Guest Blog from Muddy Puddles
September has arrived and the school year is in full swing! We hope your summer holidays were filled with outdoor adventures. Just because the classroom doors have opened again doesn’t mean the outdoor fun has to stop – there are still so many ways for your little explorers to enjoy nature, stay active and make magical memories after school and at weekends.
We’re Muddy Puddles, experts in creating fully waterproof clothing and footwear for babies and children aged 0-12 years, and we believe there’s no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong kit! We’ve put together a guide to our top 10 outdoor activities to enjoy with your little ones, outside of school hours.
1. Go for a woodland wander
Heading into the woods is the perfect way to whisk little adventurers out of the house and into nature. Choose a spot full of things to see and discover – the woods are bursting with treasures! From tall trees and scurrying animals to fascinating plants, there’s so much waiting to be explored. Turn your walk into a game – can they spot every colour of the rainbow, or find something that begins with each letter of their name? As Autumn arrives, the leaves will be tumbling down in a swirl of colour. Pop on your wellies, pack a magnifying glass, some pencils and paper, and let them sketch what they find. Need inspiration? The Woodland Trust is a brilliant place to find a wood near you.
2. Make mud pies
If you have an hour free after school, encourage little ones to whip up a messy masterpiece! All you need is mud, a splash of water and a trusty stick to get started. Making mud pies is a wonderfully squishy, sensory adventure for little ones (and grown-ups too!). Want to make it extra special? Decorate your pies with flowers, leaves, pebbles, grass, shells or any other treasures you find outdoors. The muddier, the better.
3. Get little ones involved in gardening.
Gardening is a brilliant way to get little ones outdoors and hands-on with nature. It’s fun, muddy and full of learning – plus it helps children connect with where food comes from, encourages them to munch more veggies, and gives them a healthy hobby that can last a lifetime. Autumn is bursting with gardening jobs for curious explorers – from making your own compost to raking up crunchy leaves and planting bulbs ready for spring. So grab the wellies after school and head out into the garden for some fresh-air fun!
4. Have a bug hunt
Children are born explorers – and the great outdoors is crawling with fascinating mini-beasts just waiting to be discovered! Peek under stones, logs and fallen leaves, or search through long grass, flowers and bushes – you’re bound to uncover all sorts of tiny treasures. Look out for ladybirds, butterflies, caterpillars, snails, spiders, woodlice, worms, ants and plenty more. Remember to be gentle with your creepy-crawly friends and always pop them back where you found them. They’ll be happiest returning to their own little homes. To make it even more fun, create a bug-hunting checklist and see how many critters your adventurers can tick off. The Wildlife Trust have a brilliant free insect spotting sheet you can download to keep track of your discoveries!
5. Have a go at geocaching
Ready for a real-life treasure hunt? Geocaching is a global game of hide-and-seek where explorers track down hidden boxes filled with little surprises – from trinkets and photos to notes left by other adventurers. All you need is a GPS or smartphone to follow the clues and hunt down these secret ‘caches’. When you discover one, add your name and the date to the logbook, then tuck it back safely for the next treasure hunter. You can even leave behind a small treat or token to swap! Head over to the Geocaching website to kick-start your adventure – the world is full of hidden treasures waiting to be found.
6. Try a bit of bird watching
Bird watching with kids is a wonderful way to slow down, tune in, and enjoy the magic of nature after a day at school or nursery. Spotting feathered friends in their natural homes helps little ones develop their listening skills, concentration, and a real love for wildlife. The best part? You don’t need to travel far. Your own garden, a local park, or even a walk around the neighbourhood can be the perfect place to start. Turn it into an adventure with fun games, scavenger hunts, or a pair of homemade binoculars. You could even download a simple bird ID app to help spot who’s who in the treetops. It’s simple, fun, and a brilliant way to connect with the great outdoors—all while inspiring a lifelong love of nature.
7. Take a trip to a new park or playground
Heading to the same spot over and over can feel a little bit “same old, same old” for children. To spark their sense of adventure, why not shake things up with a brand-new destination? Take a little wander around your neighbourhood or explore nearby areas to see if you can discover a hidden park or playground you’ve never tried before. It doesn’t need to be a big expedition—try taking a different route on the way home from school or set out on a weekend stroll and see where you end up. Even the smallest change can feel like a big adventure through your child’s eyes!
8. Have a nature scavenger hunt
Scavenger hunts are a brilliant way to get little explorers excited about the great outdoors. They add an extra sprinkle of fun to family walks, turning an ordinary stroll into a big adventure. Autumn is the perfect season for it too—nature is bursting with treasures just waiting to be discovered! Think crisp golden leaves, shiny brown conkers, twirling helicopter seeds, and prickly conker cases. You might even spot bright berries, plump sweet chestnuts, or leaves in every shade of red, orange, and yellow. Why not head to your local woods after school or at the weekend and see how many treasures you can find? Pop them into a bag or tick them off a scavenger hunt sheet like this one from the Woodland Trust. It’s the perfect way to celebrate the magic of Autumn together.
9. Build a birdhouse
If your little ones love getting crafty, why not try building a birdhouse together after school? It’s a fun hands-on project that sparks creativity, encourages problem-solving, and gives children the joy of making something useful with their own two hands. Plus, they’ll feel so proud when birds come to visit their creation! Start by thinking about what makes the perfect bird home: a little doorway (about the size of a golf ball) that’s big enough for feathered friends but too small for predators, a sturdy perch inside and out, and a safe spot to hang it where squirrels can’t get to it. Then, gather up some bits and bobs from around the house or garden—an empty milk carton for the main house, a stick for the perch, lolly sticks for a roof, and some twine to hang it up. Before you know it, you’ll have a cosy new home ready for garden birds to enjoy.
10. Make some leaf art
Next time you head out on a woodland walk, turn it into a mini art adventure! Encourage children to gather their favourite leaves and twigs along the way—look out for different shapes, sizes and colours to make their creations extra special. Once home, they can use their treasures to create their very own leaf art. All you need is some paper or card and a little glue. See if they can make the shapes of animals, flowers, or even whole woodland scenes. It’s a lovely way to bring the beauty of the outdoors back inside and keep the adventure going long after the walk has finished.