Easy DIY garden games to keep the children entertained

Easy DIY garden games to keep the children entertained

Body Content

Back garden bowling

When the sun is shining and the weather is fine, there is no better way to while away the afternoons than getting outside into nature and spending time with your little ones. Back garden bowling is fun for children of all ages and it’s easy to make your very own bowling alley.

Materials:
6 toilet roll holders
Coloured tissue paper
6 elastic bands (optional)
Felt tip pens
Rice
Small ball

1. Rescue your toilet roll holders from the recycling bin and wrap them in a sheet of tissue paper. Twist and push one end into the toilet roll. Twist the other end to make some hair and secure with an elastic band if necessary. If it’s a windy day, add some rice to weigh them down.

2. Let your imagination run wild and decorate your skittles with faces or patterns.

3. Head out into the garden to assemble the pins in a triangle and have fun trying to knock them down.

Nature ring toss

Popular at parties and summer fêtes, a traditional ring toss game is lots of fun – you can simply craft your own from everyday items.

Materials:
Bendy twigs
Ribbon
Wooden spoons

1. A fun way to start this activity is with a scavenger hunt around the house and garden to find all the materials that you’ll need.

2. Take a flexible twig and bend it into a loop. Tie the ends with a ribbon to keep it in shape.

3. Tie a matching ribbon to a wooden spoon before sticking it in the grass. Repeat until all the spoons have a ribbon.

4. Throw the loops over the corresponding spoons to win. To make the game more competitive, try increasing the distance between the thrower and the spoons, or timing how long it takes to get the hoops on the right spoon.

Nature memory game

Living in the UK, we all know that the weather can be unpredictable. When the sky clouds over, why not make your own indoor activity? This memory game will not only help to strengthen your children’s memory, but also their drawing and writing skills.

Materials:
A4 card
Ruler
Scissors
Coloured pens, pencils or crayons

1. Take a sheet of A4 card and make a grid using a ruler. The aim is to make approximately 48 squares.

2. Draw your pictures on the grid, colour them in or write some words, making sure there is two of everything. We have picked nature as the theme for our game, but you could choose family members, animals or places you visited on your last holiday.

3. Cut along the gridlines to make individual cards, before turning them all over and getting ready to play.

4. Take it in turns to flip over two cards at a time. When you find a pair, take those cards away and pop them in your pile. The aim of the game is to find as many matching pairs as possible before the table becomes bare.