50 Backyard Game Ideas

I’m passionate about all kinds of play for kids. Following my post about the importance of play, I’ve put together the ideas provided by you all in this post of 50 Backyard Game Ideas.

50 Backyard Game Ideas

1. Climb trees
2. Moodle ball: Use a pool noodle as a bat and a soft toy ball. This is easy to play for very young children.
3. Outdoor chalk drawing: Draw pictures, roads and cities
4. Obstacle course (material ideas here: Backyard Obstacle Course)
5. Wash doll clothes in a small bucket and hang on the line
6. Push cars around
7. Ride a scooter/skateboard
8. Bike ride / Roller-skate
9. Make a streamer tree (see our streamer tree in this post: Make a School Holiday Kit)
10. Totem tennis
11. Handball
12. Skipping
13. Hula Hoop
14. 10 pin bowling with empty soft drink bottles and a tennis ball
15. Jump on the trampoline
16. Throw a tennis ball on a wall and catch
17. Play ball catch (min 2 people)
18. Hopscotch (use chalk to draw the squares)
19. Make a mud kitchen
20. Sponge throw art: Hang a large piece of butchers paper on the clothes line and throw a spounge with watered down food colouring
21. Blow bubbles
22. Backyard picnic
23. Hide and Seek
24. Tag
25. Paddle pool or sprinkler fun (as water restrictions allow)
26. Play parachute with a sheet
27. Garden
28. Treasure hunt
29. Nature hunt: On a piece of paper, write items for kids to find. (For example, 1 feather, 3 leaves, 1 smooth stones, a curly stick)
30. Balance: Buy a thin piece of wood from a hardware store and lay on the grass. Walk across and balance!
31. Sandpit
32. Kick the ball around
33. Piggy in the middle
34. Water bomb fight
35. Spray bottle fun: Fill a spray bottle with water and use in water fights, to ‘sparkle’ plants or put in food colouring and spray an old sheet or piece of paper.
36. Duck, duck, goose.
37. What’s the time Mr Wolf?
38. Ring-a-Ring-a-Rosie
39. Balloon volleyball
40. Backyard basketball
41. French cricket
42. Backyard soccer
43. Create an imaginative play scene. (For ideas visit this page on my blog: Imaginative Play Scenes)
44. Dance to music on the grass (make a dancing ribbon ring too)
45. Put a large box in the backyard, provide texters and create something
46. Throw Frisbee
47. Pretend to cook with bowls, cups and spoons.  Add some boxes and set up a restaurant or a shop.
48. Throw paper planes
49. Steal the tail: Tuck pieces of material in the back of an adult’s belt. The children run after the adult to try and catch a tail.
50. Build a makeshift cubbyhouse. Visit this post for more ideas: Thrift Shop Cubby

Print the list: 50 Backyard Game Ideas

10 Backyard Games (my kids like to play)

My children and I had a lot of fun putting this video together. I think I had more fun editing it to the music.

More Lists

100 Ways to Love the Moment

105 Ways to Enjoy Nature with Kids

100 School Holiday Ideas

Tagged as: backyard game ideas