You don’t have to take expensive trips to enjoy a fun summer break with your family. In fact, your own backyard can become an exciting destination. Fun backyard activities abound, and you don’t have to spend much money to enjoy them. These five affordable family fun activities can turn your backyard into a wonderful summer escape.
An obstacle course can be a terrific way to go outside and be active this summer. Obstacle courses can feature fun challenges that every member of the family can participate in, like swinging on a rope, balancing on a fallen log, or crawling through a tunnel you’ve constructed.
Even the planning process can become a fun family activity. Let everyone contribute ideas and then work together to construct your obstacle course. While constructing an obstacle course will require some supplies, you can get a lot of the supplies you may need at a dollar store or on Amazon. Pool noodles and hula hoops can be particularly useful and cost effective!
When the weather is hot, nothing can help you beat the heat like fun water activities! You might consider a slip and slide, having a water balloon fight, or running through the sprinklers with a fun attachment.
If you already own a tent and some sleeping bags, camping in your backyard can be a fun, free activity for the whole family. Since you won’t be going far, you don’t need to go to all the work of packing tons of supplies. However, you can still enjoy many of your favorite camp activities, like stargazing and telling stories around a campfire (or flashlight!).
No camping gear? Check out our list of affordable starter camping gear.
Having a backyard dance party offers fun for the whole family. All you need is the right tunes and a portable speaker, unless you’re lucky enough to have built-in speakers outside.
You can play songs you’ve downloaded or just load your favorite Spotify playlist. To make the event even more festive, you might consider decorating your backyard with lights or other décor and setting a theme to dress up for.
Your favorite carnival games may be super fun, but they can also be super expensive. Luckily, you can construct similar games at home for very little money. You might put together squirt gun target practice or set up a tower of empty cups that you knock down by throwing a ball. With a little creativity, you can replicate popular carnival games for festive backyard fun.
Your summer fun is only limited by your imagination. What backyard activities do you enjoy with your family? Let us know in the comments section below.
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