10 fun outdoor activities for kids of all ages this Easter

Introduction

Easter is a time for family and friends to come together and celebrate the holidays. It is a time of joy, new life and happiness, and children especially enjoy the many activities that are associated with Easter. Here at Gates Garden Centre, we believe that outdoor play is essential for children’s development. Playing outdoors allows children to explore their environment, learn about nature, and develop their physical and social skills. We have our own outdoor play area here at the Garden Centre with a climbing frame and basket swings, to help entertain youngsters while mums and dads are shopping.

We want to make outdoor play even more fun and engaging by offering a variety of Easter holiday activities that appeal to children of all interests. Whether your child is into art, sports, bugs, games, exploring, partying, or flowers, we have an idea that will provide them with hours of fun and learning over the Easter break. We hope that by providing these ideas, we can help children develop a lifelong love of nature and the outdoors. Here are some great ideas of fun and engaging outdoor activities that you can do with kids during Easter.

1. Build a Den

Building, playing and hiding out in a den will give kids hours of fun. As den building requires children to come up with a plan, organise their materials, and put them together in a specific way, this can help them develop problem-solving and engineering skills. Since there are no rules when it comes to building a den, kids can be as creative as they want, helping them develop their imagination and creativity. It is a fun activity to do with friends or family, helping children learn how to work together and cooperate. Den building also gives kids a sense of accomplishment and self-confidence, helping them learn how to be independent and do things on their own.

Den building kits by The Den Kit Company are suitable for use in either woodland or garden settings, including everything needed to fire young imaginations, and inspire hours of creative play outdoors. They can be used again and again and they’re made with the British climate in mind as they’re weather resistant. A Garden Teepee gives kids a similar place to play and hideout.

2. Nature-play kits

Other kits for adventurous outdoor play in the Den Kit Company collection include a natural outdoor Potion Kit, Flower Press Kit and a Tree Planting Kit.

When making potions outdoors kids can use their imagination to experiment with mixing up different potion recipes using ingredients from the natural world around them and imagine what the potions might do. Keeping them occupied for hours at a time, they can have fun with this kit either on their own or with friends. With the inclusion of the natural dyes beetroot powder and turmeric, plus dried rosemary, rose petals and lavender, this helps ensure the kids don’t repeatedly end up making boring brown sludge!

Planting a tree is a great way for children to learn about the environment and how trees grow. They’ll learn about the importance of soil, water, and sunlight, and they can see first-hand how trees grow from seeds to saplings. It’s also a great way teach them the importance of taking care of plants. They’ll gather seeds, plant them, water them, and tend to their trees. This helps them develop fine motor skills and coordination. Kids will also be responsible for taking care of their saplings and will learn that they need to be patient, as it takes time for the tree to grow. When kids spend time in nature in this way, they are more likely to appreciate and care for their environment.

Pressing flowers helps develop chlidren’s appreciation of flowers. They’ll learn how to harvest, capture and preserve their beauty, learning about the science of drying flowers along the way. They can also experiment with making different patterns with flowers – perfect for artistic types.

3. Easter Egg Hunt

Eggs are the quintessential Easter item, as they’re a powerful symbol of new life. Set up an Easter egg hunt in your garden or local park. Hide colourful chocolate eggs or small toys for kids to find. If you don’t like the idea of your children having all that chocolate, then as an alternative, you can set up an Easter treasure hunt around the garden, with Easter-themed clues to collect and a single prize for completing the hunt successfully.

These ideas work well as children enjoy participating in the hunt and will have fun collecting all the clues, and of course they enjoy the reward of the prizes! You can mix it up with chocolate eggs in all different sizes, from mini and medium to large, whilst small pocket-money toys make good alternative prizes.

4. Egg rolling

Easter doesn’t begin and end with an egg hunt. If you’ve never tried egg rolling, then you’re in for a real treat. Egg rolling is a simple game that is fun for people of all ages. It is a traditional activity that is associated with Easter, but it can be enjoyed any time of the year. Get your kids to decorate hard boiled eggs with either paints, pens or stickers, then give each player a wooden spoon and have races rolling the decorated eggs down a grassy hill.

Egg rolling is a fantastic way to get exercise and work up a sweat whilst spending time outdoors, and having fun with friends and family. Egg rolling is a social activity, and it is a great way to bond with the people you care about. If you are looking for a fun and active way to celebrate Easter, or just to enjoy a nice day outdoors, egg rolling is a great option. Remember to hard-boil the eggs first, or the kids may end up with egg on their face!

5. Nature walk

Take a nature walk with your children and see if you can spot any signs of spring, such as blooming flowers, chirping birds, or baby animals. Your kids will love learning about the ways spring is important in nature. Essential for any adventure in the great outdoors are the exciting range of metal adventurer products, such as a Metal Mini Microscope, Magnifying Glass, Compass, Whistle or Head Light.

The Mini Microscope and Magnifying Glass can be used for studying bugs, flowers, leaves, earth, and much much more. Looking at nature in detail through these objects can reveal a refreshingly new perspective on the natural world, which will fascinate curious minds. The Compass, Whistle and Headtorch can be used to help navigate the walk without using GPS as a guide. Using these items kids get a feeling for their surroundings and how to find their way around, including learning all about the four poles, magnetic North and how to stay safe when out and about.

The Nature Fun Hand Powered Flashlight illuminates the outdoors and finds the way when night falls. Powered entirely by a tug on its ring pull, it is sustainably produced from Bamboo and plant-derived plastic; perfect for the eco-friendly explorer. This can either be used on a nature walk, or around the house and garden when the lights are off.

If there’s a babbling brook with a suitable bridge nearby, you could play pooh sticks. Younger children love the simple and competitive nature of this game and enjoy the anticipation of waiting for the sticks to float by and see who has won. You can also teach them about how the river flows and the sticks float. Pooh sticks is a great leveller too, as young children have as much chance as winning as everyone else.

6. Head out for a picnic

Pack a picnic lunch and head to a local park or nature reserve. There are many benefits to having a picnic outdoors with the children. Picnics are a great way to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and enjoy some quality time together as a family. You can talk, laugh, and play games without any distractions. Picnics involve a lot of running around and playing games, which is a great way to get fresh air and exercise. Picnicking in a beautiful outdoor setting is a good way to appreciate the beauty of nature. You can take a walk, go for a hike, or just relax and enjoy the scenery.

Importantly, picnics are a relatively inexpensive way to spend time together – much cheaper than heading out for a meal in a pub or restaurant. They are a great way to create memories that will last a lifetime. You can take pictures, make videos, or just enjoy the moment. To have fun, whilst also burning off some energy when finished eating, you could bring along a multicoloured throwing disc to play with.

7. Fly a kite

Enjoy the spring breeze by flying a kite in an open field or beach. Flying a kite is a fun and exciting activity that kids of all ages can enjoy. You can talk, laugh, and enjoy each other’s company while watching the kite soar through the air. Flying a kite is a good opportunity to teach children about science. They can learn about aerodynamics, wind patterns, and how to control the kite’s flight. Brookite Kites have been traditionally-made for over 100 years. They are hand-stitched, and use rip-stop spinnaker nylon with fibregalss struts for strength. The Brookite collection features everything from Classic Bow Tail kites to Beautiful Brightly-coloured Bermuda Birds.

8. Classic outdoor games

Playing traditional outdoor games such as hopscotch, and classic wooden Croquet, Quoits and Crazy Golf can help develop children’s hand to eye coordination, balance, teach them how to take turns with each other, have fun socialising together and compete in an enjoyable, friendly manner. They’re great entertainment for either the back garden or wherever you end up playing. We also stock a bright collection of racket ball games that are perfect for small hands and are a fun way to while away an afternoon outdoors.

9. Water toys

If your children are water babies, then they’ll enjoy the thrills and excitement of a garden super slide; or maybe a Nerf Super Soaker, for cheeky outdoor water fun. Playing with water and sand can be really fun for younger children, who will love exploring the unique sensory feeling of them, whilst getting messy and creative. If you’re heading to the beach, or just messing around in the garden with sand or water, you may like to pick up a brightly-coloured bucket and spade to get the most out of the activity.

10. Have an outdoor pizza party or BBQ

Making fresh pizza teaches children about the different skills involved in creating a pizza: measuring and mixing ingredients, the action of the yeast, kneading, proving, rolling out the dough, preparing the toppings, building the pizza and cooking. it They’ll feel a real sense of achievement in producing their own edible creation, plus they’ll have great fun getting messy and tailoring the pizza to their own preferences.

Alternatively, have a family barbecue and enjoy grilling outside with your kids. Children will love cooking and socialising outdoors and will learn the various stages of cooking BBQ food: preparing ingredients, building a fire, cooking food and cleaning up afterwards. They’ll learn valuable skills such as how to stay safe around a barbecue and the importance of food safety along the way, before having a great time eating barbecue food and having fun at the party.

Summary

Easter is a special time for children, and there are many outdoor activities that they can enjoy. By participating in these activities, children can learn about the meaning of Easter and have loads of fun along the way, creating meaningful memories that you and your family will cherish for years to come. Whether you are heading to the park, the great outdoors, or just hanging out in the garden, at Gates Garden Centre we have a lovely range of products to support your outdoor activities that are good for hours of play.

In our on-site Farm Shop, we sell a wide variety of inexpensive food and drink, which is suitable to take on a picnic, including fresh, pastry goods, soft drinks, and a tempting array of artisanal crisps and sweet treats, which are perfect for small hands. We also stock mini, medium, and large chocolate eggs as prizes for egg hunts. Head over to our Outdoor Living department for a fantastic range of traditional outdoor toys and picnicware, including food containers, cool boxes or bags, outdoor plates, mugs and straws in fun designs. Meanwhile, you can find Brookite Classic Kites along with Metal Adventurer Toys, Den Building kits and egg decorating supplies in our Toys and Games department.

You’ll find a great selection of outdoor entertaining products in our Outdoor Living department, including Barbecues, Pizza Ovens and all the accessories you need to get grilling in the springtime. Our in-store butchery, Hambleton Farms, has a fantastic range of locally-reared meat for excellent quality food from farm to fork, whilst the Farm Shop stocks all the supplies you need to create great fresh pizzas. For all these great outdoor activities, games and pastimes, drop into our Leicestershire store, or call us on 01664 454309.