DIY Garden games for the full family to try
With the weather set to pick up over the next few weeks, what better way to enjoy it than in the garden with your children? But, if you’re stuck for ideas as to how to keep them engaged and entertained, why not try your hand at creating homemade versions of your favourite games?
Intrigued? Here’s a list of seven children’s favourites. Up for the challenge? Read on to see how you can create these fun DIY garden games.
Home-made noughts and crosses
Noughts and crosses is as old as Ancient Egypt, perfect for children of all ages.
You will need:
- large stones
- sticks or paper
- paint or chalk.
Simply find nine good-sized stones and paint or chalk an X and an O on opposite sides.
Line up six sticks - or draw lines on a piece of paper - and your playing board is ready to go!
Bean bag ladder toss
Time to put that dusty ladder in the back of the garage to good use…the grown-ups don’t need it, right?
You will also need:
- card
- pens
- beanbags.
Simply lay the ladder down on the ground and create a bean bag target game by giving the gap between each rung a score for successful throws. The higher the rung, the higher the points!
Target practice
With football beginning to return to our screens, it’s time to get your shooting boots back on.
For target practice, you will need:
- an old bed sheet (but first check that it’s not mum and dad’s finest linen)
- scissors
- hooks or string.
Practise your passing and shooting with the help of several, different, sized holes in an old bed sheet or duvet cover. All you will need to do is cut out the various shaped holes (bigger than the ball of course!) and get shooting!
Award higher points for the smaller targets.
Patio hopscotch
The Guinness World Record for hopscotch is 1 min 1.97 seconds but that should not put you off from making your own game.
You will need:
- chalk
- parental permission to draw on your drive or patio.
Simply draw your pattern and see how quickly you can get to home base!
Water pistol target practice
Is there anything more fun than water pistols in the sun? Definitely not for the kids, but adults may disagree!
Practise your aim (and avoid a soaking) with water pistol target practice.
You will need water pistols, empty bottles and table tennis balls.
Simply line up empty plastic bottles and place table tennis balls (or other light objects) on top and take aim!
Garden bowling
Ten pin bowling is just one of the things little ones will have missed in lockdown. For the time being, why not transform your own garden into a personal bowling alley?
You will need:
- empty plastic bottles
- a football or tennis ball (depending on the size of the bottles).
Transform the bottles into pins and roll the ball towards them.
If the bottles are a bit wobbly, half-fill them with water to keep them still!
DIY quoits
Quoits, or ring toss, can get very competitive, very quickly.
While lovely wooden versions are available to buy, you can create your own.
You will need:
- Sticks
- empty sticky tape rings -if you haven’t used all your tape yet, then homemade rings can be made from twigs tied together (or taped!).
Plant the sticks in the ground as the targets and it is time to throw!
If you decide to give any of these DIY games a try, we’d love to see your pictures and videos. Join in the conversation over on social media, at @MillerHomesUK.