Nature Walk Ideas for Toddlers & Preschoolers (40+ Activities!)

We’ve put together a list of things you can do on nature walks with your young child(ren). There are so many benefits to spending time outdoors and in nature, especially for kids. Hopefully this list will help inspire you and make your next nature walk more fun!

Of course, you don’t need an agenda or planned activities for nature walks. You can simply follow your child and meander and explore together. Time spent in nature is never wasted!

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List of Nature Walk Ideas for Toddlers & Preschoolers

Look at the Clouds Talk about the shapes and colors. Watch them move.
Collect Leaves Find leaves, stack them, talk about their shapes, colors, and sizes. Which leaf is bigger/smaller?
Crinkle Leaves Talk about how it feels. Talk about the smells. Throw the little pieces of leaf in the air and watch them fall to the ground.
Collect Sticks Find big sticks and little sticks.
Play with Sticks You can stack them or build with them. Stick them in the ground. Throw them (safely, of course!). Break them. Dig with them. Rub or tap them against different surfaces and talk about it – “that’s loud/quiet”, “that’s bumpy/smooth”, etc.
Find Rocks Talk about sizes, textures and shapes. Line them up. Count them.
Stack Rocks See how many you can stack. Count out loud. Make it a fun challenge.
Bring Playdough Make imprints of rocks, leaves, sticks, acorns or tree bark.
Look at Birds Observe and talk about the bird’s behaviors.
Look for Bugs Flip over rocks. Observe and talk about the different bugs you see.
Observe Animals What animals can you find? Squirrels, lizards, turtles, ducks? Observe and talk about what you see.
Make Nature Stew/Pretend to Cook Pick grass, fallen leaves, weeds, etc. and mix together to make pretend stew.
Pick Up Litter If you see litter, pick it up and take the opportunity to talk about littering. Make sure you use hand sanitizer afterwards!
Sit on the Ground Take a break and just sit. Run your hands through the grass or feel the cool ground with your hands.
Lay on the Ground It’s amazing how laying on the ground vs. just sitting on the ground can give you a completely different experience and perspective.
Play in the Dirt Get those hands dirty!
Explore Tree Bark Touch it, talk about it, compare different ones. Look for fallen tree bark.
Go Climbing Kids love to climb – it’s in their nature (see what I did there!). While ensuring safety, allow kids to climb on tree roots, tree limbs, tree stumps or large rocks.
Drive Toy Cars Through Various Terrain Bring along a little toy car. Have fun driving it through the dirt, grass, rocks, tree roots and other various terrain.
Bring a Favorite Toy Bring along your child’s favorite toy and incorporate it in your nature adventures!
Have a Picnic Bring along a snack or meal to enjoy on your nature walk.
Smell Flowers Stop and smell the flowers!
Draw Nature Bring along some paper and crayons. You can your child can draw things you see on your nature walk.
Draw With Nature Using water and dirt, you can draw on paper or pavement.
Splash in Puddles Go on a nature walk after a rainstorm and you may come across some puddles – perfect for jumping in and splashing around.
Take off Your Shoes Take off both your shoes and feel the grass and dirt under your feet. Talk about what it feels like (is it warm/cold? is it smooth/rough? does the grass tickle your feet?)
Sing Songs Sing some of your favorite songs while outside.
Listen to Music Play some music from your phone. It can be relaxing or upbeat!
Dance Get all your kid’s wiggles out! “Freeze dance” is favorite in our house that always gets us dancing!
Act Out “We’re Going On A Bear Hunt” If you haven’t heard of this book, we highly recommend it! There’s also various renditions of the story in song form!
Pretend to be Different Animals Let your surroundings inspire you! Can you pretend to be a bird? Or let your imagination run wild! Is that cow I hear?
Play a Game of Tag Run around and chase each other (if it’s safe to do so!).
Read a Book It’s amazing how reading a book outside can totally change the experience!
Stretch/Do Yoga Use nature as your inspiration! “Can you reach up and stand tall like a tree?”
Make a Birds Nest Gather some sticks and twigs and see if you can make a birds nest.
Talk About Colors Look for specific colors (for example, things that are yellow) or point out what colors you see.
Talk About Sounds Point out the different sounds you hear.
Talk About Shapes Point out any shapes you see.
Talk About Letters Be on the lookout for any letters you see and point them out and talk about what they spell.
Talk About Smells There are so many different scents to be found outdoors! Smell around and talk about them.
Talk About Texture Feel various natural objects around you and use them to teach about the different ways they feel.