The Intentional AZ Mom

Living intentionally through gentle parenting, getting outdoors, & homeschooling with preschoolers

Prioritizing Nature

Activities to do Outside with your Toddler

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You’ve been practicing getting outside with your toddler. Great job! But now you’re worried they’ll get bored or you’re unsure what to do. That’s ok! If you’re trying the 1000 hours outside challenge like my family, boredom is inevitable. But that’s okay! A lot of creativity and “adventure” can be created out of boredom!

I’m currently eight months pregnant with my third child in three years, so while getting outside in the fresh air is a priority, going further than our front porch is not. It can be a hassle getting my almost-3 & 1.5 year old dressed and out the door, even if I weren’t pregnant! So I’ve gotten really creative in keeping outdoor time fun and engaging for my children. Hopefully these activities will give you some inspiration to keep getting outside with your toddler or preschooler!

(Having trouble just getting outside with your small children? I have the perfect post for you here. It’s all about making small habits to get out the door and extending your time outside!)

Be prepared with an “get outside basket”

Last summer, I started using a large bin to gather things I might need to get outside with my toddlers. To start, I keep a rolled up blanket, some sunscreen, a bubble wand, some chalk & a book in there. These are all items we tend to use over & over, again.

However, my “get outside basket” materials can often rotate based off of my children’s interests or my wanting to try something new. It’s simply something I can easily bring with me to the front or back porch!

Materials to Encourage Outdoor Play with Toddlers

Chalk. Children love chalk and can begin using it around one year old. It’s easy and relatively mess free (a little dusting and it’s all gone). It’s also an activity that older children enjoy, too! (This Crayola Chalk is amazing – it doesn’t break as easily as others.)

Bubbles. It doesn’t matter if they’re in traditional packaging or wands, kids love bubbles. You will have to teach your toddlers how to hold the bubbles upright, but this activity is worth it. Bubbles are often an activity that can get countless minutes of outside time in. Also, they provide a speech benefit. Blowing bubbles is a great speech therapy tool to help toddlers learn to round their mouths for the “o” or “oo” sounds!

Books. Picture books, poems, or short stories, it really doesn’t matter. There’s nothing quite as nice as soaking in some sun and reading a book with your babies. Of course, don’t be upset if they want to play after too long – reading still has benefits even while they are hard at play!

Sensory Bins. Honestly, anything that tends to make a large mess turns into an “outside activity” simply because cleanup is much easier. Sensory bins are a great activity to play with outside. If some beans or rice end up overboard, it’s much easier to sweep them into the grass than cleaning them up inside. However, if you want to save sensory pieces, lay out a towel underneath their space to catch what falls!

Playdoh. This is another great activity that you can do outside to avoid the mess. Children can also incorporate outside elements into their sculptures, like twigs, rocks and flowers to bring it to life. Need a play dough recipe? Here’s my favorite playdough recipe.

Paints. We love painting! But this is often an activity that I encourage on our back patio instead of in our house, especially since my second child is a little wild. Besides acrylics on canvas, we have also had a blast with finger paints on large cardboard, too (thanks, Amazon packages!).

Outdoor Activities for your toddler

There is so much your child can do in your backyard. Just take a deep breath & let the mess commence!

Mud Kitchen. You don’t need to invest in a mud kitchen for your child to have a blast. All they need is dirt, water & loose parts like rocks and leaves. It’s a great sensory experience for them to play in the mud and dirt. (And quite honestly, one of my 1.5 year old’s favorite things to do!)

Dinosaur Wash. All you need is a bin of water, some soap and maybe a sponge. We have toy dinosaurs we keep outside, but your child could wash any toy they want! If you put the soap in a push bottle, it’s a great way to strengthen little hands.

Car Wash. You can use small toy cars or rideable cars. Give them a wash as if they were mom or dad’s car. My three year old absolutely loves this idea and will often extend the activity with his imagination to include full service oil changes, too. 😉

Sand Box. Sand boxes are a great item to have in your backyard. I highly recommend one with a cover to keep bugs and cats out, but it’s a toy that gets used by both of my toddlers repeatedly.

Sports balls. You can never have too many sports options when it comes to outside. We were gifted a lot of sets, but I’ve also seen them in discount stores like Marshall’s. Have your children practice kicking a soccer ball or hitting a T-ball.

Balance bikes. Bikes are such a great way to get outside. We have a street full of families and recently upgraded our 3 year old from his balance bike to a bike with training wheels. However, bikes have been something that even our 1.5 year old has been able to spend time outside mastering.

Thrift outdoor structures. I love browsing Facebook Marketplace for larger items we can add to our backyard. Currently, we have a swing set & a play house that are often played with. We have also been thinking about getting a climbing dome in the future, as well.

Bring the Inside Outside with your Toddler.

Eat a meal outside. Eating our meals outside is a great way to get fresh air. I often set out a small table for the kids for lunch or bring high chairs outside when we eat dinner with my husband. However, you could also lay out a picnic blanket for a special treat, too!

Printable Activities. I mentioned earlier you can read outside. You could also bring any printables or activities you would normally do inside, out! So any printables or schooling they may need to do can easily be brought to your back patio!

Rotate toys. Besides my “outside bucket,” I will often grab a bin of materials that are normally up in the closet. Magnatiles, wooden blocks, maybe some extra hotwheels. . . Whatever might spark creativity in my children while enjoying the fresh air will find it’s way outside. Of course, for these toys I do keep special rules (mainly, keep them on the patio) so I can bring them back in without too much cleaning.

The Important Thing is to Get Outside with your Toddler.

It can be easy to rely on screens to help entertain our children if we are indoors. I noticed that it’s often something I do when I’m given the choice. However, being outside forces us to get creative with the time we have. There are no screens to rely on, just time with each other. Children are able to get dirty, practice their play skills and get copious amounts of Vitamin D.

I give my children plenty of opportunities to play outside and find that they often are able to entertain themselves. Just last night, my 3 year old initiated bird watching with me. We would count the birds atop our brick wall and count them again when one would fly away. No forethought involved, but it was absolutely magical to step into his world with that activity.

With that, I hope this list helps spark some ideas to get you and your littles outside. May your time together be magical, as well.

Home Education, Prioritizing Nature

Tips for Getting Outside with Toddlers

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British educator Charlotte Mason once wrote, “In this time of extraordinary pressure, educational and social, perhaps a mother’s first duty to her children is to secure for them a quiet growing time, a full six years of passive receptive life, the waking part of it spent for the most part out in the fresh air.”

Charlotte Mason’s pedagogy is one that is reflected in a lot of homeschooling communities. However, you don’t need to homeschool to promote time outdoors with your toddlers! I personally have been making the habit of getting outside with my children every day. And while it often starts as a “5 minute reset,” it tends to turn into several hours of play. We have seen so many benefits to this practice, too.

But, getting outside with toddlers might not seem natural. That’s okay! All you need to do is persist at getting outside until you form the habit! This particular post can help give you some ideas of how to get outside – and stay outside (before you give up!)

Activities to get Outside with Toddlers

Meal or snack time

Try to eat your meals outside whenever possible! A lot of our time outside starts with snack time – especially messy snacks – and we simply stay outside once they are finished eating.

Some great snacks to consider are toddler charcuterie boards with crackers, cheese & fruit, or messier options like bananas or muffins. (Or is it only my children that like to crumb their muffins all over the house when given the opportunity?)

You might also consider preparing lunch or dinner and bringing it outside for the whole family to enjoy. Sometimes that means bringing out an extra chair from inside, but those meals are super memorable.

You can always pack a meal and blanket and head to a nearby park for a picnic, as well!

Explore and engage your senses

Step outside of your front or back door. Talk to your toddler about all their senses.

“Do you feel the sun on your skin?” or “Wow, I feel the wind in my hair,” is plenty to start a conversation. Can you smell anything, like the rain? (The rain has a special smell in the Sonoran desert, in case this is a regional thing!)

What sounds do we hear? Are there morning birds singing, or can we hear the caw of a large crow nearby?

Finally, what is there to see? Is the wind rustling a nearby tree? Are there any animals or insects nearby? My toddler knows there’s a couple of hummingbirds that like to drink from the bush near our front door. He also notices the family of seven quail that looks for food on our street this winter (ahem: great counting activity, there!).

“Sight see” on a nature walk

You don’t need to go far to sight see! Sometimes all you need is your back yard, front porch, or patio. Even if you live in an urban area, you can teach your children to notice the world around them.

We personally like to sight see from our front porch. Using our five senses, we can talk about what we see, hear and experience. Of course, sometimes we take this further as we walk through our suburban neighborhood. What do the leaves in the tree look like (if there are any?) How many nests can you count on your nature walk? Were there any animals to observe at the park?

These experiences are not only grounding and mindful, but they’re a great way to open up learning opportunities. You can count virtually anything with your toddler or preschooler. You can also discuss letters and phonics; “We saw a bunny! Buh, buh, bunny. B is for bunny!” then come back to the topics later. (Is there a short youtube video on bird sounds in your area? Maybe print the letter B to color in. What books might you tie in to your observations?)

Psst, feel free to follow me for help with tying in these subjects; I have tons of content and printables planned for this exactly 😉

Art or Story Time

Use your time outside to do art and crafts that are normally a little more cleanup than you’d like. About 85% of the time I bring out the paint, it’s when we are outside, because it’s much easier to hose down our patio than to scrub the walls of our home! I put an oversized shirt over the kids and let them paint to their heart’s content.

While it’s been colder outside (by our standards), I’ve been bringing play dough outside for my toddlers to play with, as well. Not only do they get rolling pins and cookie cutters, but we can use nature parts for them to incorporate, too! Let them decorate their play dough with flowers (or let’s be honest – rocks). If you make it from scratch, it stays fairly malleable while they play and there’s much less guilt with throwing it out. (It’s fairly easy to make and there’s no additional plastic landfill waste!)

Need a playdough recipe? I’ve got an easy homemade playdough recipe for you!

You can also bring a book or two outside – with or without pictures! Read aloud to your children while they relax, eat a snack, or simply explore! Don’t stress if they aren’t sitting still, I promise the love of literature is still being set in place!

Just Get Outside With Your Toddlers!

Whatever you do, just get outside with your toddlers. Step outside and get five minutes in. Make it a habit! It doesn’t have to feel the same. Pretend to romanticize your life and the rest will follow suit. Before you know it, you may even have the goal of 1000 hours outside! But the first step is just doing it.

Arizona with Toddlers, Prioritizing Nature

Why You Should get a Membership to the Wildlife World Zoo

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This past year, I have become very intentional about spending time outside as a family. At first this started out with more time in our back yard, front porch or walking to the park. Eventually, I wanted to expand our adventures, but not at the expense of our single income. After weighing the pros and cons I decided I was going to go for it. I was going to purchase a membership to the Wildlife World Zoo, which happens to be the closest zoo for our family.

A Zoo Membership is more affordable than purchasing single tickets

I have been a stay at home mom since 2020 and my husband has been our sole source of income for the last three years. While I understand that there is a privelige to this lifestyle, I also want to remind my readers that a single income in 2023 (hello, $10 eggs!) can be damn hard!

When I got the itch to go to the zoo with my 2.5 & 1 year old, I was balking at the $40 ticket price. Was $40 really worth going to the zoo? What if my toddler didn’t like it? Would we skip our naps for the day?

Then I saw that the membership price for the Wildlife World Zoo was $200 for myself. Since my children were under the age of three, they would be free. And, Arizona’s weather is perfect for at least half of the year. . .

I told myself that a membership would be worth it if we could manage to go at least every week or two. And with that, $80 from my own wallet & $120 from their shared piggy bank, off we went to the Wildlife World Zoo to purchase our membership!

A zoo membership allows us to spend our time as we wish.

Now, $200 might seem like a lot, but we are able to visit the Wildlife World Zoo any day of the week. Knowing that I can come back has taken the pressure out of visiting the zoo. There’s no rushing about to see all the animals or shows. There’s no worrying about mid-day meltdowns due to the hot Phoenix sun or because we’re skipping nap time.

Nope. I purchased a membership to the WIldlife World Zoo knowing the kind of day we might plan out. We start off with breakfast, our daily calendar routine and getting dressed. This allows us to arrive within the 10am hour, which is perfect for the winter and spring seasons in Arizona. I ask my son, “What animals would you like to see today?” and we’re off! By 12:30, we’ve had a full morning and are able to leave to go home and eat a quick lunch and take our naps.

Besides keeping a daily rhythm, it’s also nice that I can follow my toddler’s lead. I ask him what he would like to see. We also normally go his pace, so there’s no stress if he’s walking slow or – as of late – hopping between the animal exhibits like a frog! There’s no need for fear of missing out with a membership!

A membership to the zoo affords us microadventures

Alastair Humphrey, who coined the word “microadventure” describes it as an adventure that is short, simple, local, cheap – yet still fun, exciting, challenging, refreshing and rewarding.

We’ve had a membership to the wildlife world zoo for only two months, but we’ve been nearly every week. Yet, my toddler still loves to go! There have even been times where he will ask, “Zoo? Go to zoo?” as I’m driving home from the grocery store!

The WIldlife World Zoo is great for microadventures! Not only are they a zoo, but they are an aquarium, as well! Their aquarium has sea lions, who do perform twice a day, penguins, & very friendly sting rays that you can pet. The zoo also has rides and animal encounters of all kinds.

The offerings at the WIldlife World Zoo allows us to create a new micro-adventure at every visit! (Although, I will admit we see the sea lions every time– they are definitely a favorite!)

Preparing for your visit to the Wildlife World Zoo

Whether you are planning for a full day at the zoo, or a morning microadventure like my family, it’s always a good idea to be prepared. If you are planning a day trip, I highly recommend looking into Groupon; I’ve noticed there are almost always groupons available for the zoos in our area.

I often make sure to pack our bag with plenty of snacks and water for the kids and myself. Now that the sun seems to be out, I’ll be making sure to have an additional sunscreen in our bag, as well. Having our wagon is definitely useful – when either of them get tired, they have the option to sit back and snack while mama pushes them!

I will say, no worries about cash or card at the Wildlife World Zoo. Every attraction and cafe does have the ability to run cards – even the train (another fan favorite for us). The only thing you may want to consider bringing is quarters, but they have those, too!

Consider getting a membership to your local zoo

Getting a membership to our local zoo, the Wildlife World Zoo, has brought a lot of value to our day to day life. It has allowed us opportunity to nurture a love of animals and diversity in our children’s lives. It’s also been a worthwhile microadventure while we are tracking our 1000 hours outside for 2023.

We chose the Wildlife World Zoo because we live in the west valley of AZ, but a zoo membership in any municipality is an investment I encourage you to look into, especially with young or homeschooled children.

Prioritizing Nature

Benefits to the first 50 hours of the “1000 Hours Outside Challenge”

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I stumbled upon the 1000 Hours Outside Podcast last summer while looking for inspiration while doing my nightly chores. What a gift that has been! Ginny Yurich‘s podcast and movement, “1000 hours outside,” has had such a positive impact on my family and I.

In the heat of the Sonoran desert, I was determined to get my two and a half year old and nine month old outside, even if it was for thirty minutes a day. It wasn’t much, but it was great practice to get us out of the four walls of our home. Some days it was bubbles on the front porch, other days I let the toddler go crazy with the water hose, but most days we still stayed inside.

However, the year turned and it’s now 2023. I was still an active listener to the 1000 hours outside podcast and I had even downloaded the creator’s app to help track our hours. This challenge was my New Year’s Resolution for my family. Even with a new baby coming in April and the apprehension of 115 degree days coming in the summer, we were going to complete the 1000 hours outside challenge.

first 50 hours benefits of the 1000 hours outside challenge

We’ve Completed 50 hours of 1000 Hours outside!

Now we are halfway through January and we’ve earned our first two badges! (Yes, you get digital badges you can share with friends and family!) The most recent badge proudly displays that we’ve hit fifty hours outside! That means only 950 more to go to complete 1000 hours outside!

Let me tell you, those fifty hours have been remarkable. I’ve already seen several benefits that make me even more determined to make getting outside a daily habit for my children and I. Which really, is the goal of the challenge: to become intentional with getting outside in fresh air as often as possible. Because as is often stated in the podcast and book, “Even if you don’t succeed, you still win.”

6 Benefits to being intentional with getting outside

1. My eldest child’s sensory issues have improved.

My almost-three year old has some sensory quirks (as I like to call them). He was already seeing early intervention for speech issues, but we have an impending evaluation with the school district in order to continue his speech therapy. This evaluation also consists of evaluating for other concerns that may “necesitate” the developmental preschool. While I would never hinder my child’s education, it was something I was hoping to pass on without feeling any regrets.

These “quirks” had to do with water and water play. He would often insist on an entire outfit change if even a dribble of water caught his sleeve. One of the first days of attempting the 1000 hours outside challenge followed some rain. His boots got wet and he immediately started fretting about getting them dry. I reminded him that what was important is that his feet were warm and dry and that his boots would be just fine. That was not acceptable. I brought him a towel and he obsessively wiped his boots dry any time they got wet.

We went to the park the next day. The slides were wet but he still went down them. Lo and behold, not a cry about his pants getting wet! (And I dared not say anything, unless he insist on an immediate outfit change!)

Day after day of being intentional with spending time outside, I saw the changes. I would quickly text my husband, “OMG! His clothes are wet and he hasn’t said anything!” I caught him pulling off his shoes and socks in our backyard just to feel the sand. To promote these sensory experiences, I let him!

2. My shy, speech-delayed toddler is becoming more sociable thanks to our 1000 hours outside challenge.

My oldest has the sweetest disposition and smile. He is often able to go up to adults and engage with them. However, he gets really shy around peers. Our neighbors do have elementary-aged children that often play in our cul de sac and two of them often yell out to him, “Hi, G!” My toddler would smile and quietly look at them, as if unsure what to do next.

Every time these kids came outside, I would coach him, “Say hi back. Louder! Yell ‘hi!'” And in just a few weeks of being intentional with our time outside he will actively tell them hi. We’re working on the rest, but I know that will come in time.

3. Prioritizing time outside decreases the time depending on screens

It is so easy to turn on the television. Oh, you’re fussy? Here’s Mickey. You want mommy to play but I’m trying to prepare dinner? Please watch Miss Rachel. Oh, you want to watch the Mandolorian? Fine, one episode.

But, I’m personally not someone who enjoys turning on the television for my children. Most experts say to stay away from screens before two and that creates a sense of guilt for me. But even with those feelings of guilt, I turned on the TV in any of those previous scenarios.

I will never condemn screen time. We use it and will continue to use it. However, the 1000 hours outside movement allows you to help “replace screen time with green time,” and I like that. It’s true. We might have those 30 minutes of programming while I make lunch or dinner, but I’m not succumbing to “one more episode” three more times! (Which can definitely happen when you’re an overstimulated parent who would love some time texting the group chat or scrolling on TikTok after finishing your own tasks!)

4. More intentional play is happening while indoors

Even when we are inside, the requests for screens has diminished. My children are actively finding their toys in the livingroom and playing with them. They are interacting and learning to take turns. There are no cries for, “More mandolorian!” or Mickey.

Why is this happening? Short answer is, I think they miss their indoor toys when they are outside. Outside they are moving around, jumping and pouring dirt on their heads. When we come inside, that attitude of play is already “on,” they just find a new way to channel it with their toys (or each other).

It’s a magical kind of feeling to go upstairs and have them play indepently for a good 10-15 minutes. Besides naptime, it’s a moment for me to take a moment for myself, as well!

5. The 1000 hours outside challenge has shifted some of my own priorities

If you asked my husband to describe me, neurotic honestly might be on the top of his list. I enjoy cleaning. Having a (mostly) dirt free home, freshly washed laundry and a lit candle brings me peace and joy. . . Unless I’m actively in my focused cleaning mode. Then, I can be anxious and not the most enjoyable to be around.

However, the 1000 hours outside challenge means prioritizing being outside. On average, we should be outside at least 2 hours and 45 minutes a day. Some experts think even 4-6 hours should be the bare minimum! That goal might seem even more challenging the hotter it gets in the summer months. So, how can I fit all of the cleaning and cooking I would like if we want to be outside during waking hours? I can’t!

Often when we are inside, I’m preparing meals and tending to my very needy toddlers. (Both of them want “up mommy” more the bigger my pregnant belly gets!) While I am able to keep up with my daily chores, such as unloading & loading the dishwasher or keeping our clothes clean, others get ignored. For example, the only time all of our clothes are put away is when my husband is off. And then, of course, that same night I’m washing a new load anyways. . .

But, this challenge has allowed me to accept that there will always be clutter and always something to be done. Is it important I get it done that moment? No. Let it wait! Your kids want to go play in the dirt outside or visit the sea lions at the zoo near your house! Enjoy the time you have with them, I remind myself.

6. The 1000 hours outside challenge is helping me solidify who I am as a parent

I was not planning on having a list with six reasons, but here we are. Prioritizing time outside through the 1000 hours outside challenge has awakened something in me as a parent. It brings me joy to be outside and breathe fresh air. As a stay at home mom, it’s nice to not feel stuck inside of the same four walls. Being intentional with our time outside has also made me more intentional with how I react to my children and daily inconveniences. I’m a little more peaceful for it, and I’m thankful for that.

I challenge you to be more intentional with getting outside

Getting outside is a habit that you have to be intentional about. It can seem like a lot once everyone’s shoes & jackets are on and then – oh, the toddler needs to go potty! But it’s worth it! We have learned so much from challenging ourselves with the 1000 hours outside challenge – and it’s only been the first 50 hours. I truly cannot wait to see what else unfolds as this year, and challenge, continues for our family.

Join me in just trying to go outside for thirty minutes every day!

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