Summer is in full swing, which means it is finally time to enjoy the outdoors and all it has to offer with your family! Planning outdoor activities to keep your child inspired and learning throughout the summer is a wonderful way to spend time with your children during these warm months.
Here are a few of the best outdoor games you can plan for your child:
Water Games
Water games are perfect for those hot summer days! There are a number of water games suitable for any age range – all under supervision of course. Try this fun catching game: fill a toddler swimming pool (or large bucket) with water and drop in ping pong balls. Help your child use a small strainer, fishing net or their hands to catch the floating balls. You can even paint eyes on the ping pong balls to make them look more like fish!
Water games like this can also help your child’s development and motor skills while helping them to gain confidence in and around the water.
Backyard Scavenger Hunts
A great summer game to get the whole family involved, is to plan a scavenger hunt in the backyard. While there are many ways to plan your family scavenger hunt, your child will benefit from being challenged and active during the search.
Use simple household items, like coloured cups or toys such as blocks and balls to hide around the backyard. Help your child search the backyard for your hiding places; you can make this age appropriate by hiding smaller items or picking trickier hiding places.
Driveway Hopscotch
A classic favourite for the warm weather is chalk games, hopscotch in particular. Drawing a hopscotch court with your child is a great way to get them engaged from the start. How long do they want the court? What colours will you use? Help your child by filling out the numbers in the blocks as well. As your child grows and progresses, set some directions to go along with their hopscotch court to help them further challenge themselves and develop coordination skills.
While hopscotch is more suited for children with the motor skills to stand and jump, you can teach your child about numbers and colours by playing with the chalk as a fun, summertime drawing tool.
Bean Bag Toss
More suitable for slightly older children, a bean bag toss is a great way to further your child’s coordination and motor skills. You can purchase bean bags or make your own out of socks, rubber bands and dried beans. Out of a cardboard box, cut holes large enough for the bean bags to go through. Practice tossing the bean bags with your child and eventually allow them to try on their own. See how far back they are able to stand while still tossing the bean bags through the hole.
Another version of a bean bag toss can be done with water balloons. Toss water balloons back and forth to each other and see how long they can go without bursting!
Outdoor games give you the opportunity to plan activities for your child that will help continue their development throughout the summer while still having fun. What are your favourite outdoor games to play with your child? Share with us in the comments below!