Event and Activity Ideas
There are endless possibilities for the type of activity that you can
plan for Take It Outside California! The only “requirements” for the
day are that part or all of the activity occurs outside and is free for
attendees. Here is a list of ideas for your Take It Outside California!
activity; including some ideas from events organizations hosted last
year. Remember, be creative - the sky is the limit!
Active Recreation
1. Kite flying festival or kite flying event
2. Big game of capture the flag or other outdoor games
3. Set up a fun and safe outdoor obstacle course
4. Bike ride
a. Include a stop for lunch or play at a conserved property
b. Mountain bike trail ride
c. Road bike that passes conserved properties
d. Easy bike ride for kids around a neighborhood
5. Geo-caching
6. Outdoor scavenger hunt
7. Field day with sports game
8. Kayaking/canoe day
9. Outdoor excersize class like zumba or trail running
Passive Recreation
1. Interpretive nature walk
2. Hike – consider different levels. If you are targeting families,
think about a short, flat hike that would be easy for kids - that
ends in a good place for a picnic
3. Themed hike - pick a theme for your hike, such as wildflowers
or wildlife, and focus your hike on that theme
5. Open a property to a community or youth groupto do their
Elkhorn Slough Foundation
Take It Outside California! Toolkit
© 2016 California Council of Land Trusts.
All rights reserved.
own outdoor event
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Event and Activity Ideas
6. Stargazing – invite astronomers to bring their telescopes and orient participants
7. Host an overnight camp out
8. A day at the beach
9. Spend the day at a neighborhood/city park
10. Outdoor yoga or meditation, silent meditation hike
11. Explore California’s heritage – does one of your properties have historical or cultural artifacts or
significance? Host a historic tour!
12. Find nature in urban spaces
a. Go on a tour in an urban area and have your participants “find nature” by noticing nature
in places they never thought it could exist
b. End a walk in a neighborhood park or green space
13. Nature journaling or drawing activity, write about what was observed, how it felt at the moment,
and have the group share if they are willing.
14. Host an “open house” on one of your properties
a. Hike option
b. Nature talk option
c. Kids play area
d. Outdoor games
San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust
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Event and Activity Ideas
Environmentally - Focused Outdoor Activities
1. Stewardship activity
a. Trail building
b. Trail maintenance day
c. Invasive species removal
d. Plant trees, wildflowers, native plants
2. Beach or river clean-up
Sequoia Riverlands
3. Build garden boxes
4. Planting, weeding, or clean-up in a community
garden
5. Build bat boxes, bird houses and bird feeders
6. Bird watching or bird counts
7. Host a fishing activity
a. Catch and release
b. Talk about native vs. invasive species
8. Bioblitz
a. Citizen science – host a day where the public
Sequoia Riverlands
can get involved in science on one of your
properties
b. Bird count, insect count, native plant survey
9. Seed/acorn collecting for native plantings
Family Friendly
1. Family Picnic featuring BYOP (“bring your own
picnic”) while you organize group activities such as
tug-of-war – you may want special treats, such as
Northcoast Regional Land Trust
BBQ, drinks, ice cream or fresh fruit
2. Sand castle building contest
3. Photo scavenger hunt
a. Give people a list of things to find and
photograph
b. Have participants post on social media and
showcase a beautiful outdoor area
4. A dog friendly walk/hike so every family member
can join
Riverside Land Conservancy
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Event and Activity Ideas
4. Plein Air art
a. Open one of your properties for artists to
come out and paint/draw etc.
b. Invite families and provide art supplies
5. Craft day
6. Campfire with s’mores and campfire stories
7. Host a “Wild Zone” or “Create-with-Nature
Zone.” These are places where adults, children
and adolescents can co-create a new form
of public space that is dedicated to creativity
and play in nature. They differ from parks and
play areas because they offer opportunities
to interact with the environment rather than
leaving it untouched.
Food - Farm and Ranch
1. Host a day on the farm or ranch
2. Plant a vegetable or pollinator garden
3. Host a farmer’s market tour
4. Host an outdoors farm-to-fork cooking
demonstration
5. Organize a potluck or picnic on one of your
properties or at a regional park or open space
6. Horse back riding at a working ranch
Wild Zones
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Create sculptures from natural materials
Construct dens and shelter from plants, branches and rocks
Build fairy houses, gnome homes, or elf dwellings
Make an ‘amusement park for birds’ or other creatures
Play with water and mud
eave fatasy play, stories and games into their activities
Visit www.wild-zone.net
#TakeItOutsideCA
Wildlife Heritage Foundation
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Event and Activity Ideas
ACTIVITY GUIDES
Wild Zones
www.wild-zone.net/www.wild-zone.net/Toolkit.html
Create-with-Nature
www.naturesculpture.com/installations/blakezone/blakezone.html
Mud Games
www.childrenandnature.org/downloads/GG2011/PlayinAK_CarmenField.pdf
Nature Play Spaces
www.childrenandnature.org/downloads/GG2011/NaturePlay_byMaryHardcastle.pdf
How to Create a Butterfly Garden
www2.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef006.asp
Vitamin N: The Essential Guide to a Nature-Rich Life - Richard Louv
Users can search by zip code and key words
to find events on www.TakeItOutsideCA.com
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Take It Outside California! Toolkit © 2016
events were listed in 2016
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