Summertime is here, and you’re ready to get outside and have fun with your family. It’s easy to come up with simple backyard family activities you’ll enjoy with your kids of all ages.
We love spending time together outside. Whether we are drawing flowers on our driveway or running in the sprinkler, my kids always want to be outside. However, sometimes I draw blanks for backyard family activities and need more ideas.
Here are some activities that our family enjoys in the summer months.
Related: 27 Best Outdoor Toys for Kids
19 Backyard Family Activities
Go on a Scavenger Hunt
Create an outdoor scavenger hunt for your kids to enjoy and see who completes it the first. An outdoor scavenger hunt looks for different leaves, flowers, bugs, rocks, and more. Kids love them, and even adults get competitive when taking part in outdoor hunts!
Play Lawn Jenga
Do you love Jenga? It’s a fun game for multiple ages, and you can enjoy it outside with lawn Jenga. The blocks stack over three feet tall, and it’s a game you can play with kids and adults.
Play Corn Hole Together
If you’re looking for other backyard family activities, consider playing corn hole together.
Most people assume that corn hole is a game for adults with a glass of beer in their hands, but the truth is kids enjoy this game as well. Corn hole is for everyone, and it’s something you can enjoy on a nice summer evening or during a backyard cookout.
Set Up a Huge Slip & Slide
My kids love every chance that they have to get wet, and even adults love playing with a slip and slide. On a warm summer day, you can stretch out the slip and slide and stay cool as a family or invite friends over for some easy fun.
Have a Water Balloon Fight
Who doesn’t love water balloons?
If you want to make your kids happy, plan a water balloon fight nice – adults vs kids – and invite some friends over with their kids. I suggest not telling your kids until it’s time for the ultimate surprise.
I love Bunch O Balloons – they are one of my favorite brands of water balloons, and they seal easily. All you have to do is attach your hose and you’ll have a bucket full of water balloons in no time!
Water Gun Battle!
Another option is to fill up a bunch of water guns and have a battle in your backyard. The great thing about water guns rather than water balloons is that you won’t have to replace them repeatedly, so you’ll save money.
Kids love playing with squirt guns, or if you prefer, you can use water blasters – kids love these!
Set Up Backyard Camp
You don’t have to travel away from your house to camp out – camp right in your backyard camp! All you have to do is pitch a tent, grab some sleeping bags, and enjoy nature right in the shadows of your house.
Have a Bonfire
Whether you want to have a bonfire while camping or just to put some chairs around the fire, my kids love having a backyard fire. We hang around, eat snacks, and watch the kids roll around the yard.
Before having a fire in your backyard, make sure it’s permitted where you live. If it is, all you need is a simple fire pit to get started!
Make S’Mores Over the Fire
If you’re having a backyard fire, then another one of the best backyard family activities is making s’mores. Who doesn’t love warm s’mores?
Grab some marshmallow roasting sticks so that your kids can stand back from the fire but still roast their own marshmallows. Then, get a s’mores kit with all the goodies!
Watch a Backyard Movie
Set up a large white sheet and a projector, and you have a backyard movie set up for your kids. Spread out some blankets or lawn chairs and enjoy your favorite flicks while lying under the stars. Kids love this, and it’s one of the easiest backyard family activities to set up.
Bird Watching
I remember bird watching with my grandmother as a beloved backyard activity, and now, I do so with my kids. It’s easy to throw up some bird feeders in your yard and watch the different birds that flock to your yard. Make sure you have a bird book to spot the different species!
Catch Fireflies
I grew up catching fireflies with my siblings as a child; I remember it vividly as one of our common backyard family activities. My mom gave us glass or plastic containers to keep our new friends unless we released them.
Your kids will love staying up late and catching fireflies with you. It’s such a quintessential summer activity.
If your kids are interested in these little insects, I suggest you read Fireflies (Nocturnal Animals) by Mary Dunn.
Go on a Bug Hunt
Even if bugs aren’t your favorite things in the world, kids find them fascinating, so go on a bug hunt together. See what different insects you can find living in your backyard and keep them in a little bug catching kit.
Discover Stargazing Together
Lay down on the ground and check out the stars together. Kids find anything to do with space fascinating, and finding shapes in the stars is a fun activity for you to do with your kids.
Plant a Garden Together
You don’t have to only play games outside with your kids; purposeful backyard family activities like gardening is a great way to teach your kids useful skills. My kids start gardening when they’re young toddlers and love it! They help with planting seeds and seedlings, pulling weeds, and harvesting vegetables we grow in our backyard.
Getting your kids in the garden is great for them!
Blow Bubbles Together
No kid is immune to the magic of bubbles! So, grab a bubble machine, put on some music, and have a bubble dance party. I promise, your kids will have a blast!
Paint Rocks
If you want a simple family activity you can complete in your backyard, grab some large rocks and paint them. They make adorable gifts for your family members or easy decoration for your garden beds. Kids love this simple activity!
Have a Backyard BBQ
Kids love eating in their backyard. You can invite your friends and family over or have dinner with just your kids and partner. It’s the perfect time to set up some games and enjoy them with your neighbors.
Set Up a Backyard Picnic
Everyone loves a backyard picnic! I throw a blanket on the ground, make an easy lunch, and sit outside with my kids to enjoy the meal and nature at the same time.
Try new backyard family activities regularly to see which ones everyone enjoys the most! Kids love new activities together with their family!
