Searching For Ways To Incorporate Music Into Outdoor Activities For Kids? Look No Further.
School’s out, the days are long, and the weather is warm. With more free time during the summer months, lots of parents turn to outdoor recreation as a way to keep their kids entertained and having fun.
Looking for ways to add music to your child’s outdoor time? Here are some music making outdoor activities that you can do with the children you know — all from the comfort of your home.
Incorporating water into your outdoor activities can be a great way to stay cool, especially during hot summer months. If you’re looking to add music into your child’s outdoor time but also want to avoid overheating, consider checking out these activity ideas.
We’re all familiar with hot potato — and if you’re looking for a classic outdoor activity with a fun twist, this might just be the game for you and your kids.
For this activity, you’ll need:
After you have gathered all participants, stand together in a circle. Once everyone is ready and the music is set up, start passing around the water balloons while the song plays.
When someone turns the music off, the person that is left holding the water balloon — or the person who accidentally pops the balloon — is out. At the end of the game, the last person left is the winner.
If you’re interested in making this game even more musical, consider having the kids pass the water balloons around in a way that matches the style of the music you’re playing. Encourage the kids to pass the water balloon in time with the beat. Or, if you’re playing a slow song, have the kids pass the balloon in slow-motion.
Do you have a kiddie pool or an empty sandbox that isn’t being put to use? With this activity, that’s about to change.
For this activity you’ll need to gather:
After you’ve collected these items from your kitchen, fill your kiddie pool or sandbox with water. With your kids, you can then place these kitchen items into the water.
Have your kids experiment with filling up the pots, pans, and glasses with different levels of water. With the wooden spoon or mallet, children can strike the kitchenware and listen to the different tones and pitches that are created. Make different songs or experiment with new rhythms. The children will be able to explore music, pitch, and tonal changes through their free play.
Freeze dance is another classic, and if your kids enjoy it, they will probably also love this version of the game.
Gather your children and other family members in your backyard or outdoor play area and have them walk, run, or dance through the sprinkler to the beat of their favorite music.
While the kids are dancing and darting through the water, periodically turn the music off and have everyone freeze.
With this activity, the children you know will get to expend energy and express themselves through music and dance.
Don’t have access to water? There are plenty of other outdoor music activities that can accommodate a variety of groups and outdoor spaces.
If you’re looking for an outdoor activity that specifically involves singing, having a campfire sing-along might be the best idea for your kids.
Don’t have an actual campfire? No problem. You can set up a fake campfire with flashlights and tissue paper. Place benches or logs around the “fire” area and have the group sing any campfire song that they want. Feel free to also use a guitar, ukulele, or other instrument to accompany the children’s singing.
If you have a large group of kids participating in your outdoor activities, playing with a jump rope is a great idea.
If you have a long jump rope, have two kids take one handle each, and have the other children take turns as the jumper.
Have the kids sing or chant rhymes to the beat of their jumping. As the speed of the rhymes or songs get faster or slower, have the kids adjust their jumps.
Looking for an outdoor activity that can also teach kids about the technical parts of music? Here are a few activities that will help children learn more about music making while letting them soak up the sun outside.
For this activity, all you need is a little sidewalk chalk. Create a normal hopscotch board, and fill each square with a musical skill that you want your kids to practice.
These skills can include:
If you have a parachute, adding music to your usual games should be stress-free.
After each kid takes a handle of the parachute and spreads out in a circle, have the children sing simple songs that use direction words. Specifically, you might want to select a song that has these words in it:
As the kids are singing and moving the parachute to the music, add a ball to the middle of the parachute and see how the rhythm affects its movement.
Through this activity, kids can learn more about staying in-time with the beat of a song and paying attention to multiple musical elements — including song lyrics — simultaneously.
The classic, standard outdoor activities can feel unexciting after a long time, so why not add music to your child’s usual outdoor routines? With these fun outdoor music making activities, the kids you know and love will be able to enjoy being outside while also receiving all of the benefits of music making.
