Thanks to modern technology and the easy access to devices and all the fun things available to kids online, it might be challenging to convince them to spend some time running around and playing outside. You’ll likely have fond memories of playing outdoor games in the backyard or local park as a kid, and it’s important to encourage your kids to do the same. Here are a few fun, easy to learn and rewarding games to teach your kids that they can play in the backyard.
Cornhole
Perhaps one of the most classic of all the backyard games is cornhole. You don’t need a lot of equipment to play it, and kids and adults alike will spend hours playing it on warm summers days in the backyard while the barbecue is going. The objective of the game is to throw the bean bags so that they land on the platform or in the hole, and the winner is the first player to reach a point target – usually 21 points. All you need is a cornhole board and a few bean bags. It’s important to get a good quality cornhole board to ensure it lasts through many years of use. Stained cornhole boards from Cornhole Worldwide are a perfect choice because they look great and are built to last.
Capture the Flag
If your kids have some friends over, a classic game of capture the flag is one of the most entertaining outdoor games and is perfect for birthday parties where there are a few kids. Divide your yard in two and the kids into two teams and position a different color flag or piece of fabric at each end of the yard. From here it’s as simple as can be – each team should try and get the other team’s flag without being tagged. If someone is tagged by the opposite team, they’re out – but if they manage to get the other team’s flag back to their flag, their team wins the round. It’s best to play capture the flag to a set number of wins – like a best of five. Your kids will burn off some energy and get some great exercise as they dash around the yard trying to be victorious!
Kick the Can
It’s a game that’s played all over the world, and kids love it, though it only works well in a yard with a good number of places to hide. All you need is a few kids, and an empty soda can. Kick The Can is an evolution on Hide and Seek that changes the classic game into being about protecting your home base. Start by placing a can on the floor and designating one of the kids as the kicker. Then, the rest of the kids should scatter and hide. The kicker then begins to search for the other players until they spot one and yells out their name. Both players then race to be the first to kick the can. If the kicker reaches it first, the player they found is captured, and if the hider is the first to reach it, they win the game. Other hiders can free the captives by kicking the can without being spotted. The kicker wins if he captures all the players without the can being kicked.
A Backyard Obstacle Course
This one is fun because you can involve the kids not only in the running of the obstacle course, but in the construction of it too, and often everything you’ll need you’ll already have lying around the house. Create a course that the kids must run through by placing or using existing obstacles and hurdles that they must successfully navigate before crossing the finish line. Turn it into a race by timing their attempts and awarding first prize to the fastest time. Use things like chairs, rings, pool noodles, yoga mats and other everyday items in the construction of your course, and have the kids perform things like balancing on a beam or skipping with a skipping rope at each station. Obstacle courses are a great way to develop skills like hand eye co-ordination while getting some good exercise!
Childhood memories created in the backyard will last a lifetime, and there are so many wonderful games that you can teach your kids to play that are really fun and promote good exercise and time outside away from the allure of their devices and screens. It can also be a great way for you to spend some time bonding as a family too!
