The #1000HoursOutside challenge has been inspiring families to get outside for years, and this year it’s more important then ever to find safe ways to get out the house and relax with some summer sun. Here are 100 activities you can do to get closer to the 1000 hour mark. Learn more about 1000 Hours Outside and its founder Ginny (a metro Detroit mom) in our #MomLife series.
Things you can do daily
- Walk around the block
- Drink coffee/smoothie/milk outside
- Eat Popsicles on the porch
- Water your garden
- Story time outside
- Play Eye-Spy
Summer Musts
- Host a BBQ
- Swim at the beach (here are beaches in metro Detroit)
- Run through a sprinkler
- Have fun at a splash pad (or buy one for home)
- See a Great Lake
- Kayak
- Go Fishing
- Paddle boating
- Play in a pool
- Shop a famer’s market (here are local markets)
- Plant flowers
- Enjoy a family camp-out
- Toss water balloons
- Play in the sand
- Visit a U-Pick Farm
Stay Up Past Bedtime
- Sit by a bonfire
- Roast marshmallows
- Use sparklers
- Watch fireworks
- Catch fireflies
- Read scary stories
- Play flashlight tag
- Star gazing – try a Dark Sky park
Sports + Games
- Play catch
- Fly a kite
- Hopscotch
- Throw a frisbee
- Roller skate
- Volleyball
- Play croquette
- Kick a ball around
- Go (miniature) golfing
- Flag football
- Work on your jump shot
- Street hockey
- Race at the track
- Tennis
- Play capture the flag
Get Moving
- Walk a nature trail (here are local trails)
- Outdoor yoga
- Have a silent disco
- Learn a TikToc Dance
- Plan a backyard Olympics
- Take a family bike ride (here are some routes)
- Jump rope
- Have a hula hoop contest
- Perfect your cartwheels
Have Fun
- Make a fairy door
- Build-Your-Own Boat Race
- Sidewalk art with chalk
- Blow bubbles
- Climb a tree
- Jump in rain puddles
- Play in mud (make mud kitchen food)
- Paint with Mother Nature’s paintbrushes
- Go on a scavenger hunt
- Play cornhole
- Tell stories while looking up at the clouds
- Create a backyard obstacle course
- Make sun shadows
- Play hide and seek
- Take photos of nature
- Go on a bug hunt
- Pick flowers for a bouquet
- Take pictures of nature
- Bird watch in your backyard
- Make a bird feeder
- Build a fort
- Go on a swing
- Have a picnic with stuffed animals
Places To Picnic
- Huron-Clinton Metroparks (multiple locations)
- Lakeshore Park (Novi)
- Greenmead Historical Village (Livonia)
- Milford Central Park
- Budd Park (Clinton Township)
- Cranbrook House & Gardens (Bloomfield Hills)
- Belle Isle (Detroit)
- Matthaei Botanical Gardens (Ann Arbor)
- Heritage Park Petting Farm (Taylor)
- Hess-Hathaway Park (Waterford)
Do Good
- Clean up a local park
- Fill a wagon with flowers or a s’mores kit to deliver to neighbors
- Pull weeds for a neighbor
- Have an outdoor visit with an elderly relative
- Start a donation-based Popsicle stand
Outdoor Adventures
- TreeRunner Adventure Park (West Bloomfield)
- Check out murals in the Dequindre Cut (Detroit)
- MSU 4-H Children’s Garden (East Lansing)
- Jump Island (Brighton)
- Detroit Zoo (Royal Oak) or St. Paul Brick Wall Zoo (Detroit)
- Greenfield Village (Dearborn)
- Visit a create ice cream shop and eat outside
Photo credit: 1000 Hours Outside