8 Best Outdoor Games for Kids in 2023

Most of us remember a time when we spent our days indoors at school and our evenings and weekends playing outside with our friends. You would get home from a busy day at school, and your parents would have to shout for you to come inside for dinner.

Fast forward a good 20 years, and this has all changed. Children no longer spend much time outdoors; instead, they spend their free time sitting inside, playing on a console, or watching tv. This can have a significant impact on their health and well-being.

So, how do we get kids to spend more time outside? Research suggests that one of the best ways is to make our outdoor spaces child-friendly. One way we can do this is by setting up some outdoor games. If you want to find out more, here’s a list of some of the best outdoor games for kids in 2023:

1. Den Building

One of our all-time favourite games as children was probably den building. Kids have been building dens for hundreds of years. Perhaps one of the main reasons this game is so popular is because it’s so easy to set up. All you need is some garden furniture such as chairs or benches and a couple of blankets to build a great den.

However, be careful which types of furniture you choose. If your furniture has seen better days, and is starting to break, don’t use it. Instead, replace them with good quality garden benches or furniture. Replacing your garden furniture will help keep your kids safe. 

2. Capture the Flag

You may remember playing this game back when you were in primary school. Capture the flag is a low-cost, family-friendly game that requires six or more players and two small pieces of material.

To play this game, you must split the players into two teams and divide your playing area in half. Once you have done this, each team must place their piece of material (flag) at the back of their court. The object of this game is to run to the other team’s court and steal their flag. However, you must avoid players on the other team, as if they tag you, you will no longer be able to compete. The winner is the first team to capture the flag and return it to their half of the court.

3. Ten Pin Bowling

If you’ve ever visited a bowling alley with your children, you will know how much kids enjoy this sport. Instead of spending large sums of money at an alley, why not purchase a cheap ten-pin bowling set for your garden? This game is guaranteed to lure the kids outside (and maybe the adults too).

4. Swingball Pro All-Surface Swingball

Although you might not expect swingball to be on the list of the top outdoor games for 2023, a recent survey showed it was one of the most popular games overall. It is a game that everyone can enjoy, no matter how old, and it doesn’t take up much space in your garden. As well as this, it is super easy to assemble, with no tools, and this version can be positioned on any surface. What more could you want?

5. Giant Garden Jenga

Most of us have played Jenga at some point during our lives, but very few have had the opportunity to play giant garden Jenga. This game has the same rules as traditional Jenga; however, it is twice as much fun as the classic version. It is the perfect game to tempt the kids out of their bedrooms.

6. Football

If you really want to get the kids outdoors, why not set up some plant pot goals for them to shoot into? Alternatively, you could consider buying a replay ball or a football shooting net so your footy-mad kids can practise their skills independently.

7. Hopscotch

Another great classic, which children of all ages can enjoy, is hopscotch. While most other games on our list require two or more players, hopscotch is a game you can play independently. To make it even more fun for younger children, you could use coloured chalk and encourage them to draw the numbers inside the boxes for you.

8. Garden Quoits

Quoits, otherwise known as ring toss, is a super easy game that both kids and adults will enjoy. To play this game, you simply need to throw your quoits onto the pegs. The more quoits you get on the pegs, the more points you receive. The winner is the person with the most points at the end of the game.

There’s nothing quite like spending time outside with your kids on a warm and sunny day. However, tempting kids outside can be difficult these days. Technology seems to have taken over many of our kids’ lives. Thankfully, there are some simple things you can do to tempt your children to spend more time outdoors this summer, such as encouraging them to play some of the games listed above. Why not give it a go?