10 kid-friendly DIY projects you can enjoy outdoors

Take advantage of the warm weather

As spring hits its stride, we can all look forward to shedding our coats to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air. And what better way to take advantage of the great outdoors than with an afternoon of DIY tinkering? These 10 projects are simple enough for kids to help out with, or even try on their own. (We also threw in a bonus eleventh idea that’s a little more complex.) Science geeks can even use some of these projects as jumping-off points to discuss concepts like solar energy and microbes.

Upside-down viewer
Upside-down viewer Photograph by Sam Kaplan
Portable garden
Stay Dry
Solar oven
Bacterial zoo in a bottle
Wiffle ball cannon
A homemade stink bug trap
A half-ring vortex in a swimming pool
A half-ring vortex in a swimming pool Youtube Screengrab
A sextant made from junk
DIY eye in the sky
Wind-Powered Record Player