Natural Racetracks and other Outdoor Play Ideas for toddlers and young children.

My toddler LOVES cars, wheels, planes and basically any kind of vehicle. At home, he rides his bike outside, plays in his sandpit and helps water the flowers. If we are inside, the car mat is one of our most-used toys.

But when travelling, we have to find new ways to play. His cars (or ‘beep beeps’) came with us, but his car mat stayed at home. Luckily, this activity ended up being a lot of fun for us both, and I loved that it meant we spent more time outside.

There’s no need to plan the finished track first. Collect a few natural materials and let the design develop as you play.

If pine cones or rocks are not readily available where you are, you could also build a racetrack from:

• leaves

• grass clippings

• sand

• tracks dug into the ground

• mud

• tree bark

• shells

The collecting can be part of the play too. A walk around the garden, park or woodland can become a hunt for useful building materials.

You can vary the size of your road or try different track designs.

If your child does not love racetracks and cars, the same idea can be adapted for all sorts of creative outdoor play. For example:

You could build a maze.

You could build homes for creatures and insects, or nests for birds.

You could design a ‘fairy ring’: a circular pattern made from pretty natural objects, such as flowers or shells.

Portraits made from leaves and a mix of outdoor materials are great fun too. These could be nature faces, or you could create pictures of animals, flowers or other objects.

You could even try recreating a famous artwork using only natural materials. A stony-faced Mona Lisa, perhaps?

Have fun playing outside! Remember to supervise children if they are picking plants or playing with small items.

You can share your creations by tagging Hands On Primary on social media (Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest), or by sending us your photos.