15 Boredom Busting Garden Games To Make The Most Of The Weather

It’s time to take to the great outdoors!

Come rain or shine, it’s really important to get outside and moving, embrace some fresh air and get to grips with nature.

Forget your classic DIY football posts and frisbee, we’ve got everything from DIY water walls to time capsules, jam jar checkers and everything in between. Get creative and get outside!

Your back garden is your oyster for physical activity! Round up boxes, balls, tables and chairs and create your very own backyard obstacle course! Design the difficulty of your obstacle course according to your children’s ages and abilities and maybe even switch it up day by day. Not only will it encourage a little competition but it’s super fun, active and easy to set up - all you need is household items and you’re all set.

X marks the spot… Bring all the thrills of adventure to your back garden by creating your very own scavenger hunt. Make a map of your garden and look online for some clue and checklist inspiration. Perhaps you want to hide items around your garden or you might want to search for things amongst the wilderness - who knows what you might find?

A classic game bound to get the whole family outside! All you’ll need is 10 empty bottles and a ball of your choosing. Set out the bottles in a pyramid formation with the row at the back consisting of four bottles, then three, two and one! Don’t forget to keep a scorecard as things can get pretty heated!

Perhaps one for when the weather gets a little warmer but still super fun nonetheless! Grab all the buckets, bottles and containers you can find, cut holes in them and tape them to a wall or fence at all different angles and directions. Try and see if you can get a good water flow going!

Now it’s time to get super creative! You’ve played Monopoly and chess but have you ever played the Human Board Game? For this, you’ll need paper, pens, a dice and your imagination. Make your very own board game that the whole family can play with turns like ‘Make a grass angel’, ‘Find three flowers’ or ‘Do two laps of the garden’ - the possibilities are endless!

If you have patio squares in your garden then this game is great for you! Cut out 9 noughts and 9 crosses and mark out a 3x3 grid using tape or even twigs! Then go head to head taking it in turns to place a symbol down - first to get three in a row wins. Not only is tic-tac-toe so much fun, it’s also a great way to help kids develop coordination, fine motor skills and visual skills.

Find an old shoebox and cram it full with different objects and mementos from around your house, including pictures, drawings, toys - the possibilities are endless. Maybe try drawing portraits of one another and dating them or writing a letter to your future self! Then hide it somewhere in the garden and come back at a later date to step back in time.

Who doesn’t want to become a nature Queen/King for the day? We know we do! Grab some paper and cut out a crown then decorate with all sorts of outdoor accessories - bonus points if you can make matching daisy chain jewelry!  

Ever wondered how to recycle your tin cans in a more exciting way? Now’s your chance. Rinse out any tin cans, varying in size and depth and dot them around your garden. Then round up any golf balls from under the sofa, tennis table balls from your drawers and and toss them into the cans - bonus points for consecutive tosses!

Grab some card and cut out 10 equal squares, labelling them from 1-10 - this is a great way to get your kids involved as they can design their own squares and be as creative as they want! Then lay them out in the traditional hopscotch pattern and you’re all set - once you’ve mastered it, if you’re feeling brave, try it with your eyes closed!

For this crafty game, all you’ll need is some bottles, varying in size and some rope to make the rings out of. Set the bottles up, some nearby and others further back and see how many you can get in a row - trust us, this game can get pretty addictive!

Everyone’s familiar with the classic family game Twister but why not bring the bendy fun outdoors? All you’ll need is paper, four colours, a plate to draw around with pencil. Cut out 24 circles and colour six of each colour to resemble the Twister mat and then using an online generator type in the combinations of positions and you’re good to go. Plus, moving Twister outside means that you don’t run the risk of knocking over a photo frame or crashing into a table - win-win!

If you have a patio or paving stones, chalk is your new best friend (as long as you hose it off shortly after)! Create your very own outdoor chalkboard where your kids are free to draw to their heart's content. Plus, you can even use it to practice Maths sums or science equations - educational and fun!

Terrariums are all the rage at the moment and they are super simple to make! All you’ll need to is a glass/clear plastic bowl or jar, nature and your imagination. Start by putting some rocks at the bottom and add anything from flowers to leaves or even mini plants - embrace nature and go wild with it.

Last but not least, grab all your pillows, blankets and sheets to make an outdoor den for the whole family. You could try and spot the stars or take some time to meditate - whatever makes you and your youngsters feel most relaxed.

For more family fun from home and beyond, head to Kidadl.com.