Spring Into Play: Play-Based Ways to Get Children Outside This Season
- Lisa Xiong, MA, LMFT, RPT
- 6 hours ago
- 3 min read
Why Outdoor Play Matters
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) shares that children have better physical, mental and emotional health, and even improved learning, when they play outdoors.
As we spring forward and the days get longer, spring offers something children naturally crave—space, movement, and freedom to play. Spring is the perfect time to gently invite children back outside in ways that are free, fun, low-pressure, and developmentally meaningful. In simple terms, when kids play outside, they feel better and function better, which can positively impact family relationships.
Outdoor play is uniquely powerful because its only purpose is to have pure joy and fun.
Spending time outside has been shown to:
Reduce stress, anxiety, and low mood
Improve focus and attention
Boost creativity and problem-solving
Strengthen social skills and connection
Support better sleep and overall well-being
So how do you do this with your child?
*All listed activities can be slightly tweaked to meet the developmental needs of your child.
These activities are intentionally simple and flexible—because in play therapy, the magic is in what the child brings to the experience.
1. Nature Treasure Hunt can help increase mindfulness, curiosity, and integrate their senses into the play. Invite your child to find items they can easily find outdoors. Ask them to find “something soft, something hard, a stick, a flower, etc.”
2. Puddle Play & “Messy Play” might make caregivers uneasy; however, it can help your child to regulate emotions and release stress in a safe and physical way. Remember mud pies or mud soups you used to make? Invite your child to play with water, blow bubbles, play with mud, or slip and slide.
3. Build a “Nature Fort”- Using sticks, rocks, and leaves, kids can create a small structure or “safe space.” Having the ability to make or build something encourages self-control, mastery skills, and imaginative play.
4. Outdoor Art Studio Bring crayons, chalk, paint outside, or use natural materials like leaves and sticks to create art pieces. Use different art mediums to draw, color, and paint on leaves or the sidewalk. Create themed art for your yard (i.e., Messages of peace or brightening your neighbor’s day). Art allows for creative expression and becomes a safe way to communicate feelings and experiences that children may not have words for.
5. Movement Games Keep it child-led—let them make the rules. Create an obstacle course, play follow-the-leader, do body stretches outside, tag, sports, jump rope, and hula hooping, etc. The outdoors can encourage emotional release, cooperation, and confidence building.
6. Plant Something Together Planting flowers, vegetables, and herbs outside can help teach patience, responsibility, hope, and instill caring for their environment. Consider planting things for your neighbor if they allow it.
How to make all this work in real life with what you have outside
You do not need a large acre of land, a fancy playground in the backyard, or a pool. Using what you have available to you in your environment invites brainstorming and collaborating. Simply, “Fun does not need to be fancy or cost a lot of money!”
Keep in mind that children live in moments, even small moments with family, friends, and neighbors outside can be deeply impactful, lift mood, increase connection, create opportunities for meaningful interaction.
Nature doesn’t have to be big to be impactful. What matters is how your child feels when they play with you. That will be an everlasting memory!
Gentle Reminders for Caregivers:
Follow the child’s lead (not the plan)
Let play be imperfect, messy, and flexible
Focus on connection over outcome
Limit screens to make space for outdoor play
Aim for consistency, not perfection
Keep it simple, not fancy
References:
Morgan, B., & McKillop, H. (2025, March). The benefits of the outdoors on children's mental health. The Kids Mental Health Foundation. https://www.kidsmentalhealthfoundation.org/mental-health-resources/mental-wellness/benefits-of-outdoors
UNICEF. (2025, May 1). The importance of outdoor play (and how to support it). https://www.unicef.org/eca/stories/importance-outdoor-play-and-how-support-it