12 Fun Outdoor Family Photo Ideas

Taking family photos is an essential part of capturing memories that you’ll treasure for years to come. Rather than simply taking them in your home or in a more formal photography studio setting, holding your family photoshoot outside can be a part of not just capturing memories, but creating them together as a family. To help you plan this photoshoot, we’ve pulled together a list of 12 fun outdoor family photo ideas.

As the largest online marketplace for hourly venue rentals, Peerspace knows a thing or two about incredible photoshoot settings! We’ll share Peerspace locations with these family photo ideas to further illustrate how Peerspace can provide you and your family with the perfect photoshoot spot, no matter where you live.

Keep reading to get inspired!

1. Monochromatic outfits on the beach

A fun way to make your family photoshoot visually cohesive is to all wear the same color! It’s especially adorable when both you and the kids get in on it. We suggest somewhere like the beach as a possible location for this outdoor family photo idea, since the flat expanse of sand and water makes a relatively simple background that will highlight your matching outfits. Consider renting a location like this lake house with a private beachfront for your photoshoot.

2. Eating breakfast/brunch at an outdoor cafe

Ever since the pandemic struck, outdoor dining has been an increasingly popular activity. Try taking advantage of this for your outdoor family photo idea and get some candid photos of you and your family at your favorite local brunch place. The plus, here, is that rather than your kids having to pose for the camera and getting sick of holding still, they’ll be happily eating their eggs and pancakes and the photoshoot should go completely smoothly.

3. Snowball fight!

Not every location gets snow, so this might not be an easily-executed option for you if you live somewhere warm year-round and you’re not planning on traveling. But if you happen to live in a location that gets snow during the wintertime, an action-packed snowball fight would make the perfect Christmas photoshoot, especially! On a snowy day, find a big open space like the lawn of this East Hampton home and get to snowball fighting!

4. A group horseback riding trip

Photos on horseback are sure to be memorable, as is an outing to go horseback riding as a family! This means that not only will you have the awesome photos to look back on, you’ll also have the memories of the experience itself – a truly unique bonding experience together. Perhaps somewhere like this horse farm/barn on 13 acres in Lebanon, PA would be the right location for this photoshoot idea.

5. On your kid’s college campus

Maybe the kids are older and they’ve gone off to college, and are getting ready to graduate. Taking your photoshoot on the college campus as part of a graduation photoshoot could be a really fun and unique outdoor family photoshoot idea. That’s not to mention that most college campuses have fantastic architecture. Use it to your advantage in the backdrop of your photos while celebrating your child’s major accomplishment of graduating after years of hard work.

6. Reading outdoors

There’s something fun and interesting about taking photos of people doing everyday things in unusual locations, especially group photos. If you’re a family of readers, how about an outdoor photoshoot of all of you reading together? The where is up to you, but we think somewhere like a garden would be ideal. This historic 1902 property in Houston, Texas has a fabulous garden and wraparound porch that would make the perfect spots for some family reading.

7. Splashing in puddles

Most young children absolutely LOVE splashing in puddles. On a rainy day, capture their absolute joy by donning your raincoats and rubber boots as a family and heading out to splash in the puddles. You may need a camera that’s at least water-resistant, but it’s absolutely worth the extra effort to capture such a sweet childhood memory.

8. Playing in the fall leaves

Here’s a simple yet idyllic outdoor family photo idea. If you’re lucky enough to live in a climate where the leaves change to beautiful fiery shades of red, orange, and yellow in the fall, take full advantage!! Find a crisp fall day and head out to play in the leaves. As a bonus, your kids will be having such a great time that they’re unlikely to complain about having to pose for photos as they might for a more conventional portrait photoshoot. We recommend finding a home with a garden like that of this light-filled historic mansion in Denver, Colorado.

9. Head to your local park

This is an especially great idea if your home town/city’s local parks are extra special. Residents of a big city like NYC, for instance, will be able to explore Central Park as a family and take fabulous photos at many of the park’s well-known landmarks. But even if you live in a smaller town, your local park is an ideal destination that’ll offer a variety of backdrops and a fun time for everyone involved.

10. Playing on the playground together

Your kids will be thrilled about this outdoor family photoshoot idea! Just tell them you’re all headed to the playground together and then snap some candid photos of you all having a blast all climbing around, swinging on the swings together, chasing each other, etc. Perhaps you can find a beautiful outdoor space with a playground like this outdoor family retreat space in Shepherd, Texas.

11. Throwing kids up in the air and catching them

If your kids are still small enough for this, a fabulous photo idea is taking some photos of parents throwing their kids up in the air and catching them. Similar concepts include piggyback rides, shoulder rides, or two parents swinging a child with one holding each arm.

12. Blowing bubbles

Another activity that the vast majority of kids tend to love? Blowing bubbles! This is such a simple idea, but also such a fun one, and the excitement of blowing bubbles makes for some really dynamic photography. This can take place anywhere but for an extra-special backdrop, we recommend a location like this Union Market rooftop garden in Washington, DC, which will look especially stunning at sunset. 

Find even more outdoor family photo locations on Peerspace