If you are looking for ideas for summer fun, let’s bring back the classic childhood games, momma!
Oh momma!! I love me a good game! 😂🤣 Seriously. I drive my family – including my mom and my sister – absolutely nuts because I always want to play a game. 🤷🏻♀️
So, I am super PUMPED to bring you this post today!! Not only because I love these games, and because I remember playing them as a kid, but because they are incredibly therapeutic momma!! 😁
Yep, you read that right!!
If you’ve been following me for a while now, then you know that I used to work right alongside a recreational counselor, leading social skills groups for elementary kids, both after school and during the summer.
And we played these games!!
Of course, there was a lot of teaching and therapy that was involved, but still!
If schoolteachers, psychologists, counselors, and social workers use these games to work with children, you most certainly can use them to teach your own kids!
And the best part? They are all.games.you.know.
Yep! Nothing new here momma!
So, let’s play!
Fun Summer Games Key Takeaways
I know, I know…you don’t have time to read the whole thing. You need a game to play stat! Your kids are already getting their shoes on. 😆
So, here’s my favorites:
Best yard game – Hands down, corn hole.
Best childhood game – Sardines, no questions asked.
Best backyard sport – Kickball.
Best game for toddlers – Simon Says.
Best game for preschoolers – Red Light, Green Light.
There you go! My favorites. Go ahead and pin this post for later. You can come back and read all the great ideas tonight, when you’re gearing up for tomorrow. 😉
What are some fun summer ideas?
Boy oh boy do I have loads of fun things to do on summer break at home!!
So much so, that I had to break my original post down into a series:
- Arts & Craft Ideas
- Educational Ideas
- Rainy Summer Day Ideas
- Hot Summer Day Ideas
- Backyard Fun Ideas
- Water Play Ideas
- Outdoor Game Ideas
- Outside Nighttime Ideas
- Ideas for Playing in the Rain
All in all, that’s a lot of ideas! You’ll never get them all done this year, momma! 🤣😂
But pin this post for next year, too!
What should I play in my backyard?
Here we go momma! All kinds of great backyard game ideas for an entire summer of fun!
FYI, this post does contain affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you purchase something using a link from this post. Don’t worry – it costs you nothing extra, and it helps to support Making Mommas. See my disclosure policy for more info. Thanks, momma!
1. Balloon Volleyball
We played this one both in the school during the winter and outside for summer groups. It was a blast! And it taught the kids how to work together, slow down, communicate, and strategize. 😉
Melissa, over at Kid Friendly Things to Do, has the rules for balloon volleyball for you.
2. Balloon Tennis
We actually never played this one in group, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t great! It’s awesome for practicing gross motor skills as well – in fact, nearly every balloon game is great for that. 😉
Sarah, from Little Bins, Little Hands, has a great post on how to play balloon tennis.
3. Volleyball
If you have the yard space, momma, you should set up a sand volleyball court!
Of course, it doesn’t have to be a sand volleyball court, but the sand can double for a sand box too… 😉
Do It Yourself has a great tutorial for a DIY sand volleyball court. Or you can buy a net on Amazon.
And Rookie Road has the rules for family volleyball for ya. 😉
4. Kickball
We played kickball a lot for our summer groups. It is great for teaching pretty much at social skills, including how to handle big emotions. 😉
Plus, it’s a very good game to play with multiple age groups. It’s one we love, as a family, because we have a couple of 46 year old’s 🙄, a few in their 20’s, a teenager, a preteen, and school-aged twins. 😂🤣
Even toddlers can kick a ball. 🤷🏻♀️
You can buy balls and bases on Amazon, and get the rules for play at Fun Games Kids Play.
5. Baseball
Baseball is another really fun one, although it requires a little more skill. You can still play with all ages though, by getting a wiffle ball set, T-ball set, or a baseball set, depending on your children’s ages.
6. Soccer
My boys recently got into soccer. It’s not something our school offers. And it’s not something we ever played in group, but it is still a great game!
Pretty much any game will teach your child social skills. I mean, our intentions here is summer fun at home, but it never hurts to learn a little something at the same time, am I right? 🤷🏻♀️
You can pick up some nets and a ball on Amazon, and watch the video above to learn how to play.
7. Football
Alright, since I’m being honest here… we never played football in group either. 😂🤣 🤷🏻♀️ Flicker Ball, yes. But not football.
Football is a great game to help kids deal with anger and aggression, among other social skills. You probably wouldn’t want to use it for that at home, but as an after school activity, it’s perfect.
At home, you may want to play flag football, if you have younger kids. But if your kids are older, it might be fun to have a family football night. I know my boys love it!
You can get flag football sets on Amazon, and of course, grab your ball there as well.
8. Flicker Ball
I’ve never actually played Flicker Ball with my boys. But they’ve played it in school and loved it!
Looking for a fun mom blog that has the rules of playing flicker ball led me to… no one! So, momma, here’s a blog post idea for ya! 😉
But if you need to know how to play, watch the video above and adopt it for your family. You’ll see it’s pretty easy. And fun!
9. Nerf Gun Battle
You can do this indoors or outdoors, of course, but in the summer, if you aren’t afraid of losing darts, move the game outside!
Depending on your child’s age, you can make this as extravagant as you want.
My boys love to set up forts and obstacles in the yard, as we did for Toot’s nerf gun birthday party. (Which, obviously I have to write a post about, because I keep mentioning it! 😆)
But when we’ve done it in the house, we’ve used masking tape to outline a “track” on our floor, and played some robot nerf gun battle game that they watched on YouTube. 🤣😂
My boys used to love watching Battle Universe. 😁 And then, we’d imitate some of the games.
Dart Dudes has 13 nerf gun games for you try out with your kids! We played Capture the Flag for Toot’s birthday party (and some Halo game too I think??) and inside we play that robot game and the second version of Hide and Seek, in Dart Dudes list.
And if you don’t have any nerf guns, you can usually find them at Walmart or Target, or get them on Amazon.
10. Croquet
We have a classic croquet set up at the lake that the kids have absolutely destroyed. 🤦🏻♀️ So I’ve tried looking for a new one – a real, wooden one. And holy crap are they expensive! The last time I looked, they were $300. I found one on Amazon for $200 now.
If you want a new, classic wooden set, your best bet might be used, or garage saling. 😉 Otherwise, there are plenty of plastic ones to choose from.
Croquet is a lot of fun to play! And a classic game that kind of got lost in the shuffle, I think. So, if you are looking for something new to try this summer, give it a shot! I bet your kids will love it!
11. Horse
Good ol’ Horse. 😁 Or Pig. Or whatever you want to call it.
It’s a great way to play basketball with your kids, without actually having to play basketball. Because let’s face it – basketball is a very high-energy sport! And sometimes, you just don’t have it in ya. 😉
Sports Rec has a great post on how to play both Pig and Horse, complete with a video. Go check it out!
And you can get a hoop and ball on Amazon, if you don’t already have one.
(FYI, I found this really cool personalized basketball you can get for your kids…that I’m just tucking in here, so that I can find it again. 😆 It’ll make a great birthday gift for my boys!)
12. Lightening
I like this game way better than Pig! 🤣😂
And we have a large family, with varying ages, so it works out well.
We don’t have to worry about the little ones being beat out every time.
Believe it or not, age doesn’t seem to matter. I, of course, never win. 🙄 But sometimes my husband does. Or Toots. Or Connor. Or Boo. 🤷🏻♀️ It just doesn’t seem to matter!
It’s partly due to luck, I think. And partly skill. My little boys play a lot of basketball and aren’t half bad! They can keep up with their big brothers. 😉
13. Miniature Golf
Yes, you can play this in your backyard! 😆
My husband actually dug little holes in the ground, and we put old crappy plastic cups in them. He dug them down low enough that he could still mow over them.
And Carson would spend hours out there, putting that ball around, from hole to hole. He loved it! Of course, sometimes we played, too. 😉
That’s a very simple miniature golf course you can set up at home.
You can also get pretty extravagant.
This Old House walks you through how to make a basic miniature golf board. So, you could make a few of these and place them around the yard. Watch the vide above, from No Cast Angling to see how to do it.
Otherwise Kix has some easier ways to make a mini golf course, that doesn’t require building. 😉
Or, even easier yet, you can buy mini golf course sets off Amazon!
14. Badminton
This is another fun one! My Carsey loved badminton as a kid. You’ll need to grab a set though, momma. Kinda hard to DIY this one.
You can spend a lot of money on backyard games. You’ll have to go through this list and choose a couple to invest in, every summer, I think. That’s the best way to work it into your budget.
And DIY the rest if you can.
Or use birthday parties and other events as an excuse to purchase. 😉 For instance, you can have a mini golf party, and invest in all the supplies. And then you’ll have them to use for years to come.
15. Minute to Win It
We don’t usually play these games in the summer. It’s more of an indoor family night event for us. But it makes more sense to bring it outside – less messy! 😆 Especially with the egg toss!
Get a “treasure chest” – literally, if you can, and fill it with lots of fun, cheap prizes. Oreo cookies, beef jerky, mountain dew, pringles… food always works well for my boys. 😆 But it can be literally anything you know your kids will love.
And then every time they win a game, they get to pick a prize. Make sure to include things mom and dad love too! (A bottle of wine… some Black Rifle Coffee…. 😁 )
And then Britni, over at Play Party Plan, has a list of 200 minute to win it games you can play with your kids!
Or you can do this as a birthday party theme. 😉
16. Frisbee
There are so many different frisbee games you can play!!
Teaching Expertise has 20 different frisbee games you can play.
One of my favorite childhood memories if Frisbee Tag with my cousins in South Dakota. I don’t remember the trip much, just Frisbee Tag. 😂🤣
Grab some frisbees on Amazon.
17. Frisbee Golf
You can also get Frisbee Golf.
I looked into Frisbee Golf last summer, and those things are expensive, momma! So, Chas from Chas’ Crazy Creations will show you how to make your own Frisbee Golf baskets. 😉
18. Kan Jam
So, this one we just recently added to our collection, and it’s a blast! My boys love it.
You can get it on Amazon pretty reasonable. Or DIY Home Games has a tutorial for making your own set. But honestly, by the time you buy the garbage cans… 🤷🏻♀️ you might as well buy the game.
19. Beersbee
Okay don’t judge me here! 😂🤣 But we love this one!
And I promise, it is a kid-friendly game. In fact, my boys love it!
It actually has a lot of different names – Polish Horseshoes, Spanish Horseshoes, Frisbeener, French Darts, Bottle Bash, Frisknock, Flimsee… and probably more than I’m not aware of.
But we know it as beersbee. 😉
Backyard Games has a great post on how to play Beersbee. And you can get your own set on Amazon, of course. Don’t go cheap on it either!
We made that mistake and our kids destroyed it. You are going to want to get a nice quality metal set, none of that flimsy plastic crap.
Or you can easily make your own. Great Lakes Local has an awesome post on how to make beersbee for under $20. 😉
20. Tag
There are so many different tag games you can play!!
Some of our favorites:
- Freeze tag
- Toilet tag
- Flashlight tag
- Color tag
- Line tag
We used tag all of the time in our social skills groups. It’s a super quick, easy game to play. And no equipment needed!
We Are Teachers has 30 different tag games for you to play with your kids! Some I never heard of – and some, like shadow tag, I forgot all about!!
21. Sardines
Sardines is my favorite Hide and Seek game. It is the exact opposite of Hide and Seek!
Play Works has a great post on how to play Sardines, including the social skills it teaches. 😉
22. Hide and Seek
Of course, we have to list plain old hide and seek!
My boys love to play this game at night the best. 😉
Thomas, from The Backyard Baron, had a great post on how to play hide and seek, plus variations for the game. Go check it out!
23. Simon Says
This is a classic that nearly every parent knows. But just in case you don’t, Tanja from Empowered Parents, has a great post on how to play Simon Says, plus the benefits of playing this game with your kids.
24. Red Light Green Light
We used to play this (and various versions of it) in our group, but I also loved playing this with my boys when they were little.
Empowered Parents has a great blog post with the rules for Red Light Green Light.
25. Red Rover
Another one of my childhood favorites! There’s nothing like waiting on pins and needles to see if your name is called! 😆
Of course, you kinda need a lot of people to play this game, so it’s good for large families, or huge family gatherings. But it’s good for all ages!
The Genius of Play has the rules for Red Rover.
26. Backyard Bowling
Okay so apparently if you try to research “backyard bowling” you will get bowling sets to play with outside, ways to make your own outside bowling alley, and videos/articles that explain how to play lawn bowling… which is what we call “bacce ball” in my neck of the woods!
So, I’ll do my best to hook you up with what you need here, but I’m sorry if I fall short!
If you want to go all out, DIY Projects has a great post on how to make your own backyard bowling alley. Or you can watch the video above. 😉
Or if you want to do a pint-sized version for your kiddos, here’s a couple of ideas:
Melissa, from Polk Dot Chair, will walk you through how to make a coke bottle bowling set, like the pin above.
And Today’s Parent has a great tutorial on how to make your own bowling set with plastic jugs.
But if you want to skip all that, you can just buy a bowling set off of Amazon! Easy Breezy momma!
27. Bacce Ball
This one is a family favorite. 😁 And I guess it’s similar to bowling! 🤷🏻♀️
You can get a bacce ball set on Amazon.
28. Kubb
Another summertime favorite!
Kubb, not to be confused with Klub (a Norwegian dish that I absolutely LOVE) is a Swedish lawn game that is also known as Viking Chess.
You can get your Kubb set on Amazon as well. Or, if you are handy, you can make your own Kubb set. This Old House has a great post walking you through it.
29. Giant Jenga
This is not only fun to play with the family, but it is a great Tailgating game! 😆
You can buy a Giant Jenga set or make your own Jenga set. Dunn Lumber will show you how!
30. Giant Connect Four
This one is kind fun, just to calm things down a bit. ☺️ Sometimes, you just want to sit in the shade, sip on a cool beverage, and play a quiet game.
Houston Lawn Games has the rules of Giant Connect Four, and if you’re in the area, they actually will rent you a giant Connect Four game!
You can also buy your own game on Amazon.
Or Sam from DIY Huntress, will teach you how to make your own Giant Connect Four game.
31. Ladder Ball
Another family favorite. 🤣😂 I told you we play a lot of yard games.
There’s many names for Ladder Ball, but around here, it’s also known as Norwegian Golf.
You can buy ladder ball on Amazon or make your own. Ashlea, from Heart, Hook, Home will show you how!
32. Corn Hole
You guessed it – another one of our favorites! 🤣😂
We don’t have our own corn hole set, but my son made one, so we play with him. 😉
You can buy your corn hole game off Amazon, or do like my son did, and make one, watching the video below. It even comes with free printable corn hole plans!
33. Lawn Darts
Our last game for this summer… lawn darts.
It’s actually NOT a family favorite, mostly because we poo-poo the “new and improved” safe lawn darts.
Bring back the pointy ones that stick in the ground and can hurt people! 😂🤣 We’re old school around here, folks.
If you’ve never played Lawn Darts, Darts & Piks has the official rules for you. And you can buy your “safe” lawn darts on Amazon. (Yes, we have some… 🙄)
But if, like me, you want to go old school, you can make your own lawn darts!! Just watch the video below. 😉
And there you have it, momma! All of our favorite backyard games!! Now go have fun!
Bonus Game!!
I forgot one momma!
34. Track Ball
Track ball is one of our favorites as well – I don’t know how I forgot it! 🤦🏻♀️ You can even play it at night, if you get a glow-in-the-dark or light-up set!
Buy your track ball set on Amazon.
At the end of the day…
I’ve been running a series here, momma, of fun things to do with your kids at home in the summer. We’ve covered a lot, such as arts & craft ideas, water play ideas, educational ideas, rainy day ideas, and so much more.
But this one – backyard games – is near and dear to my heart.
And that’s because I believe that every family should come together at the end of the day to play. Literally.
In the winter, we usually watch a movie or play a board game.
But in the summer, we get our butts outside.
Spending time with your kids is the single biggest thing you could EVER do to set them up for success in life.
And it’s so easy to do! And so much fun. ☺️
Playing together at the end of the day is one way to make sure you spend time together every day. Building in connection moments throughout the day is another.
But of course, you know that at the end of the day, it’s the time we spend together that matters, don’t you, momma. That’s why you are a sahm, after all. 😉
What’s your favorite game to play with your kids?
More summer activities for kids
Wet & Crazy Ideas for Summer Fun
Super Fun Summer Activities to Do at Home
Educational Ideas for Summer Break
