Garden fun: games that the whole family can get involved in
We know, we know; if it doesn’t revolve around a screen, it’s not cool.
But us mums also know that it’s not good for children to be cooped up inside for hours on end.
So, with the summer holidays here, now is the perfect time to get the kids to play outside, whether the sun is shining or not!
Yes, dragging them away from the TV or their smart device can be a bit tricky – we know, we've been there – but the following six games will get your kids excited.
1. Build an obstacle course
This is one of the best games to keep children out in the fresh air for as long as possible! You only need a few things to create the best course ever – skipping rope, chairs, sweeping brush, pillows and blankets – and with no particular set up for creating a course, you can really let your imagination run free.
2. Scavenger hunt
Another one that takes a little bit of time to set up (and a little imagination), but this is a great game that the whole family can get involved in – the more participants, the better. To play, you will need to set up two sets of clues and designate them either red or blue. Next, divide the participants into teams and assign a colour to them – these are the clues they need to find. Obviously the team to find all their clues first wins.
3. Water balloon piñata
No mum wants to give their kids free reign of the water hose but that doesn’t mean your little one shouldn’t get to enjoy running around the garden having water-fun – so this is where water piñata comes in. Simply fill up about ten water balloons and tie them together; hang from a tree or washing line and give each participant a turn to try to burst them over their heads!
4. Jump rope
A great old-fashioned game, the kids will love learning all the different rhymes and that go along with each jumping sequence. To play, two players will need to hold the jump rope – one on either end; a third player will be the one to jump up in the middle. The object of the game is to try to get more jumps than the other players. If there are four children then they could play Double Dutch – where two players jump in the middle.
5. Hide and seek
This is a simple game that can go on for as long or as short as the players want – although, you may want to set a time limit so it doesn't go on forever! To play, the person who is on needs to close their eyes and count to 20 while everyone else hides – they then have to try to find them before time is up (make sure you factor in the number of players/ places to hide before setting a time limit). The object of the game is to try to find everyone before time run outs!
6. Freeze tag
This is another one that works best with a lot of participants – perfect for beating summertime boredom. Pick someone to be on before asking everyone to run around in a circle. When the person who is on touches the other players they are frozen on the spot. They can only be unfrozen when someone (who is not on) crawls between their legs.
Garden games are a great way to spend time together as a family creating Shared Moments of Joy; they also prove that you don't need to spend a fortune to keep the kids happy all summer long.
