Garden Games for Children

Garden games are growing in popularity with many of us staying at home for the holidays and looking for local activities for the nicer weather. Somewhat of a misnomer, garden games can be taken and played anywhere really so if you do get down to the beach or the park, you can be sure of having something to entertain the kids!

Garden games and outdoor toys are guaranteed to get the whole family playing together – for some through a sense of nostalgia as they remember their halcyon days, for others a sense of playful competition. My mother gets very excited about rounders and can be guaranteed to set up the bases and wave around the bat gleefully whilst regaling us with tales of school matches against local foes! Rounders is truly a unifier with all ages able to play – the rules can be adapted for youngsters and challenges added for those who need them.

If you are lucky enough to get the whole family together, then why not challenge them to a traditional game of tug’o’war? Guaranteed to get those competitive juices flowing, this is a really great opportunity for teamwork.
There’s also a good bit of science thrown in as well - Newton's third law is: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. If both ends are exerting the same amount of force, who will win?
Can the children work out the best teams for a balanced game? Who would be best at the end of the rope? Is the first team to tug, the most likely to win? There are some interesting experiments that can be done – can you tell how strong someone is by just looking at them? Are taller people stronger? etc.

One of our favourite outdoor games is skittles, something we have been playing since the children were very small. It’s a really good developmental activity with a plethora of learning opportunities (all hidden beneath a healthy blanket of fun!). From gross motor skills to early number work to thinking about angles, speed, distance etc, your child will be taking in all sorts of information which will come in useful at some point!
There is a variety of skittles sets for your different needs and ages. Your littlest bowlers will fall for these furry Monsters and Jingly Jungle pins. We do love the Sunny Patch Bug bowling set (pictured) for sheer cuteness and, of course, there are more grown-up options for the rest of the family.

Target games are immensely popular with children. Whether the aim is to get a ball through a hole or to land it on a numbered section, children love the sense of achievement that this sort of game brings. There are some great lessons to be learned in perseverance, failing/succeeding, challenging oneself and to develop a sense of personal best.
Great for practising accuracy and control, this penalty shoot out set can be enjoyed by all ages and not just the footballers amongst you! I like the fact that it sits over a netted goal so you don’t have to spend ages running around trying to find your missiles! Try throwing bean bags through from different distances – if you take it to the beach, you can mark out a whole target range in the sand! Or use playground chalk on concrete!

by Allie White, educational consultant to BrightMinds

As a parent and former-teacher, Allie has a hands-on approach to home learning, believing that the best learning is done together in a relaxed environment.

Our mission at BrightMinds is to foster “a brighter way to play” to inspire your child to be curious about the world around them & encourage creativity in a fun & relaxed way.

We curate a world-class range of educational toys, games, gifts & books which are good quality, safe and backed by our extraordinary customer service. Garden Games are our speciality and a garden game from BrightMinds is a wonderful gift for your special girl or boy.

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