The days are longer and the temperature is warm. If you have young children, chances are they spend a lot of time cooped up inside or staring at screens. And maybe you haven’t been so active yourself.
Looking for a fun way to enjoy the outdoors? Here are some game ideas to help you soak up the sunshine from the safety of your driveway:
- Basketball: If you have a hoop in your driveway, there is no shortage of basketball games. Whether it’s a classic game of one-on-one, or a twist like HORSE or knockout, a home court can provide hours of driveway fun.
- Sidewalk chalk: Sidewalk chalk is a childhood classic for a reason. A bucket of chalk can be a versatile tool for all types of games and activities. Unleash your child’s artistic side with a mural. Make chalk outlines of their bodies they can color in, or encourage them to practice their math facts. You can also use chalk to draw a maze, or make a grid for hopscotch.
- Foursquare: Try your hand at another playground classic with foursquare. All you need are four players, a bouncy ball and some chalk. Draw a large square, divide it into four equal parts and label them one through four. Then hit the ball from one square to the next, trying to keep it in bounds with only one bounce.
- Giant Jenga: Looking for a game requiring a little more skill and strategy? Make a giant Jenga set using 2x4s. You can easily make a set by cutting the boards into 54 pieces about 10.5 inches long. Then stack them in rows of three, alternating directions with each row. Play the game just like you would the small version at the kitchen table – pulling out and stacking blocks until the tower tumbles.
- Four corners: Think of four corners as a cross between foursquare and Marco Polo. Use sidewalk chalk to draw a large square. Then, draw a circle in the middle and number a small square in each of the four corners. To play, one person stands in the middle with their eyes closed and counts to 10. During that time, the other players move about before choosing a corner to stop in. When the person in the middle calls out a corner number, the players in that corner are out.
- Alphabet hopping: This is a great game if you have kids who are still learning how to read or spell. Draw squares and circles with chalk and write a letter in each shape. Then, call out a letter and have your child jump to it. Or call out a word and have them spell it out by jumping to each letter.
- Blow bubbles: For young children, blowing bubbles can be a great form of entertainment. You can buy bubbles at nearly any dollar or grocery store. Don’t have any on hand? Make your own using six cups of water, one cup of dish soap. You can also add a tablespoon of glycerin or corn syrup to thicken the solution a bit. If you don’t have a wand, bend pipe cleaners to create bubbles of all shapes and sizes.
- Cornhole: This beanbag game isn’t just for tailgating. It also makes for a perfect driveway game. Official cornhole rules (believe it or not, they do exist!) state that the front of each board should be 27 feet apart. But feel free to close in the distance for younger players or smaller spaces. Then, start tossing.
- Old-school classics: Pass the time away in your driveway with some retro games like jacks, Frisbee, jump rope or a hula hoop. After all, if they were good enough for you and you parents, your children should enjoy them too.
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