The outdoors means any place outside of buildings: forests, parks, beaches, mountains, fields, or even your own backyard. When you step outside and feel the sun on your face or the wind in your hair, you're experiencing the outdoors.

People talk about going outdoors or spending time outdoors as something different from being inside. You might play outdoors after school, hike outdoors on weekends, or camp outdoors during summer vacation. Some people love being outdoors so much they choose careers like park ranger, marine biologist, or nature photographer that keep them outside most of the time.

The outdoors offers experiences you can't get inside: climbing real trees instead of playing video games about climbing, feeling actual rain instead of hearing it through a window, watching live birds instead of looking at pictures. Many people find that time spent outdoors helps them think more clearly, feel more energetic, and appreciate the natural world.

The great outdoors is a phrase people use when they're talking about wild or natural places, especially when they're excited about an adventure. When someone says “Let's head for the great outdoors,” they usually mean somewhere beyond the backyard, like a hiking trail, a lake, or a camping spot where nature feels bigger and wilder than what you see every day.