Indoor and Outdoor Games Your Kids Will Love Complete Guide

Discover the best indoor and outdoor games that are suitable for the whole family.

It’s the summer break, so you’ll spend a lot of time with your kids.

Naturally, kids love games. Whether indoor or outdoor, it doesn’t matter — they just want to have fun.

Knowing this, it’s important that you provide your little bags of energy with some fun games to play during the summer months and beyond. Some of the benefits include:

• It prevents boredom
• Your kids remain physically and mentally active
• You can enjoy some downtime yourself while the kids play games

So, with that said, what are the best indoor and outdoor games for kids right now? The good news is that there’s a boatload of games to choose from. Put it this way. You’re truly spoilt for choice!

As a helping hand, this complete children’s games guide has compiled a list of indoor and outdoor games for you to read. All you have to do is cherry-pick the ones you think your kids will love the most. It’s that easy.

When you’re ready, grab a notepad and pen and dive into the details below.

1.     Cornhole

Cornhole is an all-time classic when it comes to outdoor family-friendly games.

The best part about cornhole is that it’s incredibly simple to set up and easy to play.

Firstly, you need to buy some stained cornhole games. Remember, to play cornhole, you need two sets of four bags, and two boards. Once you have them, you’re ready to go.

The aim of cornhole is to score more points than the other player or team. You score points by successfully throwing your bags into the cornhole board’s hole.

Let’s say that you have four children who all want to play cornhole. You’d need to split them into pairs so that it’s two versus two.

Similarly, if you only have two children, they’d need to play each other one versus one. Or, if they invite their friends over, you can create more teams, and each team can take turns playing each other.

Pro Tip: Before you set up a game of cornhole for the kids in your backyard, make sure your lawn is cut, and any surrounding items have been removed. This way, it makes it a more enjoyable experience.

2.     Water Fight

The weather has been a little crazy this year, with warm weather hitting most parts of the country. Because of this, one of the best outdoor games is to have a classic water fight.

Of course, you’ll need to stock up on your:

• Water guns
• Water pistols
• Water balloons

Also, make sure your kids only use clean water, such as the water from your kitchen.

3.     Volleyball

Volleyball is a super fun outdoor game to play on the backyard.

After putting a volleyball net in place, your kids will be able to have a blast playing each other and hitting the volleyball in the air. If they’ve never played it before, they’ll quickly get the hang of it, especially if they use a light volleyball that stays in the air for longer.

4.     Tennis

Lots of kids are playing tennis this summer.

If your backyard doesn’t have enough space for a small tennis net, there’s no need to worry. There’s more than likely a tennis court within a mile or two of your house that you can drive to. Sometimes, local tennis clubs even host summer camps and weekly events for kids to attend if they enjoy tennis, so make sure to remember this if your kids seem to enjoy it.

5.     Sidewalk Chalk

Do you have children who are aged three and up? If the answer is yes, you might want to buy some sidewalk chalk to use. This way, they can sit on the sidewalk outside your front door and let their creative imaginations run wild. Then, after drawing their pictures on the floor, you’ll be able to wash them away with water later on in the day.

Sidewalk chalk can typically be purchased in a variety of colors. You should buy a big pack with as many colors as possible so your kids can switch between them and be as creative as possible!

Also, you should encourage them to play games with their sidewalk chalk. For example, it’s super easy to draw a hopscotch grid on the sidewalk, which they can then have a great time using.

6.     Pokémon Catching

This summer, taking your kids out Pokémon catching is a super fun idea.

How can you do this? Simple — download Pokémon Go to your smartphone!

Through Pokémon Go, you’ll be able to explore the surrounding area around your house and catch as many Pokémon as you can find. This blows the minds of most kids and gets them incredibly excited, which is why you should definitely try it. This game is also a great way to keep your children active as it encourages them to walk around a lot.

The way that Pokémon Go works is through augmented reality. In a nutshell, what this means is that it uses the real-world map and scatters Pokémon throughout it. You need to explore the map (just like you would with Google Maps) to see which Pokémon you can find. Once you capture them, your kids will be able to train them and even participate in Pokémon battles, which are so much fun.

Pro Tip: Open the App Store on your smartphone and search for Pokémon Go. It’s free to download, so you won’t have to pay any for it!

7.     Hide and Seek

It’s time for a classic indoor game: Hide and Seek.

Hide and Seek is the perfect indoor game for young children, typically those aged 1 to 8.

Not only does it bring lots of fun and laughter to the table, but it also enables children to develop their thinking skills. After all, houses are big, and there are countless different places to hide, so it provides them with a great opportunity to put their thinking skills to the test to try and deceive you! It’s the perfect game for a rainy day.

8.     Monopoly

Monopoly is the greatest kids’ board game of all time. It’s been around for countless decades and passed down from generation to generation, which is why it holds a special place in the hearts of most families.

If you’ve yet to introduce your family to Monopoly, now is the time to do it (although Monopoly is generally recommended for kids aged 7+).

Once your kids get into the action, you’ll probably find that things start to get a little competitive, but it’s all in good spirit! As the adult, though, you’ll have to mediate the game and step in if any disputes happen, which are quite common when kids play Monopoly.

Don’t forget that there are hundreds of different themed Monopoly boards that you can buy. For example, if your kids are fans of the video game Fortnite, you should buy them Monopoly Fortnite to play, as that’ll make it extra exciting for them.

Also, if it’s the first time your kids have ever played Monopoly, explain the Monopoly rules to them simply and easily. As they play, you’ll be able to help them at any point if they get lost or confused.

Final Thoughts

Choose from any of the above-mentioned indoor and outdoor games if you want to have a fun family time. From Cornhole to Monopoly, there’s plenty to enjoy. The choice is up to you.

Have fun!