Outdoor activity ideas and inspiration

From mid-March to the end of May 2020, Harpswell Heritage Land Trust (HHLT) posted a simple outdoor activity idea and nature riddle for kids every weekday. Some days we also posted other resources, like downloadable chapters of the Junior Ranger Activity Book.

Created to support parents who found themselves homeschooling during the COVID-19 pandemic, these activity ideas are a great jumping off point for any outdoor adventure. Click here for a list with links to all 50 activity ideas.

Nature riddle

What small mammal is fond of tomato juice, biting the bottom of ripe fruits to drink the tasty fluid as it drips down? Click here to read more about this cute little critter.

Build an obstacle course

Building an obstacle course in your yard is a great way to burn off some energy. Scraps of materials + imagination = fun. A friend gave me the excellent advice to require teamwork during the obstacle course. If siblings need to help each other and do some elements together, younger siblings won’t be left behind. It always seems to work better for our kids when it’s not a race.

Our obstacle course today included:

• Blowing bubbles. One person blows bubbles. The other person pops five of them. Then switch.
• Throwing a ball back and forth while walking on parallel balance beams (made out of scrap 2x4s).
• Running while hugging.
• Blind walk: Tie a rope between two trees. Grab onto the rope, close your eyes and walk to the second tree without looking.
• Stepping stones.
• Jumping over sticks laid on the ground.
• Rolling a big barrel.
• Running around a tree in opposite circles, high fiving each other whenever you pass.
• Zig-zagging through sticks stuck upright in the ground (as if they are cones).
• Hopping on one foot.

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Hackett and Minot Trails chapter of the Junior Ranger Activity Book

The Junior Ranger Activity Book includes engaging science content, activity ideas and trail maps! It’s a great resource to learn about and explore nature and get outdoors, even if you don’t live near Harpswell. The book was created by Emma Levy, who was a high school senior when she wrote it. Click here for more about the book.

You can download the entire book, chapter by chapter, from our outdoor activity ideas posts.

Click here for the Hackett and Minot Trails chapter of the book, with information about vernal pools and a diy treasure hunt. See the introduction to the book for instructions on how to do the treasure hunt.

If you would like a physical copy of the whole book, you can order it on our website for just $8 + shipping. Click here to order.