1. Introduction: playing in nature is also learning
Playing outdoors during the summer is one of the most enriching ways for children to enjoy the fresh air and learn without even realizing it. This time of year offers more time to go outside, explore parks, hike along easy trails, spend days with family, or participate in camping activities. However, it's also important to choose games that are appropriate for the heat, the group's pace, and the environment. In this article, you'll find outdoor games for the summer designed to get children moving, observing, cooperating, and enjoying their surroundings in a safe and educational way.
Outdoors, children don't just run or play: they observe, experiment, compare, ask questions, make small decisions, and connect with nature in a much more direct way than in other spaces. A footprint on the ground, a leaf with an unusual shape, the sound of an unseen bird, a moss-covered stone, or a line of ants can spark more curiosity than any pre-prepared explanation.
That's why, the games in nature Summer activities shouldn't be seen merely as a way to "keep them busy." Well-chosen activities allow children to develop attention, autonomy, cooperation, and respect for the natural environment through real-world experience. Children learn using their bodies, senses, and the excitement of discovery, which is precisely what makes many activities memorable afterward.
Furthermore, these types of games are perfect for school trips, summer camps, family activities, or outdoor adventures. You don't need extensive resources or spectacular spaces: the key is to observe your surroundings, pose simple challenges, and create safe, engaging, and environmentally friendly activities.
In this article you will find ideas for outdoor games for boys and girls in summer, observation activities, cooperative activities, movement and orientation activities, and practical tips for organizing a day outdoors taking into account the heat, breaks and the safety of the group.
2. What should a good game in nature have?
A good game in nature doesn't have to be complicated, but it does need to be well thought out. The difference between an activity that works and one that gets out of hand often lies in very simple details: choosing the right space, explaining things concisely and clearly, setting visible boundaries, and adapting the challenge to the group.
Before starting, it's helpful to ask a basic question: what is the purpose of this game? It's not the same to prepare an activity for observing the environment as it is to plan a game for releasing energy, developing cooperation, or introducing habits of environmental care. When the objective is clear, it becomes much easier to decide how long the game should last, what rules it needs, and what role each child will play.
The rules should be few, specific, and easy to remember. On an outdoor outing, a long explanation is often lost amidst the urge to run, look around, or just get started. It works better to give a brief instruction, show an example, and begin. For example: “Let’s find three animal signs without touching anything,” “The team must always return to this tree,” or “You can only pick up what’s already on the ground.”.
Safety shouldn't be a concern when a problem arises, but rather addressed before the activity begins. It's important to check the terrain, avoid areas with uneven ground, water, low-hanging branches, or overly open paths, and clearly mark the boundaries. With school groups, it's very helpful to use visible landmarks: a fence, a bench, a large tree, or a rope placed as a boundary. Children need to know where the game begins and ends.
It's also important to consider the group's pace. Some games work very well with young children but are too easy for older ones; and activities that seem simple can be difficult if the group is tired, it's hot, or there are too many distractions. That's why it's best to prepare flexible challenges: an easier version, a longer one, and a quiet break in case energy levels drop sooner than expected.
Respect for the environment should be an integral part of the game itself, not just a rule stated at the beginning. Instead of asking them to pick leaves, you can suggest comparing shapes without touching the plant. Instead of lifting stones to look for insects, they can observe ant trails, sounds, shadows, footprints, or fallen debris. The idea is for them to discover nature without leaving any trace that the group has been there.
A good game should also allow everyone to participate without feeling left out. Not all children run at the same speed, speak equally easily, or feel comfortable leading. That's why activities with varied roles work best: the seeker, the observer, the scorekeeper, the timekeeper, the one who reminds everyone of the rules, or the one who shares the team's findings at the end. This prevents the activity from always depending on the fastest or most outgoing children.
Finally, a game in nature needs a conclusion, however brief. Two minutes to ask what they saw, what surprised them, or what they learned helps transform the experience into something more than just a bit of fun. Often, that short closure is what helps children connect play with learning.
When an activity combines a clear objective, a safe space, genuine participation, and environmental awareness, the outcome is completely transformed. It's no longer just "going outside to play": it's a simple yet powerful way to learn through direct contact with nature.
3. Games of observation and discovery of the environment
Observation games are a very simple way to teach children to look at nature more attentively. Often they walk past trees, stones, flowers, insects, or birds without giving them much thought. But when you present them with a small challenge, the environment changes: it ceases to be "the place where we are" and becomes a space full of clues.
One activity that often works very well is searching for natural colors. You can ask the group to locate different shades without uprooting plants or collecting living things: lighter and darker greens in leaves, browns in bark, yellows in some flowers, grays in stones, or subtle variations in the soil. It's a simple game, but it helps children understand that nature has many more nuances than it initially appears.
Tracking and sign games are also very effective. The group can look for footprints, feathers, chewed leaves, open pinecones, ant trails, bird sounds, or marks on the ground. There's no need to find large animals or turn the activity into a biology lesson. The important thing is for children to discover that animals leave signs and that, if they learn to observe them, they can interpret some of what's happening around them.
Another useful activity is the sensory map. For a few minutes, the group remains silent in a specific spot and pays attention to what they hear, smell, see, or feel. Afterward, each child or team shares a discovery: the scent of a plant, the texture of bark, a distant sound, the movement of leaves, or the difference between a sunny and a shady area. It's a calming activity, ideal for winding down after a more energetic session.
For school groups or families, the "Little Nature Detectives" game can also be used. Each team receives a simple mission: find something that indicates the presence of animals, locate three different types of leaves, discover a cool spot, identify sounds, or look for natural elements with unusual shapes. At the end, each group explains what they found and what they think it means.
These games also help to work on fauna and ecosystems near the school, taking advantage of nearby parks, gardens, riverbanks or green areas.
In these kinds of games, the important thing isn't to compete or fill a bag with objects. The key is to observe without harming, ask questions, and share discoveries. In this way, nature ceases to be just a pretty landscape and becomes a place to investigate, listen, and learn through play.
4. Cooperative games to improve coexistence
Cooperative games work especially well in nature because they take the group out of its usual routines. Outside the classroom, the playground, or other familiar spaces, many children interact in a different way: some are more willing to participate, others listen better, and the group discovers new ways of organizing itself.
In these activities, the goal isn't to see who wins, but to achieve something together. To do so, they have to communicate, divide tasks, take turns, make decisions, and accept that not everyone progresses at the same pace. That's why these games are so useful for fostering positive relationships without turning it into a theoretical lesson.
A simple suggestion is to pose small challenges to teams. For example, create a figure on the ground using dry leaves, stones, or fallen branches, always without uprooting plants or disturbing the environment. It could be a spiral, an imaginary shelter, an animal, or a symbol related to nature. Afterward, each team explains what they created and how they organized themselves to do it.
Activities with divided roles also work well. One person can observe, another look for clues, another remind everyone of the rules, another keep track of time, and another explain the final result. This division of roles prevents the same people from always leading and allows those who prefer quieter or less visible tasks to participate as well.
Another interesting option is to propose a shared mission. The group might have to find various points in space by following clues, solve a question about the environment, or complete a short observation test. The key is that no one can do it all alone: to progress, they need to share information and help each other.
These games are perfect for school outings, but also for family activities. They create opportunities for collaboration between children, adults, and peers, and help children understand that nature is a shared space. It's not just about playing there, but about learning to move around, make decisions, and care for it together.
When well-designed, cooperative games teach something very valuable: enjoying nature isn't just about running, exploring, or discovering new things. It also involves listening, waiting, contributing, and living together with others.
5. Movement, orientation and adventure games
Nature also encourages movement. Walking along a path, running in a controlled manner, following clues, looking for landmarks in the landscape, or overcoming small challenges allows children to release energy without losing the educational value of the activity.
This type of game works best when there are clear rules and well-defined boundaries. It's not about letting the group run around aimlessly, but rather about using the environment to create a safe, age-appropriate adventure. A clearing, a wooded area, a simple path, or an open space can become the perfect setting if you've carefully considered how you're going to use it beforehand.
A very comprehensive option is the nature scavenger hunt. The group can be organized into teams and travel to different locations where they will have to solve simple challenges: find a leaf with a specific shape, identify a sound, locate a shaded area, answer a question about the environment, or follow a clue to the next location. This combines movement, observation, and cooperation without the activity becoming just a race.
Basic orienteering games can also be introduced. For example, finding a visible landmark, following a small drawn map, recognizing landscape features to return to the starting point, or locating a direction using the sun, always with adult supervision and in a controlled environment. These are simple activities, but they help children pay attention to their surroundings and avoid moving impulsively.
Another option is guided walks with clues. Instead of explaining the entire activity from the beginning, you can prepare signs or short challenges to guide the group from one point to another: “Find the tallest tree,” “Find a rock with an unusual shape,” “Listen for a minute before continuing,” or “Locate three different shades of green.” This format maintains the excitement of discovery and allows you to manage the group's energy levels.
In active games, it's important to adjust the intensity. Not all children enjoy running, competing, or overcoming physical challenges equally. Therefore, it's a good idea to alternate movement with pauses for observation, small team decisions, and quiet moments to discuss what they've discovered. This way, the activity doesn't exclude those who have a different pace.
Well-organized, movement and orientation games transform a nature outing into an active, safe, and exciting experience. Children have fun, yes, but they also learn to observe the landscape, use landmarks, cooperate, and move with greater respect for their surroundings.
6. How to organize a day of games in nature in summer
For a successful summer day of outdoor play, it's not enough to simply choose a beautiful spot and prepare a few activities. The key is to plan the outing as a complete experience: which group will be participating, how long they'll be outdoors, the children's ages, their level of independence, and how the heat might affect the pace of the activities.
The first step is to choose a suitable space. It doesn't have to be a nature park or a particularly striking location. A large park, a wooded area, an easy trail, or a nearby natural setting can work perfectly well if it allows for safe movement, easy group gathering, and shady areas for resting.
In summer, timing is crucial. Whenever possible, games should be scheduled for early morning or late afternoon, avoiding the hottest part of the day. An activity that works well in spring can become tedious or even unsafe if it's too hot.
It's also important to organize the time well. A balanced day can begin with a short welcome game to energize the group, continue with an observation activity, follow with a cooperative challenge, and end with a more relaxed closing activity. Alternating periods of movement with more leisurely ones helps maintain focus and prevents the group from becoming too tired by the end.
The materials should be few and easy to handle. For many outings, clue cards, scarves, ropes, pencils, a notebook, or small observation sheets are sufficient. In summer, it's also a good idea to bring enough water, hats, sunscreen, and a quiet activity to do in the shade if the group needs to slow down.
To collect the group's findings, it may be helpful to prepare a field notebook for school outings with drawings, clues, sounds or small notes.
Before starting, it's important to explain some basic rules and repeat them clearly: how far you can go, which areas you shouldn't enter, how to alert an adult, what to do if someone gets separated from the group, and how to care for the environment. It's also worth remembering not to pick plants, disturb animals, or leave any trash behind.
It's advisable to have alternatives prepared. It might be hotter than expected, the weather might change, fatigue might set in, or a break might be needed before continuing. Having short games, activities in the shade, or quieter options allows you to adapt the day without it seeming like you've lost control of the activity.
The closing should not be improvised. Taking a few minutes to discuss what was seen, what surprised them most, what was challenging, or what was learned helps to give meaning to the experience. This way, the children don't just remember spending time playing outside, but also observing, contributing, and caring for their surroundings while enjoying the summer outdoors.
These proposals can also fit very well within Biodiversity activities to close the school year, especially if they are done outdoors before the holidays.
7. Common mistakes when organizing outdoor games in summer
Organizing outdoor games in summer seems simple, but some mistakes can disrupt the flow of the activity, make it unsafe, or diminish its educational value. Most can be avoided with a little planning and by tailoring the activity to the specific group, the available space, and the day's conditions.
One of the most common mistakes is explaining too much before starting. When children are outdoors, eager to move around and surrounded by stimuli, a long explanation often disconnects the group. It's better to give a brief instruction, show an example, and begin with a simple first action. Additional instructions can be introduced during the game.
Another common mistake is choosing a space that is too open or difficult to control. A natural environment doesn't need to be large to work well. In fact, with school groups, camps, or family activities, it's often more practical to work in a defined area with clear landmarks, nearby shade, and visible meeting points.
It's also a good idea to avoid making all the games physical or competitive. This mistake is even more noticeable in summer. Running, searching for clues, or overcoming challenges can be very motivating, but if the day is based solely on speed or energy, some participants will tire quickly. Alternating movement, observation, cooperation, and quiet moments helps everyone find their place.
Another common mistake is using nature merely as a backdrop. If the game could be played exactly the same way in a yard or a gym, perhaps the environment isn't being truly utilized. A good outdoor activity should encourage observation, listening, orientation, identification of natural elements, and care for the space where the game is played.
The closing is also often too improvised. Many activities end when the group gets tired or when it's time to go home, but taking a few minutes to discuss what they saw, what surprised them, or how they organized themselves helps to solidify what they learned. This closing makes the experience more than just a fun outing.
Finally, in summer, we can't forget basic aspects like shade, water, fatigue, sun protection, or changing weather. A well-designed activity can fail if the group is hot, thirsty, or needs a break. Preparing short alternatives, finding rest areas, and adjusting the pace doesn't detract from the game; on the contrary, it allows the day to run more smoothly.
Avoiding these mistakes helps make outdoor play safer, more inclusive, and more beneficial. Ultimately, it's not about filling the outing with activities, but about creating a well-guided experience where children can move around, observe, interact, and enjoy the summer without losing their connection to nature.
8. Conclusion: a simple way to educate outdoors in summer
Playing in nature is a direct and engaging way to connect children with the natural world, especially during the summer when there is more time to go outside, explore, and share outdoor activities. Through play, they learn to observe their surroundings, move more freely, collaborate with others, and discover that nature is not just a place to go on hikes, but a space where they can also learn and connect with others.
When an activity is well-planned, play ceases to be mere entertainment. It can help develop attention, curiosity, autonomy, respect for the environment, and the ability to work in a group. And it does so without losing sight of the essential element: that children enjoy themselves, participate, and experience the activity as their own.
For families, schools, camps, and school groups, organizing outdoor games in the summer is a great way to break the routine and create positive memories outdoors. You don't need extensive resources or elaborate plans. Simply choose the right location, adapt the activities to the group, avoid the hottest hours of the day, and ensure the day is safe, engaging, and environmentally friendly.
In short, playing in nature during the summer is one of the most complete ways for children to enjoy the outdoors and learn without even realizing it.
Antonio Pestana
Antonio Jesús Pestana Salido (Cabra, Córdoba, 1970) is an Andalusian ornithologist and nature photographer, specializing in birds and the interpretation of the Mediterranean landscape. From childhood, he has been involved in the study and observation of wildlife, and has spent decades exploring the natural areas of Andalusia, especially the Subbética region of Córdoba.
He is a nationally awarded nature photographer, winner of the first prize in the Carl Zeiss nature photography competition (4th edition) with a digiscoping image of a common crossbill, in addition to other recognitions in specialized bird photography competitions.
As a field ornithologist, he has participated in bird monitoring and conservation projects, especially for birds of prey and steppe birds, and has served as provincial coordinator in Córdoba for the Montagu's and hen harrier censuses. He is also president of the Abanto naturalist association, dedicated to the dissemination and conservation of natural heritage.
He is the author of several books on Iberian fauna and popular culture published by specialized publishers, including "Iberian birds in popular culture" and "Iberian diurnal birds of prey in popular culture," works that compile proverbs, beliefs and traditions related to birds in popular culture.
In addition to his work as an author and photographer, he develops outreach and environmental education activities, leading nature outings, giving bird photography workshops and collaborating with educational centers, associations and nature tourism projects.
She regularly works with schools, designing wildlife observation activities adapted for primary and secondary school students. She also collaborates with companies and associations on birdwatching tours, teaches nature photography courses, and participates in the design of natural areas.
