You don’t have to spend a lot of money to keep kids or grown-ups entertained when the weather is nice enough to go out and play in the yard. You probably already have equipment such as Frisbees and Hula Hoops around the house that you can toss into the yard for some fun. Lots of outdoor games can be purchased on the cheap at yard sales and from sites such as Craigslist and eBay. You can use recyclables for some games, and others require no equipment at all.
Tag
It’s a classic that never goes out of style. Someone is “it,” and he has to chase other players until he tags someone else who becomes “it.” There are plenty of variations. In freeze tag, the player who gets tagged becomes “frozen” until someone frees him. After sunset, bring out flashlights for a game of flashlight tag. Instead of hands, use your flashlight to tag someone.
Capture the Flag
OutdoorGamePlayers.com suggests another classic—Capture The Flag. For this game, you need two teams who each have a flag to hide in their part of the yard. The teams try to capture each other’s flags, and players who get tagged by opponents in their territory get sent to jail until being freed by a teammate. The first team to capture the other team’s flag is the winner.
OutdoorGamePlayers.com suggests playing a variation of this game by giving each team five balloons to protect. After a set amount of time, the team that has gathered the most balloons from the opposing side is winner.
Games Needing Some Equipment
Babyzone.com lists a number of popular lawn games that require equipment you can easily find at discount stores or purchase used. Children and adults can enjoy a game of croquet, volleyball, horseshoes, badminton or wiffle ball. You can make variations on these games by tossing beanbags into hoops for horseshoes or hitting balloons around instead of volleyballs. Cool everyone off after the game with some water balloons.
Tossing Games
If you’ve got bean bags or balls, you can set up tossing games. Stack cans or plastic bottles and toss a ball or bean bag to see who can knock down the most. For a different tossing game, have players face a partner and start tossing a ball or bean bag back and forth. Have them each take one step backward if they successfully catch it. See how far apart they can get before dropping the object.
Obstacle Course
AmazingMoms.com suggests setting up an obstacle course for outdoor fun. Have children walk along a winding garden hose, crawl under lawn chairs, balance along a string, walk with a ball between their legs, or jump over and around an oscillating sprinkler. You can vary the course any way you choose.
Water Relay
According to AmazingMoms.com, water relays are a big hit at parties and picnics. Divide your crowd into teams, and give each team a bucket filled with water, a large sponge and an empty plastic gallon milk jug with the top cut off. Have the first player on each team soak their sponge in water, run a set distance to an empty milk jug and squeeze out the sponge. The players then return to their starting points and tag the next player in line, who takes the sponge and repeats the process. Play continues until one team fills its jug.
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