There are a lot of games kids can play when they venture outside, some are a bit more wasteful than others. However, most are a lot of fun and eco-friendly.

One easy way to keep children occupied during the long days of summer when there is so much daylight is with a trampoline. There are also so many games you can come up using the trampoline that your children won’t need any encouragement to go outside. Options for outdoor fun are almost endless! Click here for a best trampolines review.

For our list of Healthy and Green Games for Kids This Summer, read on and notice that the old games are funnily enough the greenest and the best!

Green Eco Games for Kids — Credit: Unsplash.

Tennis

This sport has the benefit of being as serious or fun as you’d like to make it and can be for any age group. If you think your child might enjoy this activity, you can start them young with an old racket and ball at home.

Maybe this is a sport you take part in yourself and you’d like to get them involved as they’re older. Once they progress you may want to invest in some decent equipment such as their own child-sized racket. As a mum if you are going to be playing properly make sure you have the right tennis shoes for women from a store such as tennisHQ.co.uk. Other than that you can play this in your own garden or the park for a healthy, fun activity from Spring onwards.

Chalk

If you have craft loving kids, you could let them make their own chalk. It’s a little time-consuming but a good way to pass some of the hours in the holidays.

Once made or bought teach your children how to play with chalk in various ways. These could be how to play hopscotch, draw flowers, trace objects or even make a circuit of hurdles you have to pass through with swirls and numbers across a driveway or path.

Children often like to decorate a wall (make sure it’s your own!) and add their names to it. All can be washed away again in the future.

A lovely way to use chalk is to leave messages for neighbours who don’t get outside or have much company. During lockdown, many chalk rainbows and messages were exchanged in communities. Just be sure to only write where you think your neighbour will appreciate it.

If there is no place for your kids to draw with their homemade chalk, buy them a few chalkboards from a resale shop or turn an old kids' table, in need of TLC, into a chalk table by painting it all over with chalk paint. You can do this with any object you wouldn't mind painting with chalk paint so they can draw on.

Chalk paint makes it easy to turn any surface or even a wall in a playroom or child’s bedroom into a place to draw and get creative.

Bug Race

Have each child find a bug and collect it gently into a pot or jar.

Set up a platform (could be some flattened cardboard, a table etc). Draw a finish line with chalk near the end. Then let each child release their bug or critter at the word “GO”.

Make sure to take pictures as they jump up and down and scream at their bugs to move, jump, hurry or crawl!

The child with the winning bug gets to eat the bug. No, just kidding! But make sure to have the camera ready again to snap a picture of their faces when you tell them that!

After the race, remind children to let the bugs go gently and back to the habitat and plants where they found them in.

Human Race

Now let your kids have a race. You make the rules, only you get to say GO and keep everyone in check.

Let them do the hard work racing across the yard and competing against each other. You can make it into a mini sports day with skipping stages, egg and spoon, beanbags and much more.

Don’t underestimate how competitive children are by nature and how much they love to run and jump around.

If you want to practice what you preach about healthy living, you might want to join in a race or two just so your kids can see you leading by example.

Frisbee

Playing Frisbee can be a lot of fun for the whole family. It is a simple game to play, and all it requires is one item, a Frisbee!

Although these are made of plastic they last for years and can be passed on to other families when your children grow up.

Beanbag Ladder Toss

This is so easy to create at home. Take a ladder from the garage or shed.

Add labels to each rung with a number of points to be gained from it.

Have a basket full of beanbags and take turns tossing them onto the different rungs to earn points.

It couldn’t be simpler and has no negative effect on your environment.

Whatever games your kids decide to play outside, make sure to help your kids remember to stay hydrated and try not to let them play outside during the hottest times of the day.