Yard games

Within an hour of arriving at our new house, the neighbor boy rode up on his bike.
“Are there any kids that live here?”
“Yes! We have four.”
“Are they indoor kids or outdoor kids?”
They are most definitely “outdoor” kids, we answered, much to the boy’s delight. He was an “outdoor kid,” and he was happy to find some new kids who wanted to play outside with him.
Our kids have always been really good at playing outdoors. They play outside no matter what season it is. And they have great endurance for being outside in any type of weather.
But lately, it’s been getting harder for them to find anything to do TOGETHER outdoors. One loves basketball. Another loves baseball. And the third loves gymnastics. They usually choose to play their preferred sport alone, rather than spending time doing something together.
This week, I decided we need to find some common ground. We already do family bike rides, and the kids and I spend a lot of time at the pool. But what else could we do outside together?

I remembered our corn hole game in the garage. We typically only get it out when we are having a party. Why is that? Why don’t we play with it more often when it’s just us?

We set up a tournament, with team names and a bracket. We had a fun evening playing together. (Should I  mention which team won?)

This inspired me to get on Pinterest to get some ideas for more outdoor activities. I pinned ideas for how to make our own miniature golf course or ping pong table. I’m even trying to convince CapableDad to build a bocce ball court.
In the meantime, I wandered over to Target and was excited to find that the yard games were 50 percent off! I grabbed a croquet set and ladder ball. I even found a set of jacks! It’s been fun watching two of the kids compete this morning.
So, it’s going to be yard games day over here. I’m hoping for some good outdoor sibling time together.
And I’m curious. What are some fun things your family has found to do outside this summer?