These 5 outdoor games for kids are a hit
2.6.2023
Translation: Julia Graham
It’s that time of year again when the kids’ playroom has relocated outside. In need of some outdoor game ideas for summer? Here are five gadgets that kept our youngsters entertained.
Suddenly, the children’s rooms are immaculate again. Not because they’ve caught the Marie Kondo bug. It’s just that they only head there once a day: in the evening to go to bed. The rest of the time is spent outside, in the playground, in a neighbouring street or in a meadow. Always accompanied by a dirt-stained T-shirt and shoes and a band of neighbourhood kids.
Yip, it’s official. The most beautiful time of the year is back. And with it, the coolest outdoor games. Here are five summer game gadgets for kids. And adults.
1. Ladder golf
This game has little to do with golf. You use a kind of golf ball, but neither clubs nor holes feature in the game. Instead, it involves throwing a bola – two golf ball-sized spheres connected by string – at a ladder. If it gets stuck, you score points, depending on the rung you hit. We’ve played ladder golf with both adults at the lake and as part of a children’s birthday party in the garden. Verdict: this throwing and skill game is perfect for young and old alike.
2. Water slide
Lay it out, inflate it, connect it to the garden hose and slide down the wet slide. You don’t need anything else in order to have a great time on a hot afternoon. The only prerequisite is a bit of space. And ideally noise-tolerant neighbours. We bet that even grown-ups won’t miss out on the opportunity to take a run-up and hurl down the garden slide at full pelt. Yip, I thought so.
3. Cornhole
This game couldn’t be simpler: you put sandbags in holes. And yet – or by the very nature of its simplicity – this throwing game for summer days provides everything you’d expect from a good toy: entertainment, competition and excitement. Especially when teams go head to head. Whether that’s young vs. old or mixed groups, it guarantees heaps of fun.
4. Swing tuning
Back and forth, back and forth. Your garden swing can do a lot more than just that. For a modest fee, you can upgrade it to give your kids some variety. But what’s more, it also gives them new challenges, including tumbling from the rings and swinging on the trapeze. You’ll soon be taking up your seat at the outdoor circus to admire the young talent performing new tricks.
5. Croquet
Refined English society enjoyed croquet from as early as the 16th century. However, for my kids, it took a while before they discovered the fun in this historical lawn game. But now they play with it with other children in the neighbourhood according to their own rules. They hit the wooden balls across the garden and through the metal gates anchored to the ground. And although they hold the wooden croquet mallets upside down and more like mini golf clubs, it doesn’t matter. It’s more about skill, precision and above all, having fun.
The beauty of all these garden gadgets is that they encourage play, fun and social interaction. And ultimately, they focus on the important things – that, according to a well-known German proverb, your feet should be dirty, your hair dishevelled and eyes shining by the end of the day.
Header image: Katja Fischer
Katja Fischer
Senior Editor
Katja.Fischer@digitecgalaxus.chMom of Anna and Elsa, aperitif expert, group fitness fanatic, aspiring dancer and gossip lover. Often a multitasker and a person who wants it all, sometimes a chocolate chef and queen of the couch.
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