When the sun comes out and the kids are itching to get outside, a few simple DIY garden games can turn an ordinary afternoon into something they’ll remember. Best of all, most of these ideas use things you already have lying around the house or garden shed — so there’s no need for a big shopping trip.
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Whether you’re looking to transform your garden for the summer, or just want a quick idea for a sunny evening, these ten DIY garden games are easy to set up and even easier to enjoy.
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Fun and Easy DIY Garden Games
Here are ten of our favourite simple DIY garden games using household items and a bit of upcycling creativity:
Dig For Gold
Image courtesy of My Little Babog
After the kids go to bed, have a root through their toy box for small toys such as miniature animals, cars and figurines. Place the toys into a small plastic bowl, fill it with water and freeze overnight.
The next morning, tap the end of the bowl to release the ice block and let the kids dig their way through to retrieve their toys with plastic spoons, toy hammers, or anything else child-friendly you can find.
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Recycled Bottle Bowling
Repurpose small plastic bottles to make your own bowling lawn game. Keep them plain or paint them up however you like — or go for a classic look with white paint and some red tape for that striped bowling-pin effect.
Add half a cup of rice to each bottle if you want to make knocking them over a bit trickier for older kids.
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Lawn Twister
Image courtesy of She Knows
A simple game for a long summer evening. Spray paint the grass with yellow, blue, red and green dots to create your own game of lawn twister, then cut up a cereal box to make a spinner.
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Coloured Spray Water Fight
Image courtesy of My Little Babog
Hold onto any old spray bottles you have around the house to make a simple but hugely fun water game. Give the bottles a thorough clean, then add a small squirt of washable poster paint with water. Let the kids loose in the back garden for hours of colourful fun on hot days.
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Tin Target
For this simple back garden game, ask friends and family to save their empty tins for you. Spray or paint nine tins in bright colours, then stack them and use rocks, a ball or bean bags to knock them down, just like at a funfair.
When the kids tire of knocking the cans down, spread them across the garden with the openings facing up and let the kids practise their aim by tossing painted stones into the targets.
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Painted Rock Tic-Tac-Toe
Image courtesy of Chicken Scratch NY
Gather ten rocks and split them into two sets of five. Paint each set to resemble your favourite bugs, critters or animals, then use coloured chalk to mark out the classic criss-cross grid on the ground. A lovely garden twist on noughts and crosses.
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Ring Toss
Keep hold of some glass bottles to create this carnival favourite. Paint the bottles however you like and stand them upright in an old crate. Then take some metal clothes hangers, cut and bend them into circles, and cover them with tinfoil. Voilà — your very own game of ring toss.
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DIY Chalkboard
Image courtesy of Rhythms of Play
Pick up a small tub of chalkboard paint from your local hardware store and paint a rectangle onto a wall or fence in the back garden, low enough for small kids to reach. Now they’ll have a permanent chalkboard outdoors for whenever creativity strikes.
Upcycle Car Tyres To Make A Jungle Gym
Head to your local mechanic or tyre shop and ask for their old worn tyres to build your own back garden jungle gym. Paint them however you wish before letting the kids climb and jump to their heart’s content.
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Tyre Swing
Image courtesy of Morning Chores
If you have a spare tyre, why not turn it into a colourful swing? All you really need is some rope and a tree with a strong branch.
The kids can paint and decorate the upcycled tyre however they choose — two activities for the price of one!
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Do you have any other eco-friendly DIY garden games to keep the kids entertained? Leave a comment below and let us know — we’d love to hear from you!
Frequently Asked Questions
What household items work best for DIY garden games?
Plastic bottles, tin cans, old tyres, cardboard boxes and even clothes hangers can all be turned into garden games with a bit of paint and imagination. Many of these ideas use things you’d otherwise recycle or throw away.
Are these garden games suitable for all ages?
Most of these ideas can be adapted for different ages. Simpler games like tin target or ring toss suit younger children, while games with more set-up, like the tyre jungle gym or lawn twister, work well for older kids and mixed-age groups playing together.
Do I need any special tools to make these games?
No special tools are needed for most of these ideas. Paint, tape, chalk and everyday household items are enough to get started. A couple of activities, like the tyre swing or jungle gym, will need some rope or basic tools to set up safely.
Can these games be played indoors if the weather turns?
Some, like painted rock tic-tac-toe or ring toss, can be brought indoors in a pinch, but most of these are designed as outdoor garden activities and work best with some outdoor space.
More Garden Fun to Explore
If you enjoyed these ideas, you might also like our roundups on outdoor obstacle courses, water play activities, and easy ways to combat summer boredom — all linked throughout this article above.
Save These Ideas for Later
Not ready to get the paint out just yet? Bookmark this article or save it to your favourites so you have these DIY garden game ideas ready to go the next time the sun makes an appearance.
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