In today's post, Rachel Paxton - our Guest Writer for the day, shares with us some tips to help make Summer time a great and fun family time...
I'm quite lucky where I live, because it's not too far from the sea front (5 minutes walking distance) and the local park. So when the kids come visit me, there is always somewhere to go during the summer. But, while it's great to be able to go to the beach or/and the park whenever we want, the kids do tend to get bored very easily and quickly and that's when the unexpected added expenses (extra drinks, ice-cream cones, etc...) that are not always easy to pay for when you are on a very stretched budget (hey, I need to save some money if I want to go that ideal holiday destination suggested in the other post, don't I?) get in the way...
Lawn games look like the solution for me. It involves a bit of shopping, of course, but whatever I'll buy will definitely pay for itself after a few weeks.
Enjoy, and have (an inexpensive) fun this Summer!
Loup Dargent
Lawn Games
for Summer Family Fun
by Rachel Paxton
Summer is a great time to play lawn games outside with your
family. There are many affordable games available to choose
from, and most games are portable so you can take them camping or
to the local park for large gatherings of family and friends.
The last time I went to Walmart I found all of these lawn games
for $20 or less.
Ladder Ball
Ladder Ball has been very popular for the past couple of years.
The game comes with two "ladders" and balls that are attached
together with short nylon ropes. Each rope has a ball on each
end. Each player gets three of these ropes to throw at a ladder.
Points are based on which rung of the ladder the rope wraps
around. This game is fun for all ages. For young children you
will have to let them stand really close to the ladder so they
can hit it, but even adults have a great time playing this game.
Bean Bag Toss
I just picked this bean bag toss game up the other day. It was
only $19 at Walmart. It is the classic bean bag toss game. It
comes with two collapsable platforms that each have a hole in
them to throw bean bags through. This game is also suitable for
children of all ages. Even toddlers will love this game. Our 1
year old loves running up to the platform and dropping the bean
bag through the hole. This game comes with a portable carrying
case. The platforms have removable legs and everything folds up
and fits in the bag so you can take it with you. This game can
also be played in the house. It is great for rainy days!
Horse Shoes
This is the classic game of horse shoes, also $19 at Walmart. It
comes in a portable carrying case so is easy to take along with
you to wherever you want to play it.
Magic Mitts / Rally Ball
This game is a little different but fun. It is only $5 and is two
games in one. It comes with two mitts that have velcro on one
side of them. Each player wears a mitt and you throw a ball back
and forth to each other, using the velcro to catch the ball. The
game also comes with two flat paddles and a rally ball to hit
back and forth to each other.
Croquet
When I was a child, croquet was one of my favorite lawn games.
It was one of the only lawn games that my family played together,
and I always looked forward to when my parents got it out for us
to play. Walmart also has an inexpensive portable version of
this favorite game. This game is great for children that are old
enough to be able to use a mallet to hit a ball on the ground.
The object of the game is to be the first to hit a ball through a
series of wickets that are set into the ground.
Hopefully these lawn game ideas will inspire you to go out and do
something fun with your family this summer. Kids love to spend
time with their parents, and lawn games are a great way to spend
time together and have some fun at the same time.
About The Author:
Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom of five. For
resources for the Christian family, including parenting, toddler
and preschool activities, homeschooling, family traditions, and
more, visit Christian-Parent.com
