<p>Owing to the continuous urbanization in Saudi Arabia, exploring modern lifestyles’ influences on children’s access to outdoor environments has become increasingly important. This study examined the impact of urban living on outdoor play experiences among young children in three major Saudi cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, and Jizan. The study employed a narrative approach as the research design, with the data drawn from narrative interviews with 10 mothers aged 30–40 years, each with children between 3 and 6 years, and residents in one of the three target cities. The collected data were analyzed using the grounded theory analysis approach, as described by Charmaz (2006). Findings demonstrated that multiple layers interact to direct and shape children’s outdoor activities in urban environments. The most significant one is the accessibility and design of public green spaces, which considerably influences mothers’ perspectives and decisions about providing their children with outdoor play opportunities. The results also revealed that modern urban lifestyles combined with Saudi Arabia’s hot climate have reduced families’ tolerance for outdoor heat, leading them to prefer indoor play options. Mothers expressed the need to design public green spaces that combine both indoor and outdoor features, such as shaded, semi-enclosed, or air-conditioned areas, to provide children with outdoor play opportunities and maintain family comfort. The need to engage mothers in the planning, designing, and managing of public green spaces is essential. Their opinions offered crucial insights into how more inclusive, responsive, and practical urban planning strategies can be developed in Saudi Arabia.</p>