13 DIY Backyard Games
Your food, music, and venue are planned and set. Now you remember that year after year, all the kids end up inside watching TV or playing video games when they should be outside enjoying the summer nights. Well, what do you expect them to do with the patch of grass you provide them with? Pick daisies and make bird calls with the fat grass pieces? That gets old real fast. Kids aren’t really the type to get by with some cheap and easy conversation, unless you count the kind that results in screaming and flying fists in a manner of minutes. Yeah, I assumed you didn’t. Keep those little punks pleasant, out of the house, and having fun with these quick and easy DIY backyard games. The adults might just get jealous enough to get in on the fun before the night is over!
source: Listotic
Obstacle Course of Odds and Ends
Take a peek in the corner of the garage that you haven’t ventured to for a while. Not too long a peak! This is summer, for heaven sakes. No need to get yourself worked up. I bet you’ve got at least a dozen items that you have long since had a use for that would do excellently in an obstacle course. Ladders and noodles, hula hoops and boards, buckets and jump rope, beach balls, bungee cords. Set up the course, and let the kids compete. Fastest gets the first grilled bratwurst!
source: Home Talk
Plank Ping Pong
If you already have a ping pong table, then you are one step ahead of the crowd. But I bet you didn’t realize how easy it would be to make one. All it takes is a long plank of wood and a net secured across. Place that on another table or stools, and you are ready to party. You can even paint it if you’re feeling decorative. Paint your team logo or let the kids work on a masterpiece.
source: Home Talk
Outdoor Twister
The mat always gets messed up and slippery anyway, so toss that piece and make your own secure mat. A few spray-painted circles is all it takes. Add a few more to get the whole party involved. Calm down about destroying your luscious lawn. It only lasts until you mow it again.
source: Pinterest
Teepee Time
Help your kids build a teepee with an old sheet. Let all the kids decorate it with paint or markers to keep them busy. Throw a lantern in there, and they could be telling ghost stories and making up games all night.
source: Pinterest
Never Tire of Swings
After you make extra sure that they are properly secured, tire swings are a thrill for kids. Slap some paint on them to disguise the fact that they are just old, useless tires. A piece of wood would also make for a great swing seat.
source: Listotic
Backyard Bowling
This picture is a little fancier than need be. If you want to make an outdoor professional-looking bowling alley, then no one is stopping you! But if you would like something a little simpler, a few planks of wood, some cardboard, or a long sheet would suffice. Old soda bottles or cans would make for excellent bowling pins. Paint them to make them look like the real deal.
source: Pinterest
Slip and Slide
Slip and slides are about as basic as you can get. If you do not have a creative gene in your body, you can still make this one work. All you need is a tarp or smooth mat, a hose, and some wild kids in swimming suits (unless you are the wild child, in which case, you can check that one off the list). If creativity runs in your bones, then make some bridges of PVC pipes or noodles over the slide. Cut some holes in them and stream water through. The more water spraying, the slipperier the slide.
source: Listotic
Pick-Up Yard Sticks
Yard sticks are seriously an option for this game. The bigger, the better when you are playing this outdoors. Or you can use real sticks that you find for the cheapest game ever. Paint them bright colors so they will stand out in the grass.
source: Listotic
Mega Jenga
The little pieces that come in the store-bought version are destined to get lost, thrown away, or mixed into the sides of the yard. Make your own jumbo version with the extra wood pieces in the garage for an outdoor group game. You can even paint the pieces to go along with the theme of the party.
source: Rugged Thug
Miniature Golf
A wood plank, a plastic case, cardboard, or a small space of concrete would all serve as fine surfaces for your homemade mini golf course. Here’s another great way to use the junk lying around the yard and garage: for obstacles on the course. Pebbles and rocks, branches and plants, pinecones and tin cans, wood boards at slants. (I have a hard time passing up these Dr. Seuss moments.) People are even stealing their turtle’s log cover out of their aquarium for an extra challenge! Anything for a good game of mini golf, I guess.
source: Listotic
Glow Stick Games
The fun does not need to stop when the sun goes down. The kids are probably in great need of a pick-me-up anyway. Bust out the glow sticks for a game of ring toss, hopscotch, or whatever else they can come up with.
source: WooHome
Balloon Darts
Tape a bunch of small blown up balloons to a board. Place the board against a wall. This step is actually super important to prevent people from getting darted. Whoever pops the most balloons wins. Or make it a team effort by putting a little paint in each balloon. The kids will be left with their own unique artwork to admire once the game is through.
source: WooHome
Ladder Toss
This is a backyard favorite that both the adults and kids can get in on. This can be easily made with some PVC pipes, tennis balls, and rope. Get different colored tennis balls for an easier time at taking score. Top rung is one point, middle is two, bottom is three. Ten points if you can get one on all three in three turns!
These DIY backyard games are inexpensive, easy, and fun to make. Liven up your parties with a few homemade games that the adults will be begging the kids for a turn!
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