No one will be bored this summer with this huge collection of DIY Outdoor Games for Kids! Sponsored by Kellogg’s at Sam’s Club.
“I’m booorrreeddd.”
I find it funny that kids can’t wait to get out of school for the summer, but then when they do, we often hear that phrase!
Well, as my Granny always said, “If you’re bored, you’re boring!”
While my kids usually find something to do as soon as I suggest chores, I also decided to be proactive by putting together a big list of outdoor games for kids so we’ll always have ideas.
There’s everything here from scavenger hunts to water play – all of which are easy to DIY and guaranteed to keep the kids entertained all summer long. Plus, I’ve included tips for summer snacking solutions!
34+ Outdoor Games for Kids
I’ve divided these outdoor kids activities into categories for easier navigating, plus helpful descriptions. There are so many summer boredom busters here for all different interests!
Keep reading for all of our favorite outdoor games for kids, plus summer snacking ideas from Kellogg’s and Sam’s Club!
Brain-Building Outdoor Games for Kids
Stay sharp over the summer, but forget about boring old worksheets! These backyard brain games are fun, active, and let kids enjoy the nice weather too:
- Giant-Sized Backyard Rhyming Memory Game (from Growing Book by Book) — Keep kids’ brains sharp during the summer and get fresh air at the same time with this life-sized memory game. Kids make matches when pictures rhyme.
- Outdoor Math Games (More than a Homeschool Mom) — Say bye-bye to “summer slide” with the engaging outdoor brain-building math games!
- Alphabet Hopscotch (Raising Dragons) — Get moving and practice letter recognition at the same time!
- Pom Pom Sort-N-Dash (Days with Grey) — A color matching game and gross-motor activity perfect for preschoolers.
- Backyard Railroad STEM Building Challenge (Adventure in a Box) — Model trains are always a hit, especially when you take the fun outside!
- Javelin Throw Measuring Activity (You’ve Got This Math) — Kids will get a kick out of creating their own javelins from paper towel rolls (so they’re not sharp) and measuring how far they go.
Backyard Obstacle Courses for Kids
Build strength, coordination, balance, agility and more with these easy to create DIY outdoor obstacle courses for kids. Plus they’re tons of fun!
- Tire Obstacle Course (Steam Powered Family) — A few old tires can create a stand-alone activity or a station on a larger ninja warrior inspired course. A guaranteed hit and great way to burn energy!
- Summer Camp Obstacle Course Scavenger Hunt (on Wunder-Mom.com) — A combination of two classic outdoor activities!
- Pool Noodle Obstacle Course (Raising Dragons) — Easy to set up and safe because it’s all soft parts!
- Rainbow Obstacle Course (Sunny Day Family) — Free printable included to help kids build their own.
- Nerf Battlefield (Steam Powered Family) — This is one I think my husband would enjoy playing as much as the kids!
Water Activities for Kids
When it’s hot outside, it’s the perfect time for water play! These easy set-up activities let kids stay cool and are much more affordable than a day at the waterpark:
- Splash War Party (Adventures in Mommydom) — Huge backyard cardboard forts made from recycled boxes and LOTS of water…you’ve got to see this! A perfect way to get exercise and stay cool on hot summer days.
- Backyard Water Wheel (iGame Mom) — A cool STEM building activity.
- Ocean Sensory Bin Adventure (Frogs and Fairies) — Splash away and let their imaginations run wild!
- Water Balloon Piñata (Red Ted Art) — You can probably guess how this one works, AND why kids love it so much!
- Drip, Drip, Drop (The Educators’ Spin on It) — Kids learn to follow directions while getting in plenty of running and water play.
- Hit the Pool — One of our favorite ways to beat the heat is to visit my sister’s swimming pool! While the kids splash around and jump all over my husband (isn’t that what dads are for?) I like to relax on my Sun Tan Rocker from Sam’s Club (that is if I can keep the kids from taking over!)
Another option is to bring the pool to your own backyard! Sam’s Club has both slides and inflatable backyard pools so the water is always ready when you need to cool off during those hot summer days.
Backyard Sports for Kids
Whether it’s learning new sports or honing skills for next season, these activities are perfect for athletes of all levels!
- Pool Noodle Agility Ladder (directions on Wunder-Mom) — This is a great activity to help kids who play sports practice their skills and increase agility over summer break.
- Built-In Hopscotch (tutorial on Wunder-Mom.com) — No more worrying about finding the sidewalk chalk…kids can play a game of hopscotch any time with this colorful DIY backyard feature!
- Backyard Archery (What’s Up Fagans) — Archery builds many skills, from hand-eye coordination to balance and focus.
- Balloon Archery (Brain Power Boy) — A variation of classic archery that’s easy to set up and safe for younger kids to try. Multiple game ideas that will keep the kids happy and busy all afternoon!
- Pool Noodle Batting Tees (J4Daniel’s Mom) — Make your own tee ball setup with pool noodles!
- Outdoor Olympic Events (The Wise Owl Factory) — Over a dozen ideas to create an Olympics inspired field day in your own backyard.
Outdoor Art Activities for Kids
There’s something about being outside that inspires creativity, plus you can get a little messy without worrying about the clean-up!
- Stomping Bubble Wrap Painting — My girls LOVED this gross motor art activity. Not only to they get to pop lots of bubble wrap (with their feet no less), the end result is unique tie-dye artwork!
- Edible Slime — Slime can be a tad on the messy side, that’s why we like to take it outside when the weather is nice. This is a list of our favorite taste-safe slime recipes that you can make with simple kitchen ingredients.
- Puffy Sidewalk Paint (The Best Ideas for Kids) — How to make your own sidewalk paint that kids can squirt…and it stays puffy looking! (Though it easily washes away in the rain).
- Squirt Bottle Painting (The Keeper of the Cheerios Blog) — Paint + squirt bottles = a guaranteed blast!
- Balloon Painting (Mosswood Connections) — A sensory painting experience and good messy outdoor fun.
- Tissue Paper Wind Sock (Snotty-Noses Blog) — Decorate the backyard with this easy kids craft.
Big Time Bubble Activities for Kids
Bubbles are always a blast! Here are ways to make them BIG or make a BUNCH:
- Giant Bubbles Recipe (Learning & Exploring Through Play) — Quite possibly the BIGGEST bubbles you’ll ever make!
- Bubble Snake Blower (Messy Little Monster) — Make tons and tons of bubbles with this DIY bubble blower!
- Soap Foam Sensory Bin (In The Kids Kitchen) — A huge bin full of bubbles to play with for hours!
Super Outdoor Scavenger Hunts for Kids
Get moving and thinking! Scavenger hunts and treasure hunts are classic outdoor activities that never go out of style.
- X-Marks-the-Spot Outdoor Treasure Hunt (Teach Me Mommy) — Play over and over with an erasable white board!
- Bug Hunt (EDventures with Kids) — Combine science and scavenger hunting for creepy-crawly critters.
What if the weather is rainy or cool?
If the weather is rainy, cool, or less than ideal you can still have a blast outdoors and stay active! Check out these activities for chilly days from our friends at Moms & Crafters!
Stock Up on Summer Snacks at Sam’s Club
With all that running around and energy-burning outdoor play, it seems like kids ask for more snack breaks during the summer.
Sam’s Club makes it easy and affordable to stock up on goodies for your gang, like Kellogg’s Fruity Snacks, Strawberry Pop-Tarts, Pringles Snack Stacks Variety Pack, Cheez-It Original, Club Crackers, and Famous Amos Cookies.
Growing up, our backyard was often the neighborhood gathering spot, so I’m sure my mom went through a ton of snacks for all of us and our friends. If your house is also the summer hang-out, be sure to swing by Sam’s Club so you’ll be ready! You can also find these classic snacks online at SamsClub.com.
For the grown-ups, Sam’s Club has Member’s Mark furniture to make the backyard your own oasis. Watch this video for more inspiration:
Click here to see all backyard play equipment and more at Sam’s Club.
What are your favorite outdoor games for kids? Share your ideas for summer boredom busters in the comments below!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Kellogg’s at Sam’s Club. The opinions and text are all mine.
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Hamilton Billiards says
Fantastic ideas of outdoor activities, thank you for sharing.