Kicking things off is Wimbledon, which will take place from Monday 30th June - Sunday 13th July. Then, on 2nd July, the Women’s Euro 2025 tournament gets underway with England's Lionesses the defending champions in Switzerland. After that there is still the World Athletics Championships, to look forward to in Tokyo from 13th – 21st September.
For the past three years, our Please Play Here campaign has encouraged people to spend more time outdoors after research found children play outside less than their parent’s generation did.
In this article, we’ve put together some ideas on how you can enjoy more outside play this summer. You can also find tips on how to create an outdoor living space you’ll want to spend time in to help you make the most of your garden.
What outdoor party games can you play in the garden?
Lots of games we traditionally think of as indoor activities can be taken outside. In fact, some of the best giant outdoor games are essentially oversized versions of traditional board games. Some of the best outdoor childhood games are those that require little or no equipment, making them widely accessible and portable so they can be played almost anywhere. The safe play areas and open spaces we create as part of our new communities are perfect locations to enjoy outdoor games for children.
Our top 5 outdoor games
- Football – in its simplest form, the beautiful game needs just a ball and two players. Our larger developments include sports pitches, while others include multi-use games areas where different sports can be played. Or you could simply use jumpers for goal posts! Walking football is increasing in popularity too, so age or fitness levels are no barrier to joining in. We’re also keen supporters of grassroots football, sponsoring lots of teams in areas where we’re building.
- Tag, tick or tig – whatever you choose to call it, the only thing you need for this classic game is a group of friends to play. Variations include freeze tag or pool noodle freeze tag, where one noodle is held per team and they can use it to unfreeze teammates.
- Hide and seek – another classic requiring no equipment, with one person counting while the others hide ready to be found. Sardines works on the same principle but with one person hiding and everyone else searching. As each person finds the hider, they squeeze into the hiding place for the seekers to find.
- Rounders or cricket – these classic bat and ball games are played in teams with minimal equipment. This is a great idea if you’re trying to think of some fun outdoor games for adults too.
- Skipping – can be enjoyed solo or as a group, with two people turning the rope. There are lots of rhyming songs to skip to, including those with actions to add to the difficulty level.
Redrow developments, and in particular our garden villages, include multi-functional green spaces and corridors which incorporate walking and cycling routes as well as natural play areas to encourage people of all ages to spend more time outside.
What games are played at a garden party?
Whether you’re looking for summer holiday ideas for kids or for ways to keep guests entertained this summer, try these games to play outside for all ages and abilities:
- Sports day: Traditional events include the wheelbarrow race – with one person “becoming” the wheelbarrow and the other “wheeling” them across the course; an egg and spoon race to test balance and coordination; and welly wangling where the person who throws the welly furthest wins.
- Pin the tail on the donkey or pin the bug on the flower – or another variation to suit your guests. Hang a donkey poster on the fence or attach it to a tree, remembering to allow for guests’ heights, particularly children. Blindfold a participant, spin them round and leave them to try and find the donkey to pin the tail to.
- Croquet – a quintessentially British garden game, usually played on a lawn, where a bat is used to push the ball through loops.
How can I make my garden more fun for kids?
Making your garden fun isn’t simply about filling it with toys and games, it’s about creating a space that can be enjoyed all year round and whatever the weather. For example, if you don’t have a beach nearby you could create one with a sandpit, paddling pool and some imagination.
We’ve put together an easy to follow guide to gardening by season. Follow these tips to help make the garden more fun.
How do you create a sensory garden?
You can engage the senses by planting colourful flowers to attract pollinating bees and butterflies, while stimulating the senses of sight and smell.
Flowers and herbs will trigger the nose buds as they release different fragrances.
A pond or water feature you can dip your hand into on a warm day adds to the sensory experience through touch and sound too, while further texture can be added to your garden with mulch or gravel pathways.
Make your own windchimes using glass bottles.
How do you make a bug hotel?
- You can help provide homes for nature by building a bug hotel in your garden.
- Create a frame using recycled pieces of wood or use a wooden box with an open front.
- Position it away from the rain or waterproof the top.
- Divide into sections and fill each one with a different material.
- Hollow stems such as bamboo canes provide somewhere for solitary bees to nest.
- Dead wood is essential for the larvae of wood-boring beetles.
- Straw and hay are ideal for invertebrates to burrow in and find somewhere safe to hibernate in winter.
- Roll up a piece of corrugated cardboard and put it in a waterproof cylinder to create a home for lacewings.
- Dry sticks are perfect for ladybirds to hibernate in.
For more ideas read about the benefits of nature on your doorstep.
