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by Kristin M. Lesney

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5 Simple Activities To Do Outdoors With Your Kids

You are here: Home / Giveaways / 5 Simple Activities To Do Outdoors With Your Kids

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This is a partnered post with Take Me Fishing™.

dad fishing with daughter on pier

The greatest thing about having a husband who is so adventurous means that our children always have something fun to do. Some weekends it’s hiking and camping outdoors, other weekends it’s at the beach and on a fishing trip. You’ll even find us on the lake in the mountains on my parents’ boat in the summer. Living in Southern California means there is literally always something to do outdoors.

This weekend, my daughter and my husband packed up their fishing poles and went to the beach. There’s always a pier and plenty of other fishermen nearby, and our eight-year-old loves people watching. There’s tons of activity on the pier – and there’s nothing quite like the feeling of your #FirstCatch of the year! And that’s what summer is all about—creating meaningful moments with children.

There are lots of ways to make the most of summer with your family. Here are some of my favorites:fishing off santa monica pier

 

5 Simple Activities to Do Outdoors with Your Kids

  1. Go Fishing – You can find out everything you need to know to get started at Take Me Fishing™. From choosing gear to buying a fishing license, this site is a great resource for beginners and pros alike.
  2. Find Water – There are so many fun things to do near water, whether it be a lake, a river, or even the ocean. You can see some of the top places across the country to cast a line at Take Me Fishing’s™ list of Best Family-Friendly Places to Fish and Boat.
  3. Go Hiking – You can find local trailheads crisscrossing all through the country. We even take our kids hiking. It’s a great way to explore outdoors.
  4. Go Camping – We love camping and honestly you don’t need a lot of gear to make it happen. In California, we can camp anywhere from the beaches to the mountains, and there’s so much you can do while camping. Some of our best family memories have been made while camping with our kiddos.
  5. Find a Local Park – One of our favorite things to do in the evenings is to take a walk. We have many local parks within walking distance so we walk and play when we get there. It’s a great way to wind down from a hot summer day.

fishing for kids santa monica pier california

Check out Take Me Fishing™ to plan a fishing and boating adventure for your family—and be sure to share it with me on social using #FirstCatch!

What are some fun and simple things you like to do outdoors with your family?

Comment with your ideas below, then like Take Me Fishing™ on Facebook for your chance to win a $50 gift card plus a fishing prize package!

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About Kristin

Hi, I'm Kristin a now single mom of three. Our Ordinary Life is a family lifestyle site that started in 2006.

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Comments

  1. Jerry Marquardt says

    08/30/2017 at 8:44 pm

    I love to go to the beach and enjoy an afternoon to make my summer day the perfect one.

  2. Philip Lawrence says

    08/30/2017 at 8:16 pm

    Our favorite outdoor activity is going to the zoo with my grandchild.

  3. Sand says

    08/30/2017 at 8:12 pm

    We love to go hiking!

  4. Meme says

    08/30/2017 at 8:07 pm

    We love to go to the park, camping and fishing

  5. tridingermckee says

    08/30/2017 at 8:02 pm

    We definitely love going hiking- especially new trails. We have a hike called Thousand Steps and it is these steps up a mountain that the coal miners used to walk every day.

  6. Michelle H. says

    08/30/2017 at 7:31 pm

    We love to go fishing and hiking in the mountains.

  7. Leela says

    08/30/2017 at 7:29 pm

    We like nature hikes.

  8. Kayla Klontz says

    08/30/2017 at 7:29 pm

    I love taking my kids camping, fishing, swimming, and hiking!

  9. Jessi says

    08/30/2017 at 6:57 pm

    Walking the dog.

  10. dvice12 says

    08/30/2017 at 6:19 pm

    We like to go hiking

  11. Amy Deeter says

    08/30/2017 at 4:28 pm

    I like to take my children on walks and going to the park

  12. donna porter says

    08/30/2017 at 3:47 pm

    We love to go camping at the lake. We do go fishing while there.

  13. John H. says

    08/30/2017 at 2:20 pm

    We like to BBQ, camp and fish.

  14. Jennifer H. says

    08/30/2017 at 1:19 pm

    We like to plant a garden.

  15. kathypease says

    08/30/2017 at 11:22 am

    We love to swim, play badmitton and volley ball

  16. Amy Smeltzer says

    08/30/2017 at 9:30 am

    I don’t have kids but my favorite thing outdoors is watching animals.

  17. jeremy mclaughlin says

    08/30/2017 at 8:49 am

    We enjoy going bike riding.

  18. Sarah Mayer says

    08/30/2017 at 8:10 am

    Going for walks/hikes and bike rides.

  19. Aaron says

    08/30/2017 at 12:51 am

    We play kick the can.

  20. ladyt64 says

    08/29/2017 at 10:24 pm

    We like to play games outdoors.

  21. Seyma Shabbir says

    08/29/2017 at 9:20 pm

    I love to go biking or flying a kite. My parents have taken my sons fishing but we have not gone all together yet.

  22. Rae74 says

    08/29/2017 at 8:35 pm

    I like fishing ,camping, picnics, cookouts walking in the park

  23. Jane McGregor says

    08/29/2017 at 8:34 pm

    Go to the beach!

  24. Mia J says

    08/29/2017 at 7:40 pm

    We like to go hikingand geocaching.

  25. jennyscheldberg says

    08/29/2017 at 7:01 pm

    We like to check out state parks throughout our state. Hidden (affordable) treasures.

  26. laura588 says

    08/29/2017 at 6:23 pm

    We like to go bike riding and go to the duck pond to feed the ducks.
    Laurie Emerson

  27. Renee Grosskreuz says

    08/29/2017 at 5:31 pm

    We go on a nature hike.

  28. Breanne says

    08/29/2017 at 5:30 pm

    We like camping.

  29. Brittney House says

    08/29/2017 at 5:17 pm

    We love going to the beach. My kids love the waves.

  30. robyn paris says

    08/29/2017 at 4:02 pm

    we like to play sidewalk chalk.

  31. elizabeth miller says

    08/29/2017 at 1:50 pm

    We have what looks like a little pond in our development but it is really a water retention basin. We love to walk up to it and fish for the little sunnies and all.

  32. Amanda Lea says

    08/29/2017 at 1:09 pm

    Our favorite thing to do outdoors is bike! We bike to the local farmers market and outdoor festivals!

  33. Ed says

    08/29/2017 at 9:07 am

    We heart biking and hiking!

  34. DeeAnn says

    08/29/2017 at 7:53 am

    Fishing has always been a great outdoor activity for our family. We like packing up some drinks, a few sandwiches, and other “goodies”, and head out to our favorite lake for a fun day. Thanks.

  35. shaneazoom says

    08/29/2017 at 4:38 am

    We take them hiking to the local waterfalls.

  36. Abigail Gibson says

    08/28/2017 at 9:41 pm

    I enjoy playing in the sprinklers with my nephew.

  37. Holly Kennedy says

    08/28/2017 at 6:48 pm

    Picnics outside

  38. Paula Michele Hafner says

    08/28/2017 at 6:38 pm

    We love to go hiking together. Our other favorite is to go beach combing.

  39. Carol says

    08/28/2017 at 5:26 pm

    I like to go to the park with the kids.

  40. Ashley B says

    08/28/2017 at 5:08 pm

    Play soccer!

  41. Lisa Voyce says

    08/28/2017 at 4:16 pm

    I have been taking my granddaughter on hikes, to lead in to backpacking.

  42. Brenda Elsner says

    08/28/2017 at 1:24 pm

    My kids love fishing and camping.

  43. Daniel M says

    08/28/2017 at 12:43 pm

    going to the beach

  44. Stephanie Larison says

    08/28/2017 at 11:55 am

    Taking the kids out to the park and riding bikes together.

  45. Angela Thorpe says

    08/28/2017 at 6:14 am

    We love to go swimming at the pool and camping!

  46. Mark Marville says

    08/27/2017 at 8:48 pm

    Swim in the pool!

  47. Jennifer Reed says

    08/27/2017 at 7:44 pm

    My favorite simple activities to do outdoors with my kids is to go walk around open nature space areas in our city.

  48. jberry says

    08/27/2017 at 7:15 pm

    Gardening is the best, cheap if you can stave off impulses in the garden dept.

  49. Christina Sauve Oliver says

    08/27/2017 at 6:38 pm

    Hanging out and playing at the park.

  50. busyworkingmama says

    08/27/2017 at 6:13 pm

    I love to go hiking with my daughter.

  51. Danielle Wood says

    08/27/2017 at 5:26 pm

    My kids like to go fishing

  52. Julie Hawkins says

    08/27/2017 at 5:03 pm

    My kids love just swimming or running around the park.

  53. Erica B. says

    08/27/2017 at 7:08 am

    Going swimming and to the playground.

  54. Jennifer M says

    08/26/2017 at 9:32 pm

    We’re pretty easy to please – hiking, biking, swimming and walking/hiking with the dog!

  55. susan smoaks says

    08/26/2017 at 5:55 pm

    we love to hike. it’s so much fun.

  56. Julie Bickham says

    08/26/2017 at 4:55 pm

    We like to go for picnics in the park.

  57. mrsmchappell says

    08/26/2017 at 4:45 pm

    We love taking the dog for walks, playing disc golf and also fishing!

  58. barbg says

    08/26/2017 at 4:30 pm

    I do like to walk outdoors as long as it is not too hot and there is a nice cool breeze. I like to fish as long as I do not have to touch the worms or the fish.

  59. PATTY NIEDERT says

    08/26/2017 at 2:06 pm

    My granddaughter enjoys going to the part, taking walks, and going to our local botanical gardens. She always has to make a wish at the fountain when ever we visit the botanical gardens.

  60. Danielle says

    08/26/2017 at 7:51 am

    We love to bike, hike, kayak, and camp

  61. paula peterson says

    08/25/2017 at 3:29 pm

    We like the slash parks.

  62. Shirley Younger says

    08/25/2017 at 2:36 pm

    love to walk on a local trail and also go to museums

  63. Jennifer Oppel says

    08/24/2017 at 2:32 pm

    swimming at the lake. grilling. fishing is a favorite. we always try to see who can catch the biggest crappie!

  64. Tina W says

    08/22/2017 at 4:47 pm

    We like hiking in the spring and apple picking in the fall.

  65. Lauren Michelle Hecker says

    08/22/2017 at 4:42 pm

    I like drawing with chalk outside!

  66. Susan Smith says

    08/22/2017 at 2:21 pm

    We like to go to the park and play.

  67. Jack B says

    08/22/2017 at 1:25 am

    My sons both love big playgrounds. Being 7 and 2, they can burn up a lot of energy just monkeying around and living it up at a nice playground. We try to go at least once a week.

  68. Tom Bellamy says

    08/21/2017 at 10:07 am

    We love to play flag football as a family.

  69. clynsg says

    08/21/2017 at 9:44 am

    The grandchildren like to go for walks with their grandfather–sometimes rather short, but something they do together.

  70. susitravl says

    08/20/2017 at 3:10 pm

    We like to walk the dogs, play in the park and swim.

  71. Richard Hicks says

    08/20/2017 at 2:56 pm

    We like to go to the park with the kids and they play

  72. jeepingeos says

    08/19/2017 at 6:41 pm

    We like to geocache and paint and hide rocks.

  73. Kelly G says

    08/19/2017 at 5:11 pm

    We like to just walk around the neighborhood.

  74. Elle says

    08/19/2017 at 11:42 am

    We like spending time at the beach, swimming and bike riding.

  75. Lauren Becker says

    08/19/2017 at 9:46 am

    Swimming, going to the park, etc.

    -lauren
    http://www.shootingstarsmag.net

  76. Christina A. says

    08/18/2017 at 12:59 pm

    We really love going trail hiking and visiting our local state parks!

  77. COURTNEY B says

    08/18/2017 at 11:49 am

    we like to go swimming in the pool or go to a waterpark/splash pad. 🙂 so hot here in az!

  78. starlabates says

    08/17/2017 at 9:42 pm

    Aw, goodness! All of that looks so much fun! Lately, we have been loving going kayaking. It is a new adventure but we have been loving it!

  79. msrodeobrat says

    08/16/2017 at 9:57 am

    We love to go fishing, go to the local splashpad and just go for walks!

  80. Nicole Lancaster says

    08/16/2017 at 12:21 am

    Swimming and walking around our neighborhood park are our favorite family outdoor activities.

  81. Chrissy says

    08/15/2017 at 7:56 pm

    Our favorite activity is to walk to the local park and swing on the swings. So fun and easy to do!

  82. Kathy Hanley says

    08/15/2017 at 7:46 pm

    We love spending time at the beach swimming, fishing and barbecuing!

  83. Jammie Morey says

    08/15/2017 at 2:45 pm

    Camping and hiking is our favorite to do with the kiddo.

  84. Michelle J. says

    08/15/2017 at 7:53 am

    We like to play with our animals!

  85. Lauren says

    08/15/2017 at 7:34 am

    We like to hike and camp.

  86. latanya t says

    08/15/2017 at 5:37 am

    going to different parks and playgrounds

  87. slehan says

    08/14/2017 at 10:36 pm

    Comments aren’t working on other pages. So I post here for the travel post. I think traveling is very rewarding for kids. We traveled a lot when I was growing up.

  88. Linda G. says

    08/14/2017 at 6:15 pm

    we like to ride our bikes or play baseball,

  89. Amy Stonger says

    08/14/2017 at 5:56 pm

    We love to ride bikes together and take the dogs for walks.

  90. Dandi D says

    08/14/2017 at 12:57 pm

    These are great suggestions–we love doing all of these things with our children!

  91. rusthawk says

    08/14/2017 at 9:32 am

    One of our favorite activities, especially when the kids were younger, was flying kites.

  92. Alyce Poalillo says

    08/13/2017 at 8:22 am

    Nature walks in the state forest behind out house where we see deer, turkeys, snakes, all kinds of birds and the occasional moose or bear.

  93. TheresaJenkins says

    08/13/2017 at 8:16 am

    I have an outdoor crew, they’ll do just about anything to stay outdoors … we do a lot of camping and while we’re camping we’ll hike, bike ride, swimming, fishing …you name it

  94. Ingrid Jackson says

    08/12/2017 at 7:47 pm

    We enjoy going to the park and take a picnic lunch.

  95. Chrystal D says

    08/12/2017 at 12:45 pm

    There are woods behind the house and there are a lot of different kinds of wild berries that grow there. Walking through there & picking berries is always fun!

  96. kathy says

    08/12/2017 at 6:03 am

    We ride our bikes

  97. sylvia says

    08/12/2017 at 4:04 am

    We like to go for a walk and play at the park

  98. Rachel says

    08/11/2017 at 8:51 pm

    Playing at the park.

  99. willgriesmer says

    08/11/2017 at 8:47 pm

    Go for walks.

  100. Stephanie Phelps says

    08/11/2017 at 7:57 pm

    We love to just go walking in the mountains finding some little waterfalls!

  101. Steve Weber says

    08/11/2017 at 7:18 pm

    We love to play catch, walk the dog and ride our bikes.

  102. Anne Higgins says

    08/11/2017 at 6:00 pm

    We plan activities which usually includes a picnic lunch or snacks – anything from hikes to playing at the park or splashpads and the beach! YEAH!

  103. Kelly D says

    08/11/2017 at 7:57 am

    We like to go on nature walks and camping.

  104. Denise B. says

    08/11/2017 at 7:14 am

    We spend most of our time outdoors in the pool.

  105. Madonna says

    08/11/2017 at 6:53 am

    We like to go hiking in the woods around here.

  106. Melissa says

    08/11/2017 at 4:56 am

    we like to go to the park in the summertime! 🙂

  107. Nickole Heim says

    08/10/2017 at 10:04 pm

    we love hiking and the beach

  108. HilLesha O'Nan says

    08/10/2017 at 8:27 pm

    I love hiking with my family.

  109. Wendy R. says

    08/10/2017 at 5:55 pm

    The simplest outdoor activity we do as a family is run around with the dogs. We have a Great Dane and it’s an event! 😀

  110. cheryl s says

    08/10/2017 at 5:09 pm

    we go swimming and to baseball games

  111. Caro (@carogonza) says

    08/10/2017 at 4:59 pm

    Going to the pool

  112. Brad says

    08/10/2017 at 3:37 pm

    We love to go hiking

  113. Ellie Wright says

    08/10/2017 at 2:48 pm

    Just playing catch or helping my boys with batting practice. I love it as much as they do.

  114. Lasonda says

    08/10/2017 at 1:14 pm

    We like to go for walks and play with bubbles outside.

  115. G.Penrod. says

    08/10/2017 at 12:43 pm

    When kids were growing up it was go swimming anto go fishing.

  116. Lisa Bourlier says

    08/10/2017 at 12:02 pm

    Swimming, Biking, BBQ’ing and fishing!

  117. paige chandler says

    08/10/2017 at 10:47 am

    We love to hang out in the backyard and cook BBQ

  118. SaraAB87 says

    08/10/2017 at 10:21 am

    We like to play ball outside.

  119. Amber says

    08/10/2017 at 8:47 am

    We love gardening and playing basketball with the kiddos!

  120. David Basile says

    08/10/2017 at 8:47 am

    Head to the beach

  121. William Karcher says

    08/10/2017 at 8:43 am

    We would take the boys to the park , Bar-B-Q and play some football and horse shoes !

  122. McKim says

    08/10/2017 at 8:12 am

    We like to go camping in the mountains near our home.

  123. Ronda Patrick says

    08/10/2017 at 6:58 am

    We love taking hikes, going to parks, fishing and boating!

  124. chelleshill says

    08/10/2017 at 4:30 am

    We like to go hiking here on our 200 acres.

  125. Natalie says

    08/10/2017 at 4:30 am

    We love going on bike rides together and having picnics.

  126. April says

    08/10/2017 at 4:29 am

    I love to take my twins geocaching!

  127. Lisa Brown says

    08/10/2017 at 3:42 am

    We like camping and walking the trails

  128. Debra Jensen says

    08/09/2017 at 11:18 pm

    Swimming, going to the park and for hikes!

  129. nickie says

    08/09/2017 at 10:32 pm

    We love camping and fishing.

  130. slehan says

    08/09/2017 at 10:07 pm

    No kids. Growing up we always were out fishing during the summer months.
    Thanks for the contest.
    slehan at juno dot com

  131. Linda Lansford says

    08/09/2017 at 8:00 pm

    We love the beach

  132. Margaret Smith says

    08/09/2017 at 5:22 pm

    Fishing is the top activity, followed by hiking.

  133. Sarah Hall says

    08/09/2017 at 5:08 pm

    I love to take them to the lake for a swim.

  134. shannonsfun says

    08/09/2017 at 4:41 pm

    we love walking over to the lake.

  135. Mary Beth Elderton says

    08/09/2017 at 4:07 pm

    We like to take simple walks sometimes. Not really a “hike” so much as an easy walk with just a couple of water bottles and a small snack.

  136. Tracy Shafer says

    08/09/2017 at 3:56 pm

    We love camping and fishing.

  137. Sandy Klocinski says

    08/09/2017 at 1:53 pm

    Picnic. You don’t even have to leave home for this one. Simply take whatever food you were planning to eat and lay down a picnic mat or blanket outside in the yard.

  138. musthavemom says

    08/07/2017 at 9:25 pm

    Great ideas for outdoor activities. We love being active outdoors with the kids and spend a ton of time camping with the kids.

  139. Sherry says

    08/07/2017 at 9:24 pm

    We enjoy going camping even though we haven’t done it in a couple of years. We also have a couple of nice walking trails in the area.

  140. Sinisa says

    08/07/2017 at 8:14 pm

    Fishing is always fabulous. Great me time.

  141. Amy Desrosiers says

    08/07/2017 at 7:11 pm

    I cannot wait to go fishing again! It has been like maybe 21 years since I last went!

  142. Krystal @ Sunny Sweet Days says

    08/07/2017 at 6:53 pm

    My husband is the fisherman in our family. We are lucky we can fish so easily here in Florida!

  143. reesann723 says

    08/07/2017 at 6:51 pm

    We’ve spent most of our summer outdoors. We love to go crabbing, fishing and spending the days at the beach.

  144. jmanandmillerbug says

    08/07/2017 at 6:47 pm

    We are always trying to explore as much as we can locally because we don’t like sticking around home all summer. One of our favorites is trying to find water to swim.

  145. Connie says

    08/07/2017 at 6:34 pm

    Any time there’s water involved, the kids have a great time. We love anything we can do outdoors.

  146. Claudia Krusch says

    08/07/2017 at 5:27 pm

    These are great activities to do with kids. We love to go for hikes. We always look for treasure while we walk.

  147. Cathi Crismon says

    08/07/2017 at 4:37 pm

    When my kids were growing up we went camping at Doheny Beach and Yosemite National Park every summer.

  148. kellyhutchinson37920 says

    08/07/2017 at 4:04 pm

    All of these are great ideas and most don’t cost you a dime! We have not been camping in so long!

  149. Liz Mays says

    08/07/2017 at 4:00 pm

    What a fun time! It’s nice to be able to fish on nice days like this. It’s cool that you have a nice pier nearby! We have a few rivers but no beaches!

  150. Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle says

    08/07/2017 at 2:21 pm

    We love to do all of these! One of our favorite things to do is go fishing while we camp. It’s a lot of fun.

  151. Robin rue says

    08/07/2017 at 2:03 pm

    We are beach bums, so we are at the beach as much as possible. We love it.

  152. Jennifer Tilson says

    08/07/2017 at 1:07 pm

    We like to go hiking, geocaching, & playing in the sprinkler during the summer.

  153. chelleshill says

    08/04/2017 at 7:07 am

    Aside from hiking, we like to hike on our 200 acre farm and have picnics. Liked on FB as Michelle Lee Hill

  154. Margaret Smith says

    08/04/2017 at 6:25 am

    Fishing is our most loved. Also, we like taking a row boat out on the lake. Hiking and camping we also like.

  155. Cynthia Conley says

    08/04/2017 at 4:44 am

    Our local park system has a lot of activities for kids and families. It’s a good way to get outdoors and stay active.

  156. msrodeobrat says

    08/04/2017 at 4:18 am

    We love to go hiking and exploring outside! We also love fishing 🙂 Liked on fb as Kim Henley

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