Children at play:that is either a heartwarming scene, or it is war. The longer the winter lasts and the more it shows its bad side, the more it looks like war with us. Let that spring come, at least the kids can play outside again. Does mom immediately get some rest inside 😉 . It may be a bit premature, given the weather right now, but we have certainly immersed ourselves in outdoor games. And everything you need for that, to prevent your backyard from becoming the new battlefield.
Would you rather go to an outdoor playground in the Netherlands? Here you will find the 125 best outdoor playgrounds!
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You sometimes hear older people grumble about it:the youth of today. With their computer games and smartphones. “They don't play outside anymore † Nonsense! As soon as that Pokémon app came out, I saw a lot of children on the street. Unfortunately still pressed their noses against the phone so the weather was not good. Time to sort out some outdoor games. Which even grandma can participate in – because the elderly of today don't go outside much 😉 . You don't even have to travel far for these games. You can simply play these cool outdoor games on the lawn in your backyard .
You don't have to cycle far for it and you don't have to worry about rubber granules on the artificial grass. Have you ever thought about exercising in your own garden? Of course it is not a replacement for a real football field, but you can also play a decent game of football in your own backyard. As long as you have enough grass. Go for mini goals , a korfball post or just take two badminton rackets † Outdoor games become sports for outside… they can immediately lose all that saved energy after all that sitting inside.
And how about a trampoline † It's our best purchase ever! It doesn't matter how big or small (although very large is of course very nice), but I think that few sports are as intensive as jumping on the trampoline. At least… if I can believe my body!
Do your kids absolutely love Freek Vonk † With its exotic species, scary snakes and furry spiders? Then they may find the usual outdoor games (tag or hide-and-seek) and even sports in their own garden a bit too bourgeois. No worries. Even your lawn is a jungle! Especially if daddy hasn't mowed it in a while 😉. Send the kids on safari in their own garden. All you need is a nice magnifying glass!
Every 'new species' that is discovered is of course registered, and perhaps yields a reward? Don't forget to release the critters back into their natural habitat, otherwise you'll end up with a jar of dead beetles. Has it come to the point that your child has crushed a beetle or accidentally has the wing of a flying species in his hands? Do not get angry! Then make it a useful moment right away by using the microscope, super instructive and then that nasty moment during this game for outside was still good for something!
Especially for grandma, and probably her favorite among the outdoor games:old Dutch games. Set out an old-fashioned fun course. Cookie bites , look around , sack race , on stilts making things unsafe and pooping nails :they are games that are always fun. Play on the grass for a soft landing; you wouldn't be the first to fall while walking the cans! Maybe grandma can stick to the cookie bites better on reflection 😉 . In the meantime, keep the little ones busy with fun outdoor toys.
A great idea for some simple entertainment that doesn't even affect your grass that much is poking/throwing a balloon.
You take a sheet of soft board on which you pin all set up balloons with a thumbtack. Of course you stick those thumbtacks through the button of the balloon and not through the balloon itself 😉 . Finished? Then you start this nice tip of outdoor games like this:grab a dart. The children have to try to break the balloons from a distance. Whoever busted the most balloons wins, you get that.
A short game, yes, but everyone should have done it once. Make your own fountain in no time with a bottle of cola and peppermint. One of the best outdoor games if I can believe my teenager. Make sure you put the bottle of Coke on a firm surface, because there is so much pressure on it that it can easily fall over. Tip 2:be quick. the reaction is so fast that you quickly have to stand at a safe distance so as not to get overwhelmed by the coke.
One of the more fun outdoor games is of course bubble blowing. But those little bubble-blowing bottles… we've seen that by now. So we're going for the sturdy bubble blower that you can use to make those huge bubbles! You can make the sturdy bubble blower yourself fairly easily. What do you need?
How to make the firm bubble blower?
You put everything together and stir the mixture. Then you leave it overnight, then the bubbles work even better. Get 2 sticks and then comes the most important thing… the rope. Use cotton rope, or 'make' your own rope by cutting a strip of fabric 2-3 cm wide. You have to knot this strip in a triangle as you also saw above that happened with the rope. Before you tie the rope or fabric to the sticks… put a metal ring around it so that the bottom rope of the triangle drops down. So here you experience the triangle, as it were.
Dip your rope into your bubble-blowing mixture. Dip really well. Then let it drain for a while, keep the sticks apart and slowly walk backwards. This is how you draw the most beautiful large bubbles!
Tip:do the bubbles sink to the ground too quickly? Add a little water and try again.
This has always been a big hit with us! Take a raw egg and a spoon. Place the egg on the spoon and have 2 people or more 'compete' against each other. The spoon in the mouth and whoever crosses the finish line first with spoon and egg wins. The little ones can also participate, of course, you can just let them hold the spoon. Make sure you get enough boxes of eggs before you start playing this game. Talk about hilarious outdoor games!
Is daddy already sighing while reading the above article? Okay, that comment about mowing may not have been so nice, I admit. But is he also concerned about his lawn? He probably sees the pollen flying at the thought of your kids having a blast on the lawn. Would he rather smash signs that read “don't walk on the grass”? Shame! Did you know that there is now also special play grass? Extra strong grass that can even withstand kids and their wild outdoor games.
Play grass consists of a combination of three different types of grass. It is easily accessible, and has a great resilience. No superfluous luxury, when our blazes are allowed to go 'the meadow' for the first time again. Incidentally, play grass does not have the appearance of a meadow. Looking for a visually beautiful lawn with sod that also stays beautiful? Then go for play grass!
Pssst… afraid that Dad won't keep the playing grass short enough, and don't feel like working in your garden instead of playing? Then give your family a robot lawn mower as a gift!
