Here are some great outdoor activities:

First, tie together the handles of a plastic shopping bag with the end of a ball of string. Staple a few 2-foot lengths of ribbon to the bottom of the bag for kite tails. Now find a windy spot outdoors and start running. As the bag fills with air, slowly let out the string and the kite should begin to soar and dive.
~jenbug2522

Supplies:
Large pinecones
Peanut butter (Birds prefer chunky over smooth!)
Shortening
Cornmeal
Birdseed (optional)
Fishing line, string or yarn

Wrap and tie string to top of pinecone. Mix peanut butter, shortening, (such as bacon fat or melted suet), and cornmeal. Then, spread the mixture onto a large pinecone. Hang your bird feeder in a spot where you can watch the birds eat. Note: If you use smooth instead of chunky peanut butter, you may want to mix in a little bird seed for added interest and enjoyment.
~jenbug2522

On a rainy day put a few lines or circles of different colors of paint onto a big poster board. Set it outside and have the kids watch what the rain does to the paint. After a few minutes (depending how hard it is raining out) bring the poster board back inside and ask your children to tell you what pictures they can find in the painting.
~jenbug2522

1. We like to lay down and outline ourselves then color our clothes back on. Sometimes we do each other and sometime we color ourselves.
2. Variation on #1 is to trace shadows.
3. We start with one picture and draw a picture story taking turns until we run out of sidewalk.
4. We can only draw pictures of things that start with the a certain letter
5. Tic tac toe
6. Hopscotch
7. How we feel drawings... ie angry,sad, happy faces then we talk about what we drew. Great pre-journal way to help get in touch with feelings. It works great with toddlers just learning how to express themselves.  You can help with the words sometimes.
8. footprints to dance with... ie teaching how to do a dance. Simple is best.
~mamapixie

Wear old clothes for this one -- cranberries can stain. Each player will need a needle threaded with an 18-inch length of strong thread. Put a large knot at the end of the thread. Everyone sits around a bowl of cranberries. On the signal, everyone starts stringing the cranberries onto their threads. The first to fill the thread is the winner. You might want to try the game alternating popcorn and cranberries. Hang the  completed cranberry strings outside as a treat for the birds.
~jenbug2522

  Supplies needed:
   - Magnifying glass
   - Large shoebox (filled with sand)
   - Small shells
   - Small rocks (with fossil imprints, if possible)

   Directions:
   Hide a variety of rocks and small shells in the sand-filled shoebox. Children love digging their hands into the sandbox to look for shells or rocks that are hidden and it is fun for them to see how many different   items they can unearth. Help them explore the different textures using a magnifying glass. For variety, make sure that you hide lots of different rocks and shells in the sandbox, particularly for new explorations. If you are worried about the mess, take the box outdoors!
~tipomatic.com (elkayem)
We do this also with dry beans make sure to clean them all up so no one gets them put up their nose.
~mampixie
place a large sheet under the box of rice and when the kids are done, take up the corners and dump the "spills" back into the box, and vaccuum up the minimal amount that gets on the floor. My sister's nursery class does this, they use a large "under-the-bed" storage container. Then you don't have to think of a place to store it!
~onionwidow

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