Local soft play vs. the Boulder Kingdom. You decide.
It’s the summer holidays, which means at some point this week you’ll find yourself muttering “what the hell are we going to do today?” while staring blankly into the fridge like it holds the answer.
Don’t worry. I’ve got you.
Below are 6 very achievable activities to do with kids of any age (attention spans may vary). None of them require you to be an expert. Trust me, I’ve botched every single one of these at some point….but that’s kind of the point.
It’s not about getting it right. It’s about showing up, trying something new together, and watching your kids light up when something - anything - actually lands. Because once it does? You’re the hero mate.
Here’s Round One of Outside Kids’ Summer Survival Series. Six ideas to buy you some time, make some memories, and remind your kids that you’re still the fun one.
1. Make Campfire Bread
A wildly imperfect cooking adventure that somehow ends in sweet, smokey, carb-loaded glory.
What you’ll need:
A fire pit, campfire, or barbecue with a good bed of coals
Long fresh sticks (clean and whittled, or metal skewers)
Simple dough (see below)
Optional: butter, honey, cinnamon, Nutella, jam - pick your weapon
Gluten boa constrictors
Quick dough recipe (no proving):
2 cups plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
¾ cup water (add slowly until pliable)
Optional: splash of olive oil
How to do it:
Mix the dough until soft and stretchy. Tear off a chunk, roll it into a snake, and spiral it around your stick like a gluten boa constrictor. Hold it over the coals, turning slowly so it cooks evenly. No rushing - golden brown outside, cooked inside. Should take 10–15 minutes.
Once it slides off the stick and sounds hollow when tapped, it’s ready. Then comes the magic: butter. Jam it into the bread tube and watch it melt through like a Goonie water slide, followed by a slow drizzle of honey until it’s basically forest pastry. Stand back and bask in the wild applause (or sticky silence).
Why it’s great for kids:
They get to make their own food over fire, which basically makes them wilderness chefs. It teaches patience, independence, and turns “waiting” into something exciting. Plus, there’s something primal and wildly satisfying about tearing into your own handmade bread stick.
Dad Hack:
Let them knead the dough - it’s messy, tactile, and keeps them busy while you achieve fire. And if it turns out burnt or underdone? Butter and honey will fix literally anything.
For more inspo for campfire bread - watch the master at work.
2. Nature Mandala
An outdoor art session where the mess is the masterpiece.
What you’ll need:
A flat patch of ground
A bag, bucket or hoodie pouch for collecting bits
Leaves, sticks, feathers, petals, pinecones, pebbles, bark, etc. (aka forest confetti)
Optional: a camera to capture your masterpiece before nature reclaims it
How to do it:
A nature mandala is basically a circular artwork made from stuff you find on the ground - think flower arrangement meets pagan ritual, minus the goat sacrifice. The aim is to build it from the centre out, laying items in repeating patterns to create symmetry, rhythm, and mild transcendence.
Start with a leaf or stone in the middle. Then layer outward in rings: red leaves, yellow petals, white pebbles, tiny sticks, whatever’s nearby. Keep going until you’ve created something so serene you want to frame it and call it “Earth Vibes #3.”
Why it’s great for kids:
It channels their endless foraging energy into something focused and creative. They’ll start noticing colour, texture, and pattern in things they normally just kick or ignore. It also builds patience, fine motor skills, and gives them a real sense of “I made this!” pride, without a single glitter spill or glue stick in sight.
Dad Hack: It’s a brilliant way to slow down, sit still, and enter a meditative state without chanting or wearing linen trousers. Let the kids go wild sourcing materials, while you channel your inner art school dropout and pretend you’re Banksy, but mossier.
3. Make a Rope Swing
The original rollercoaster, powered by gravity and questionable judgement.
What you’ll need:
A sturdy tree with a strong, horizontal-ish branch (roughly 4-5m off the ground, but the higher the better)
Rope (climbing rope or heavy-duty braided nylon, 10–15mm thick, at least 10-15 metres long, depending on tree)
A smooth stick, plank or tyre for the seat (optional)
Courage, common sense, and decent knots
How to do it:
First: check the branch. If it creaks, cracks or looks like it’s been dead since the Tudors, pick another. Loop the rope over the branch using a throw bag, weight, or sheer determination and dad grunting. This guy has a cracking technique. Tie it securely - bowline or figure-8 knots are your best bet.
You can keep it simple with just a hand-hold loop, or step it up with a seat (tie a plank, tyre, or even a chunky stick horizontally at kid-bum height).
Test it yourself first. Yes, really. If it can hold a fully grown adult pretending not to be terrified, it’ll hold your kid.
Why it’s great for kids:
It delivers pure, giggling joy in 10-second bursts. It’s movement, bravery, balance and freedom all in one. A DIY rope swing turns any old tree into a theme park ride, one they’ll want to return to again and again. Is there anything cooler to a 7-year-old than flying through the air yelling like Tarzan?
Dad Hack:
Use this moment to quietly reclaim your inner child. You’re not “testing” the swing, you’re reliving the golden summers of your youth. Just check for low branches unless you want to explain a forehead lump at work.
4. Rockpooling
Nature’s weirdest creatures, all trapped in tiny tidal aquariums.
What you’ll need:
Buckets, tubs, or clear containers
A small net (optional, but satisfying)
Grippy shoes or sandals because rocks are slippery little liars
Tide times (go at low tide)
Optional: magnifying glass, encyclopaedic enthusiasm
How to do it:
Head to the coast and time it right: just after the tide goes out is your golden window. Scan the pools, lift seaweed gently, and see what you can spot: crabs, blennies, anemones, mussels, shrimp, starfish, snails, sea slugs, the occasional soggy crisp packet and so much more.
Let the kids scoop them up gently into containers for a closer look. No poking, no prodding, and everything goes back exactly where it came from. Bonus points for spotting weird jelly blobs or crabs mid-scrap.
Why it’s great for kids:
It’s like a living, sloshing lucky dip. This is literally my kids favourite thing to do on the planet. Every pool is a surprise. It builds observation skills, patience, curiosity, and respect for wild creatures. Plus, it’s endlessly entertaining, like a real-life Pokémon hunt with more legs and fewer batteries.
Dad Hack:
Download this animal ID app or just make up names like ‘Wiggly Blobfish’ and pretend you’re an expert. If it’s a slow pool day, throw in a Lego man and say he washed up from Atlantis.
5. Go Geocaching
A digital treasure hunt where Google Maps and pirate lore collide in a field full of nettles.
What you’ll need:
A smartphone with GPS
The free Geocaching app
A pen (you’ll need to sign a logbook)
Optional: trinkets for trading (think plastic dinosaurs, key-rings, or that weird marble you found under the couch)
These are some of the places to find within 50km of my place
How to do it:
Yes, it uses a screen, but only to get you outside. Geocaching is like a digital treasure hunt: you use an app to find hidden “caches” in real-world spots, behind trees, under benches, near landmarks. It gets kids walking with purpose, solving clues, and celebrating tiny wins (even if it’s just a plastic frog in a Tupperware box).
Use the phone together, then put it back in your pocket and let the real adventure unfold on foot.
Why it’s great for kids:
It taps into that primal kid instinct to hunt and find. They’re not just going on a walk - they’re on a mission. It builds problem-solving skills, spatial awareness, and teaches them how to follow a map without arguing over it (a miracle in itself). Plus, the reward at the end, even if it’s just a tiny rubber duck, feels like buried treasure. Because it is.
Dad Hack:
Let them be “Chief Navigator.” Even if they take you the wrong way for 300 metres, that’s still a 300m win for fresh air and movement. If you don’t find the cache? Just pretend it was stolen by squirrels. They’ll believe you.
6. Catch a Sunrise
Cold toes, warm drinks, and a front-row seat to the planet showing off.
What you’ll need:
An alarm clock with guts
A warm jumper, blanket, or half-asleep cuddle pile
A flask of something hot (tea, coffee, warm Ribena, your call)
A view (hilltop, beach, back garden, or even the front step)
How to do it:
Pick a clear-ish morning, set the alarm uncomfortably early, and commit. Don’t hit snooze. Don’t overthink it. Just wake the kids, throw on jumpers and shoes (pyjamas underneath are fine), and head to your chosen perch.
Arrive 10-15 minutes before the official sunrise time. Settle in. Sip your warm drink. Let the yawns turn into quiet smiles. And when the sky starts to shift - that slow glow, the streaks of fire, the moment light cracks over the horizon - let it hit you.
You did it. You showed your kids something timeless. Free. Massive.
Why it’s great for kids:
It’s an experience they’ll remember forever - being awake while the world wakes up. There’s mystery, awe, and a sense that they’re part of something bigger. And because it takes effort, it feels like an event. Plus, early mornings = bragging rights.
Dad Hack:
Bring pastries. The combination of sunrise and pain au chocolat will burn itself into their childhood memory bank as “the best morning ever.” And yes, you’re allowed to go home and snooze after.
READ / WATCH / LISTEN
How Other Dads Dad feat. Rick Peterson
Rick was the standout contestant on the second season of Alone Australia, and I’ve been quietly fanboying ever since. Grounded, intentional, and quietly wise, I finally got to meet him at an adventure festival I ran earlier this year, and he was every bit as wonderful in person as I’d hoped.
In this episode hosted by the equally awesome Hamish Blake, what struck me most was how he talks about fatherhood: calm, humble, and full of heart. There’s a line that really stuck with me: “I want to raise kids who feel safe enough to fail in front of me.”
This is a beautiful listen for anyone trying to show up, live adventurously, stay soft, and raise great humans.