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Guest writer Kaitlin Krull has some simple outdoor games you can use to keep the kids happy (and worn out!).
All over the country, parents are both rejoicing and cringing at the sound of three words: summer is here! But along with the fun family that summer brings come the sibling fights, piles of Legos everywhere, and stir-crazy kids and adults.
If you’re as excited as we are about outdoor time this summer, here are a few of our favorite DIY outdoor games that will keep your kids busy for hours on end.
Water table
An all-time favorite for outdoor-loving kids is water play. A fully stocked water table with bottles, pipes, and other receptacles will keep your kids busy for hours. The best part about this activity: outdoor water play means no cleaning up!
Mud kitchen
Everyone knows that kids love to get dirty, so constructing a mud kitchen for your children to experiment in will give you plenty of time to put your feet up and work on your tan (or the laundry). This mud kitchen tutorial from fellow Modernize writer Bryn Huntpalmer is an excellent example of how to create the perfect mud kitchen with minimal effort.
Outdoor climbing wall
While making your own rock climbing wall isn’t exactly an easy project, DIYers skilled with an electric drill and knowledgeable about the world of climbing will appreciate this apparatus. Once your outdoor climbing wall is completed, you and your children will be able to enjoy it for many years to come.
Treasure hunt
Den building
Help your kids to cultivate their survival skills by providing them with their materials, encouraging them to build a den in the backyard. Use anything available to them: sticks or branches, leaves, logs, blankets, and trees are all ideal to create a forest den or secret fort. If you want to get the whole family involved, upgrade this project to a treehouse or wooden playhouse for a more permanent alternative.
Fairy house building
The kids that were into everything related to magic will not resist the opportunity to build a fairy house in the backyard. Make craftwork interesting whilst ensuring your kids get to move around catching some fresh air instead of them moving around building endlessly. When their house is completed, have them place it in a quiet corner of the yard or at the foot of a tree and sneak outside with glitter later on so they know the fairies have visited their house.
Tips on how to play outdoor games together with multiple ages.
Quidditch
Have you and your kids ever wished Quidditch was a real game? Well, it can be! Make your very own Quidditch pitch with PVC pipes and hula hoops for goalposts and use balls of varying sizes for Quaffles, Bludgers, and the elusive Golden Snitch–broomsticks are optional (and possibly dangerous). After the tournament is finished, finish with an outdoor Harry Potter movie marathon!
Giant Board Game
Bigger is better (so the saying goes). This mantra definitely applies to playing board games outdoors. Clever toy companies have created giant versions of family favorites such as Jenga, Twister, Connect 4, and more (affiliate links). Or, you can create your own giant board game for large-scale fun in the sun–we particularly like the idea of making your own Scrabble board, Kerplunk, and even Pick Up Sticks.
Stick Dominoes
Try making a simple set of dominoes made from painted sticks (let the kids help and make it a fun activity!) You can also try this with painted rocks, and turn it into Tic Tac Toe, Checkers, or any other game with small round pieces and chalk.
Obstacle Course
Get your kids’ heart rates up with a homemade obstacle course in your backyard using any and everything available to climb over, under, and around. If your kids are particularly active, why not make your own ninja-warrior-style training course like this epic creation?
Lawn Games
Outdoor bowling, croquet, ladder ball, and cornhole sets can be purchased at a store, but nothing is more fun than making your own and taking ownership of your backyard toys when it comes to kids. Older children and children with a building/engineering interest find this type of project particularly enjoyable.
Other traditional outdoor activities
Good old-fashioned outdoor fun is something that kids just adore. Never doubt what you already have at your backyard: swings, slides, riding and biking, hide and seek, running contests, and sand. They are terrific means by which the kids can relieve their tensions and play around with the environment. However you choose to do it, the idea is to simply get out there and allow your children to have some fun!
Kaitlin Krull is a mom of two girls and writer living an expat life in the UK. She is a contributing writer with Modernize, where she creates home improvement content because she loves empowering homeowners with how-to articles and support.
