been napping so much better because of all the action. If that isn’t a motivator for you, I don’t know what is! Hopefully this inspired you to get out and adventure. I would love to hear if you have any other ideas as far as outdoor toddler activities go. I’m always looking to try something new!