10 Fun Activities to Keep Kids Entertained on Family Walks

Family walks are one of the best FREE activities that you can do with your children. As well as nurturing those family bonds, you’re encouraging physical exercise, and there is no shortage of articles out there on how good walks are for everyone’s mental health either. But sometimes, your family walks aren’t quite the Instagram-perfect activity that you had imaged. Suddenly your happy thoughts are being drowned out by agitated questions like “Are we nearly there yet”, “When will we be home?”, “I’m hungry” or maybe even … “This is boring!”

Fear not! Here are some of the tips and tricks I use myself when my children hit those low spots! (Don’t be fooled, every family has those kinds of walks!)

1. I Spy

Yes, the classical I Spy tops the list again! The youngest player gets to start, and they have to find something (that everyone can see) and tell the other players what letter that item begins with. The first player sees a Cow in the field, they then say “I spy with my little eye, something beginning with C…” . The other players then all have to guess what it is! The person who guesses correctly gets to go next. It’s usually a real hit in our family and keeps everyone occupied for a good time.

2. The Alphabet Game

Leading on from I Spy comes the alphabet game. This is our favourite walking game – it’s definitely the most requested, even when no one’s yet to moan! The alphabet game can be themed or include anything – but it must be something that has just been seen at that moment! Starting at A, and working your way to Z, you want to be the first person to see something starting with that letter! Watch those crafty children though – my eldest has a sneaky habit of finding small objects in advance and carrying them until we reach that letter! 😉

3. Scavenger Hunts

Scavenger hunts are another great game that keep children’s minds occupied. You can play this two ways. The first is to just wing it (my favourite, and the least complicated approach) – and just randomly come up with things for the children to find, for example a “pink flower”, “yellow stone”, “black and white feather”. If you think you’ll crack under pressure, why not download and print these fun scavenger hunt lists instead? You can hand them out to the children, or use it for inspiration for yourself! There are two different hunts that can be printed onto A4 paper and cut in half. Share with a friend or sibling, or save for another walk. There are extra challenges along the way so look out for those! You could choose whether or not to supply a little bag to collect these finds (if permitted in the area) and maybe use them for an art project, scrap booking or journal keeping at a later date!

Download here!

4. The Memory Game

This game is brilliant for ensuring everyone’s completely distracted and focused, as everyone concentrates hard on trying to remember what’s on the list! The first player starts with a phrase like “I went on a walk and I saw… an acorn “ Each person takes it in turns to add an item – but only after repeating all the other items first: “I went on a walk and I saw an acorn… and a bull”, “I went on a walk and I saw an acorn, a bull… and a cornfield”... I’m sure you get the drift! You can make it easier by having the list follow the alphabet. Make it as silly and fun as you want, and see how far you can get!

5. Animal Tracking

Why not look out for animal tracks, and try and guess which animal made them? Listen out for birds and see if you can work out which bird is making which noise, or maybe count squirrels or other more common wildlife along the walk. Who can spot the most?

6. 20 Questions

Each player takes it in turns to think of something, and the other players have to take it in turns to ask yes-or-no questions and figure out what it is – but, you can’t go above 20 questions! If a player guesses correctly, they get to go next. If they don’t, then the original player gets to go again! Make it easier by having a theme, like animals, or food!

7. Adventure Storytelling

In this game, each player adds a sentence to a story, creating a unique and fun tale, sparking their imagination and giving everyone a good laugh along the way! Let the youngest player start, then work upwards from there, with each player adding one sentence to the story. Why not make up a story about what you see and do on your walk?

8. The Word Association Game

A fun and simple game that includes everyone – the youngest player starts and says a word, and then every player takes it in turns, from youngest to eldest, to say something that is related to that word. Player one might say “Potatoes”, the next player might say “Crisps,“ and so on! This game can get hilarious and is another fantastic distraction buster!

9. A Photography Adventure

Give children a simple camera or let them use a phone to take photos of interesting things they see, turning the walk into a mini-photography session. It’s always surprising what catches children’s attention, and it’s a brilliant distraction too. Save the photos and print them for a journal or scrap booking – or maybe after a year of walks create them their very own photo book of memories?

10. Just Talk About the Walk!

Another great distraction technique I’ve found is to take the child’s hand, and ask them simple questions about the walk so far, or make plans with them for the next one. “What was your favourite part?”, “Would you to walk this one again?”, “Where would you like to go next time?” Sometimes the conversations will go on for ages, distracting them for a good distance!

So there you have it. 10 fun ideas that will hopefully keep your children distracted on walks if they start getting tired or bored. Choose 1, or go for all 10 – we often mix and match all these ideas to keep the peace! I can‘t guarantee that these will make sure you have a grump-free, perfectly smooth walk, but I hope it will at least help! Let me know which of these games you play, whether you plan to use the Scavenger Hunt, or tell me which games or ideas you’ve found have worked for your children on those longer family walks (I’m always on the lookout for new ideas)!