Summer is the time of year to enjoy the warm, summer weather. It’s a time for relaxation, soaking up some sun, and spending quality time with friends and family outdoors. There really is no place quite like your own backyard to do so! However, you might be tired of the same old backyard volleyball and barbecue parties. Don’t worry, your friends at First World Mortgage compiled a few inexpensive, quick and easy DIY ways to transform your backyard into an entertainment haven!
- Giant Outdoor Kerplunk
Do you remember back in the day the children’s board game KerPlunk? Picture it, but a gigantic life-sized version outdoors that will keep your guests having a blast all day long. This fun game can be enjoyed by the whole family, both children and adults can step up and see if they will be the player with the fewest amounts of balls in the end! KerPlunk is a game that doesn’t require to much skill from the user and can be more fun than your regular outdoor sporting goods game.
If you already have a stand available to use, this takes most of the work out of creating your DIY game. allParenting has an extremely well detailed tutorial for the basics if you’re unsure of how to create your KerPlunk game. Gather some 2x4s and 4x4s to create your wooden stand, don’t forget the spray paint for a bright and colorful top coat. Secure your wire netting in a tube shape using a 18-gauge wire to hold it in place. Fill up your tube with dowels and plastic balls and you are ready to Kerplunk!
- Cornhole
Cornhole is an outdoor game that is literally invented for your backyard parties. No barbecue, family reunion, pool party or birthday party is complete without it! You cannot play Cornhole alone, you will need a team of at least two or ideal with a team of four. That’s why it is such a perfect game for all of your outdoor entertainment extravaganzas.
Building your Cornhole game is a little bit more complex than creating your Kerplunk setup, but your end results will be all worth it in the end. In order to do this properly, you will need both hand tools and power tools as well as a hand full of materials. DIY Network has the perfect set of instructions on how to build your Cornhole set.
- Bean Bag Toss
If you believe that the Cornhole set is a little out of your skill set, then this bean bag toss will be the perfect game for you to create for the family. This game may be one of the easiest to create out of the entire list we provided, and all of your materials can be used from your everyday essentials. The little ones will be kept busy for hours, while you sit back and relax in the warm summer weather.
All the materials you will need are at least 4 different colors of fabric, making 4 bags out of each color (16 total). Take the pieces of fabric and stitch them together. Once stitched, grab 5 paper plates, pie pans or any sturdy type of shallow dish. Cut out numbers or purchase numbered stickers that are 10 through 50 and place them in the center of the plates/dishes. You are all set to line them up and start tossing!
4. Glow-In-The Dark Bowling
Looking for a fun game to play after the sun goes down? How about a round of Glow-In-The Dark Bowling to spend on those warm summer nights! This game is unbelievably easy to set up and create and a fun activity for your guests to play. Growing a Jeweled Rose has created the perfect instructions and set up for your night time bowling party.
You will need 6 tall empty bottles, a packet of glow sticks and a hamster ball. If you don’t have one available to you, you can find one online or you can use a regular plastic ball. Fill the water bottles with water to give them a little more weight. Crack the glow sticks to activate them and stick one into each water bottle and screw on the lid. Put a few activated glow sticks in the hamster ball and tape the ends closed to secure it together when thrown and you’re ready to play! Materials can be doubled if two bowling lanes are desired.
Summer is the time to have fun in the sun with your friends and family. What a better place to enjoy it than the comfort of your own backyard. Entertaining guests doesn’t need to be expensive, you can find ways to entertain your guests in a fun, creative and unique way.
