We teamed up with Rozanne from Bright Little Brains to create playful summer activities. Follow along on Instagram for more sports inspiration, ideas, and fun facts!

SUMMER FIELD GAMES 

Backyard games are a fun way to enjoy late afternoons with friends and family while kids practice motor skills.

It is a delightful way to use pool noodles and a few things you can find at the local hardware store to set up an invitation to play for multiple kids.

Finish your obstacle course with “water-medals” – watermelon slices with sprinkles.

What You Need:

• 12 Pool noodles

• Toy rings

• Bean bags or balls

• Small PVC pipes (that fit snugly into the pool noodle)

• Skewer sticks

• Plant labels

• Box tape

How Set Up the Summer Games:

We made use of 12 pool noodles to create four different stations. You can do all four of these games for a classic obstacle course or mix and match with games you have at home or free play.

Rainbow Crawl

Make the rainbow crawl by creating an arch with the noodles. Slide a PVC pipe into each end of a pool noodle and push the PVC pipe into the ground to secure it. You can find these pipes inexpensively at the hardware store or try a piece of scrap wood about the same size.

How to Play: Encourage kids to take turns running or crawling through the noodles.

Bean Bag Toss

1. Cut two pool noodles in half. Curve the shorter pieces into a circle and connect the two ends with a small piece of PVC pipe. Make three more rings for a total of four.

2. Place the rings in a 2 x 2 grid on the ground and tape them together.

3. Place two uncut pool noodles next to the ring grid so that the grid is about halfway up the noodles. Tape the ring grid to the long noodles to secure them.

4. Stick PVC pipe or kitchen skewers into the ground at the base of the two long noodles and lift the entire pool noodle structure. Slide the two whole noodles onto the skewers to secure them.

How to Play: Let kids take turns throwing bean bags or balls into the rings. You may encourage kids to stand closer to the rings or further back, depending on their age or skill level.

Hurdles

1. Cut pool two pool noodles in half and place all four segments in a row on the ground where you’d like the obstacle course.

2. Place a plant tag in the grass at each end of the pool noodles. This construction works best with a plant tag with a small space for writing that is perpendicular to the ground.

3. Slide the pool noodles onto a plant tag at either end so that the pool noodle is parallel to the ground.

How to Play: Encourage kids to jump over the hurdles without knocking them over.

Ring Toss

1. Cut two pool noodles in half to create four segments.

2. Place skewers in the ground in a square about a foot apart.

3. Place one segment over each skewer so that the noodle is standing up perpendicular to the ground.

4. Use tape on the grass (or chalk or a ribbon – anything to create a line) to use to mark for kids to stand behind.

How to Play: Provide pool rings (or any other circle you have around the house) for kids to take turns trying to toss onto the noodles like horseshoes.