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We all know playing outdoors is essential for child development (and tuckering them out for bedtime), but how on Earth are we supposed to entertain a baby and a toddler outside at the same time?
Babies and toddlers can play outside together under close supervision. Whether you set up an activity for them outside or take them to a park, your baby will typically enjoy watching the toddler play and participate as you allow.
Playing outdoors creates beautiful memories while helping your little ones develop. This article will cover a few things to keep in mind, some suggestions, and some outdoor playtime ideas.
Getting Ready for Outdoor Play
Going outdoors with a baby and a toddler is totally worth the effort, but it takes some forethought to keep things from getting out of hand. Before you embark on the great outdoors with your wee ones, you need to plan, pack a bag, and arrange for extra help (if you plan to go further and longer than usual).
Here are some tips that got me through several seasons of outdoor play beyond our backyard and local parks with a baby and a toddler:
Make a Plan
Know where you are going, how long you intend to stay, and what you will do there. When you are playing at home or a local park, you can fly by the seat of your pants without issue most of the time. However, a plan is handy when venturing further for longer.
For example, if you plan to hike in a national park thirty minutes away from your home, you need to plan travel time and hiking between your baby's naps and feedings or make time to do them there. Managing snacks and meals during outdoor excursions is also crucial for keeping everyone happy.
Keep your plan simple, realistic, and flexible! The odds are that something will happen to slow you down, stop you in your tracks, or otherwise interrupt your goals (complete diaper blowouts, toddler tantrums, running into friends, etc.).
Your plan should help you avoid being stressed and overwhelmed rather than causing them, which leads right into packing well.
Pack a Bag
Going outdoors for a few hours is incredible, except for being out with your kids without all your tools. So, when away from home, a well-packed bag becomes a total lifesaver!
What you need to pack depends on your little ones' tendencies, needs, expectations, where you are going, what will be available there, and how long you will be gone.
Regardless of where I was going, here is what I always packed in my kids' bag:
at least five diapers for each kid
wipes
two plastic bags for trash or nasty clothes
two changes of clothes and a third set of pants each
another pair of toddler sandals
a protein snack, a sweet snack, and one fruit for the toddler
baby-safe snacks and a bottle of milk for baby
my nursing shawl and an extra shirt
a small first-aid kit
two toddler toys and two baby toys
water bottles for toddler and parent
a lightweight baby blanket
hand sanitizer
two clean washcloths
Sounds like a lot? Yep, our bag was heavy. But we never got caught in a bind we couldn't escape. We love hiking and have taken our littles with us every time. We've had some pretty disgusting situations, but nothing we couldn't handle with a well-packed bag and a plan.
Meet Some Friends or Family
Do you plan to go hiking with a baby and toddler by yourself? That may not be the best idea. Sure, it's doable if everything goes according to plan, but if your toddler is inspired to do something dangerous while you are changing your baby, you could find yourself in an awful bind.
The way around this is to meet up with a friend or family member at the hiking trail. I cannot overstate how helpful having that extra set of eyes and hands is when you have to feed or change your baby away from home.
If you don't have anyone nearby who can hike with you, keep to more level trails, use a toddler leash, and bring extra toddler snacks to keep her occupied whenever you care for the baby.
Where Can I Take a Baby and a Toddler Outside?
Depending on where you live, you can take your baby and toddler just about anywhere outside, and they will enjoy it. Your backyard, a family member's front porch, the city park, a lake, a riverwalk, a national forest--heck, even a walk down the street is enough to stimulate your little ones and get some sunshine.
If you are unsure where other families go with little ones in your area, try asking someone at your local library or community center. Parents often share the best kid-friendly restaurants, clean parks, and fun outdoor places to go with one another while their kids play at the library.
Outdoor Safety
Going outdoors is not as safe as playing inside a baby-proofed home, but giving your little ones that time outside is essential. Wherever you go, though, you should quickly scan the area before turning your toddler loose.
Look for anything that could be a problem:
adults standing around with no kids playing nearby
no fences around a play area
dogs or cats running loose
a body of water
trash or old toys sitting around
other kids' drinks
big kids running and playing recklessly
sharp edges
hot surfaces
nasty messes
snakes or spiders
rickety equipment
loose tree branches
the only way in or out
Wherever you go outside with your little ones, keep a close eye on them and play with them. Sitting off to the side looking at your phone could make your children a target for predators, or they could hurt themselves on something they shouldn't have messed with in the first place.
Never assume a place built for kids is safe for your little ones. Check it out yourself, stay with your kids, and be alert. You'll avoid a lot of risk by doing so!
How Long Can I Expect to Be Outside for Playtime with a Baby and a Toddler?
How long you can play outside with a baby and a toddler depends on personalities, what happens while out, and temperatures. You can play it safe for most of the first two years by keeping outside playtime between sleep times.
Little ones don't have to stay outside all day every day, but going out to play in one to two-hour spurts around other times in your schedule is fine. The main thing is trying to get your littles outside as much as possible.
The outdoors, even a backyard, is a rich sensory environment for little ones. There is an abundance of textures to touch, sights to see, sounds to hear, and smells to smell. The noise of toys and screens is distant, allowing wee ones to think, explore, discover, and imagine.
The average child gets 4-7 minutes of free playtime outside these days, but we should aim for at least 3-6 hours (source). It sounds impossible these days! But the outdoors gives little ones exactly what they need.
15 Outdoor Playtime Ideas
You know you want to get outside, but finding something safe to do with a toddler and a baby is hard. Not only are you outnumbered, but you are also caught between the age-appropriate needs of two very different development stages.
I've been there more than once, so here is a list of my go-to outdoor play options:
1. Go for a Walk
One of my greatest struggles after the second kid came along was getting some exercise. I didn't feel like I had the time or energy to walk, but I soon realized I could use a short walk to reset toddler struggles and my nerves.
So, I would strap the baby to me with a carrier and bring my toddler in a stroller or on foot for a mid-morning stroll and an after-dinner stroll. If the weather was nice and everyone cooperated, we would walk to the park or a favorite drink place for a treat.
Once my toddler became more interested in birds and leaves, we would identify them with a little handbook and collect eye-catching flowers. This made walks longer and more fun!
2. Make a Small Garden
Whether you have a green thumb or a black one, creating a small garden for your little ones to see the wonder of seeds turning into plants is a beautiful lesson. You can excite your toddler by letting him choose the seeds or plants and giving him the tools.
Caring for a small garden is a prime way to teach your children the difference between weeds and plants, where food comes from, and how to care for the Earth. You'll be surprised at how much your children enjoy this!
3. Paint a Birdhouse
Painting with little ones is messy and stressful inside but not outside. Build or buy a birdhouse for your little ones to paint with finger paint or brushes.
You'll have to ensure this doesn't turn into eating paint or painting each other, but it's a fun activity while it lasts!
4. Stack Rocks
Stacking games are excellent for early development because they engage hand-eye coordination, problem-solving, balancing, and fine motor skills in babies and toddlers. Infants benefit from feeling the weight, texture, and shape of various rocks.
If you don't have an outdoor area with nice rocks for your little ones to play with, you can pick some up from a store or a big outdoor park. My kids' favorites were always the smooth, flat, palm-sized river rocks.
You can paint the rocks, build towers, or construct imaginary settings with them. Littles tend to be mesmerized by stones--but they shouldn't throw them around each other!
5. Play with a Ball
Playing with a ball is a childhood classic, but it is one that your toddler and baby can play together. You can use a kickball, big foam ball, or beach ball and have your littles roll it to each other.
When they get bored, you can show your toddler how to balance the ball on something, kick it around, or try to stack things on it.
6. Set Up a Hammock
Setting up a hammock for an outdoor nap or storytime is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon outside! Little ones love swinging back and forth, watching the clouds go by.
If your toddler likes birds, try teaching her different bird types as you see them from the hammock. Are you able to stay there after dark? If so, letting your little ones watch the stars come out makes a lovely memory.
7. Make an Obstacle Course
Obstacle courses are ridiculously entertaining for older toddlers and kids. It doesn't have to be much, but setting something up and cheering from the sidelines is a fantastic way to wear your toddler out and entertain your baby with a show.
You can even let your toddler design his own obstacle course for you!
8. Prepare a Kiddie Pool
You'll have to keep a close eye on your littles for this one, but playing in a kiddie pool is a wonderful way to pass hot summer afternoons outside. Wee ones don't care that a kiddie pool is small; it's just fun to play in the water!
For extra fun, put a variety of random cups, scoops, and bathtime toys in there. Make sure your little ones have sleeves and sunscreen!
9. Play with a Messy Sensory Bin
Sensory bins are excellent for exploration, entertainment, and education at the baby and toddler stages. However, they can be a bit messy inside. So, why not take them outside?
Whether your little ones push cars through whipped cream, scoop sand, or sling cooked macaroni, they will love playing with a sensory bin outside!
Looking for more sensory activities suitable for your baby? Read Baby Sensory Activities: A Guide to Promote Healthy Development for ideas!
10. Go Camping
For those who are brave, camping with a toddler and a baby can be a rewarding experience. You'll have to plan well and pack accordingly, but a camping experience would be a highlight your toddler would talk about for ages.
Camping isn't everyone's cup of tea, but it is fantastic for little ones!
11. Catch the Rain
Rainy day? Try catching the rain! This activity is best on a front porch or under an overhang, but it can be done through a window in a proper downpour.
Take a clear bag, some scoops, and a bucket to wherever the most rainfall is pouring off the roof. Then, let your toddler try to catch some rain and fill the bucket little by little. Your baby may like riding in a carrier and feeling the rain, but some are content to sit in a highchair and watch.
12. Get a Water or Sand Table
A water or sand activity table provides a lot of fun for little ones, but they need to be outside. If you have a patio or backyard available, this may be a solid option to keep your littles entertained outside!
Fair warning: Sand or water will end up everywhere but the table, so you should expect to refill it every now and then.
13. Go for a Picnic
A picnic takes a lot of preparation, but it is totally worth the effort! Little ones are excited about eating outside anywhere, even if it's right outside the back door.
A quick tip for picnics away from home: pack hand sanitizer, a wet washcloth, wipes, finger food, bottled drinks, trash bags, and a blanket you don't mind putting on the ground.
14. Play at a New Park
Little ones are generally excited to visit the same parks over and over again, but visiting a new park once in a while is a real thrill for them. It's even better if the park has a splash pad in the summertime!
Splash pads are chaotic in the summer, but they are fun for little ones. Even better, you can do bathtime and naps when you get home, knowing your littles will nap hard simultaneously!
15. Do a Treasure Hunt
Your baby won't know what is going on in a treasure hunt, but he will likely be as excited as your toddler is. A treasure hunt for littles should take only a few steps and be quick, but doing one outside is an entertaining way to get some sunshine.
Older kids like treasure hunts, too! Just ensure the little ones have a voice in the chaos.
In a Nutshell
Playing outside is an integral part of childhood. It's crucial for development, exercise, and education but also fun! How do you get your little ones outside these days?
