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After a rainy spring, it’s a relief to take advantage of the warm weather outside! But unfortunately during the COVID-19 pandemic, we might not be able to do all of our favorite summer outings and activities. Here are some ideas for getting outside and being active as a family:

Create an outdoor obstacle course outside using toys or things from around the house, like balls, cones, jump ropes, and cardboard boxes. Get creative! See who in your family can make it through the fastest, then try running the same course with a bike or scooter.
Get out and enjoy nature! If you have a nearby park, go for a walk there, or go on a neighborhood wildflower walk to see how many different plants and flowers you can find. Or go for a Letter Scavenger Hunt (find instructions here)!
Balloon fun: Throw a blown-up balloon into the air and see how long you can keep it in the air without letting it touch the ground. Or go further and play balloon tennis! Take a paper plate and attach a paint stirring stick or something similar for a handle. That’s your tennis racket and use the balloon as your tennis ball. For more ideas, watch this video.
Find a Citizen Science Project here on a topic your family is interested in. Many of the projects will get you outside and interacting with nature.
Hold your own Summer Olympics for your family! Include different games and activities that your family members excel at from a dance competition to crossword puzzles. For some cooling fun, add water games. For example, give each player a full cup of water. One at a time, each player must jump rope for ten turns while holding their cup. The player with the most water still in their cup wins.
Draw a game board on the sidewalk with chalk and make up the rules. Kids can become life-size pieces in a game of your own invention.
Take the “Create Your Own State Park” Summer Challenge from Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources. It includes all kinds of activities to turn the outdoor space around your home into a State Park! If you complete the challenge, you can enter to receive an official certificate from Maryland State Parks and win prizes.
Make art outside: Paint the sidewalk with water. See how fast the sun makes your art disappear. Draw big chalk murals that encourage your neighbors to add to it (while socially distanced). See what kind of art you can create using nature and found objects.