8 Outdoor Activities to Do

Happy April! Although it doesn't quite feel like Spring yet (at least to me), it's Spring and Summer is just around the corner. As the weather heats up, I think that it would be a good idea to get out of our beds and get outside. While I may love staying indoors, watching movies and drinking warm tea, it's still a good idea to engage in some new activities that are more fitting to the season. Because of that, I've compiled a list of some fun, warm weather activities that you can enjoy during the Spring and eventually the summer.

One // Go geocaching.

"What's geocaching?" you ask. Well, geocaching is essentially like a scavenger hunt, except you use a GPS and navigational techniques in order to find geocaches (also called caches), which hidden boxes with treasure in them. This treasure isn't necessarily a pot of gold, but there are objects placed inside by previous geocachers and you may take them from the box, as long as you exchange them for something else. Going geocaching is basically like being a kid trying to find a treasure chest with his/her trusty treasure map. The main difference is that it's for adults. I have not been geocaching before, but I have always wanted to and actually have plans to do so later in the week. The nice things about it is that it's a great way to spend time with nature, as a lot of geocaching locations are in nature-based spots and there are so many geocaches all around you, no matter where you live. It's crazy to know that there are so many. Here's how to get geocaching: https://www.geocaching.com/play

Two // Plant something. 

I'll be honest, I definitely don't have a green thumb, but recently I've been learning that it's not impossible to garden. Although it seems kind of like caring for a small child, many plants are not as high-maintenance as you think. Whether you plant something from seed or you develop a young plant, gardening can be rewarding when you see that your work has finally paid off. I just started planting some vegetables, but I think that herbs are also a great idea for things to garden. I grew basil before and it was so nice to get that fresh basil to put in my meals. Personally, I think that gardening edible plants are a lot more rewarding than flowers, because your hard work pays off when it's harvesting time. However, if you feel like gardening some flowers, go for it! Do your research before (and during) the gardening process, but obviously the most important thing to know is how much sun and water the plant needs. Although a challenge, who knows? Maybe you'll get a green thumb. 

Three // Ride a bicycle.

Honestly, I haven't been biking in ages. I think the last time I went was about three years ago. However, I used to love it. When I was younger, I would bike around the area at least once a week during the summer. Whether you're just biking around leisurely to enjoy yourself or biking for a little bit of exercise or maybe even using it as transportation, it's so much more fun to bike than to walk and it's a great way to enjoy the weather. If you don't have a bicycle already, you might need to rent one, but they tend to come at pretty decent prices, especially if you're in a city area. The great thing about going cycling is that it's not only a fun activity to get outside and get moving, but your health can benefit through the exercise. 

Four // Outdoor yoga.

I've never been much of a yoga person, but recently I've been exercising a little more and have been finding some yoga poses online to help stretch the body. Although you can attend a class, you can still do it in your own backyard. All you really need is a nice day, a yoga mat, and some relaxing music. If you're new to yoga, like I am, there are about a million different yoga tutorial videos online, from the basics to the more challenging stuff, so it's not entirely necessary to attend a class. Just be sure to stretch before so that you don't injure yourself. There's also just something so much more calming about doing yoga outside than inside. With the birds chirping and the light breeze, it's just what you need to make you feel relaxed and refreshed.

Five // Create a chalk mural.

You don't need to be an artist to create a masterpiece. Have you ever seen that cool sidewalk art in big cities or on Instagram? You can create your own! Get some cheap chalk and go outside to create a chalk mural. Even better, plan it out with friends so that you can have some helping hands. Don't feel limited to just one small area, but try to make it truly a mural, spanning over a large area. You can create this mural off of any inspiration that you have, maybe you want to center the style of the mural around this cool quote that you found on Pinterest or a beautiful forest scene, you can create whatever you want. If you're up for a challenge, invite some friends and have a chalk mural competition, whoever creates the nicest chalk mural wins. At the end of the day, you'll have your own little gallery of chalk art. 

Six // Go to a food festival.

Obviously, the abundance and choices of these food festivals vary based on where you live, but the truth is that you don't need to live in a big city in order to attend a food festival. Although you might have to drive out a little if you don't live in a big city, I think that it's worth it, since it's a fun and different activity than the norm. Plus, you're in a whole new location, which offers more opportunities to explore. Summer is the peak time for food festivals, so look up some now so that you can plan ahead. Most are centered around a specific type of food, maybe grilled meats or Italian food, and you have the opportunity to try out all kinds of food that you maybe wouldn't usually. Admission is usually free, but you probably have to pay a bit if you want to eat, which I'm assuming that you will. The cost will depend on the size and scale of the food festival you are attending, so keep that in mind. In order to find a festival near you, all you have to do is Google "food festivals near [insert location]", but per your convenience, I've linked an article listing the best food festival in each state.
Related: The Best Food Festival in Every US State

Seven // Go to the farmer's market.

I mention this pretty much every time I talk about warm weather or summer activities, but that's because I think that it's so much fun. To me, it's a good way to get out of the house and outside. Farmer's markets vary, for example, the one closest to where I live is pretty small, but there are also bigger ones that not only have more vendors, but also a larger variety of products. Your basic farmer's market will have the works, the vegetables, some fruit, flowers, but some of the more populated ones have artisan goods, food trucks, live music, and other things that make the farmer's market come to life. Don't limit yourself to just the closest farmer's market, but try out some different ones, as all of them have a slightly different character to them.

Eight // Outdoor Journaling

I'm not quite one to journal, but Katy (hellokatyxo) has the prettiest journal (click here to see it!) and I'm kind of inclined to start journaling some time. And what better way to start out than in a nice calm, setting. Whenever I'm journaling, I have absolutely no idea what to write about. Head outside, bring some colorful markers, your favorite pen, and a pretty journal, and get writing. Include some pictures and doodles. You don't necessarily need to write about your every day life, you can just write about your thoughts and ideas running through your head, which is kind of like what I do on this blog. You can draw little doodles of things you see outside, or you can create a bullet journal if you're more type A and can't just sit outside doing nothing.

Want more activities? I did a post in the past going over Things You Can Do in the Summer. There are some outdoor options, but it's not limited to them. As the weather gets warmer, I hope that you take advantage of it and spend some time outside. Of course, there are the go-to outdoor activities, like going swimming or playing tennis or going sailing, but these activities are a lot more simple and most of them have low costs or are essentially free.

Happy spring!