We hear a lot about how important it is to get sleep, but what about the importance of sunshine for our kids?
Outdoor games for kids are not only fun, but they help our kids get much-needed vitamin D and other health benefits from the sun.
Finding ways to keep our kids entertained can seem like a never-ending chore. The good news is that there are more fun things to do now than when we were kids. Continue reading this article to get ten great ideas for what your kids can do outdoors.
Table of Contents
Don’t Miss These Outdoor Games for Kids
If you find it challenging to get your kids from playing their favorite apps their tablets and consoles, these games are sure to do the trick. Whether you want to play with your kids or you want to watch them play, there are games that everyone will love.
1. Breaking the Ice
Keeping kids cool can be difficult when the summer months hit, but games with ice can help beat the heat.
Take containers and freeze little toys inside of the water. The kids will be able to see there is a toy inside but they will have to chip away with a toy pick to get to the prize.
You can go to the local dollar store to get some little toys to use with this game. It can take a while to get through the ice block and kids love to find treasure.
2. Kid’s Bean Bag Toss
Bean bag toss can be a lot of fun but you have to remember to add that extra kid element to things. You can do this by either buying or painting a themed bean bag toss kit.
You can buy or make a cardboard toss where the hole is a mouth. Tell the kids they are feeding their favorite characters.Β
3. Ring Toss
You can make a ring toss with many things you might have in your home. Grab a hula hoop for the ring and foam sword or pool noodle so you can get the winning ring.
If you have younger kids, make sure you set the number of times you have to hit a ringer at a lower amount.
4. Obstacle Course
Depending on the age of the kids, you can set up a considerably easy obstacle course. You can model it after the real thing and give your kids a challenge, but you don’t need to make it so difficult they will get discouraged.
The goal is to make them work for the win, let them run out their energy and help them enjoy the day.
5. Scavenger Hunt
Even major cruise ships set up scavenger hunts so their passengers can have an enjoyable trip.
Your goal is to keep your kids outdoors so you can find some various things out in the yard that you can put on the list. Maybe you see there is a bird’s nest or an ant hill around. Have your kids find these little pieces of nature for an extra fun time.
6. Ping Pong Toss
Do you have cups and ping pong balls? If you do then you can easily set up a ping pong toss.
Make sure to explain the point system so they know how to win. The easiest way to play is the cups in the back are worth more points than the cups in the front. The first person to 15 points is the winner.
7. Lawn Memory & Match
We all had memory cards as a kid. Our parents would flip them over where we couldn’t see the picture and we would have to find the ones that match as we go through and guess.
When you do lawn memory and match, you will create large, sturdy cardboard pieces to match. You can make a fun theme on the side that goes up while the kids are trying to figure out which one to match.
Have prices for when they make a match. It doesn’t have to be anything major. It could even be a token to give toward the actual prize.
8. Yard Twister
All you need for yard twister is a few colors of spray paint. No more worrying about twisting up the twister board. It’s going to stay no matter what way you have to bend.
Create your own flip board with a piece of cardboard, string and a piece of plastic silverware.
9. Yard Jenga
Everyone loves a playing Jenga but what about getting the best giant Jenga set? Playing giant Jenga is even more fun than playing the small kind.
Why?
Because the fall is bigger! Who doesn’t love a giant crashing Jenga tower?
10. Frozen T-Shirt Fun
If you want to keep your kids cool while they are playing, one of the “coolest” ideas you’ll find is the frozen t-shirt challenge.
For each player, you need to wet a t-shirt. When you wet the t-shirt, you then ball it up and place it in the freezer. Once the t-shirt is frozen, the game is ready to begin.
The first player has to time themselves to see how fast they can unravel their t-shirt and put it on. The person with the faster time wins!
Looking for Vacation Ideas?
When you’ve played out all of these outdoor games for kids, you might be ready for a vacation.
One of the hot spots for vacation is the city of Orlando. Check out our article on annual family-friendly festivals to get some ideas for things to do when you’re in the area. Looking for backyard games that everyone will enjoy? Check out the 10 best-selling backyard and DIY games atΒ Yard Masterz,Β and we guarantee no one will ever want to go back in the house!
