Outdoor activities for kids: ideas for playing outside at every age

Saturday morning, they are pacing around the flat, the tablet is never far away, and tempers are rising. An hour later, at the park, they run, climb, collect pebbles and come home hungry and calm. Outdoor activities for kids do not need to be organised: the outdoors does most of the work.

Here is why paediatricians encourage going out every day, play ideas by age from birth to 6, the place of "slightly risky" play, and the safety rules that matter in Morocco: sun, water, helmets and roads.

Why play outside every day?

Because children move more out there, and it does them good far beyond their muscles. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) links outdoor play with better health, less stress and better mental wellbeing in children.

The Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) goes further in a 2024 position statement. The studies it cites show that adding natural materials, loose objects to handle and opportunities for risk-taking to play spaces increases sustained physical activity and reduces time spent sitting. Outdoor play, with its small challenges, may also help reduce the risk of anxiety and teaches children to assess danger.

How much active play, by age?

The WHO does not set a time "outdoors", but a time for physical activity, and the outdoors is the easiest way to reach it.

Three hours sounds like a lot. Yet it adds up quickly: the walk to the corner shop, half an hour at the park, games in the courtyard, dancing in the living room.

Outdoor play ideas by age

Under 1. The AAP advises taking babies outside early, on walks or on a blanket, so they discover sounds, colours and textures, and doing tummy time outdoors too. Always in the shade: no direct sun before 6 months.

From 1 to 2. The advice from the CDC, the US public health agency, for this age lends itself well to the outdoors:

• balls to kick, roll and throw;
• a sandpit or the beach, with cups, spoons and a funnel;
• the swing, with a "ready, steady… go!" before every push;
• a walk to the park, the market or a bus ride, to discover new things.

From 2 to 3. The CDC suggests going to the park to climb on the equipment and run in safe spaces, kicking a ball back and forth, playing "follow the leader" (walking straight, turning, backwards, on tiptoe), drawing with chalk on the pavement or the terrace, and turning a big cardboard box into a car or a house. Playing with other children at the park also helps them learn to share and take turns.

From 3 to 6. Let them choose the activity and follow their lead. This is the age of dens, races, balancing along a low wall, supervised water play, the tricycle and then the balance bike. To choose between a tricycle, a balance bike and a scooter, our guide to tricycles, balance bikes and bicycles compares the options. Our development milestones at 2 years and 3 years round out these ideas.

"Slightly risky" play: let them climb, run, fall?

Yes, within limits. The CPS champions play that is "as safe as necessary" rather than as safe as possible. It defines risky play as any thrilling, exciting play with an uncertain outcome: climbing high, going fast, rough-and-tumble play, exploring a little away from adults depending on age. A toddler jumping off a chair and an older child climbing a tree are two examples it gives.

The key is the difference between a risk and a hazard. A risk is a challenge the child can see and assess according to their abilities. A hazard is a situation whose seriousness they cannot gauge: a busy road, a rough sea. Adults remove the hazards before play begins. The risks, they leave to the child. Injuries from risky play are generally minor, scrapes, bruises and cuts, the CPS notes.

This principle never calls into question protections with proven effectiveness, the CPS adds: the helmet, the car seat, the stair gate and the life jacket remain non-negotiable.

Sun, heat, water: safety rules in Morocco

The Moroccan sun calls for a few rules all year round. The AAP advises limiting exposure between 10 am and 4 pm, when UV rays are strongest, and covering children with light clothing, a wide-brimmed hat of about 7.5 cm (3 inches) that protects the face, ears and neck, and sunglasses that block at least 99% of UV rays. Sunscreen, SPF 15 at the very least and up to 50, is reapplied every 2 hours and after every swim. On chergui days (the hot, dry wind from the desert), also see our advice on protecting children from the heat.

Water demands total vigilance. The AAP points out that in the United States drowning is the leading cause of death among children aged 1 to 4, that a young child can drown in a few centimetres of water, and that it happens quickly and silently. It calls for touch supervision, an adult within arm's reach, during baths and swimming, and a life jacket in or near natural bodies of water. Swimming lessons can start after the first birthday, depending on the child's readiness. All the precautions for the sea are gathered in our article on babies at the beach.

Tricycle, balance bike, scooter: riding safely

The helmet goes on as soon as they ride. The AAP lists the bike helmet among the protective gear to wear for sports, and the CPS stresses that free play never means skipping the helmet. Choose enclosed areas or park paths, away from cars, and stay beside them while they learn to brake and steer.

How to choose a model by age and height is covered in the P92 guide mentioned above, and our scooters, bikes and tricycles department brings together the models available.

From the shop

For playing outside, in the sun or the shade

A UV-protection beach tent, a covering T-shirt and something to ride at every age: a selection across a range of prices. Choose between a tricycle and a balance bike according to your child's height and balance.

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Products sold by La Maison du Bébé, publisher of this magazine. Prices as of 12 October 2026; please check the product page.

Where to play outside in Casablanca and elsewhere in Morocco

Anywhere a child can run safely away from cars. In Casablanca, the Arab League Park, neighbourhood gardens, the Corniche at a quiet time of day or the Bouskoura forest offer plenty of space. Elsewhere, the beach outside the hottest hours, the countryside at the grandparents', a clean patch of open ground or the courtyard of the family home do the job just as well.

At home, a courtyard, a secure terrace or a small garden is enough for simple games: a sandpit, supervised water play, a play tent or outdoor play set, a few outdoor toys. In summer and during Ramadan, late-afternoon or early-evening outings let children play while avoiding the midday sun.