Active family games

Give one player on each team a water squirter filled with water and the other player a plastic cup and Ping-Pong ball, then have them stand six feet apart. At "Go," the player with the bottle tries to squirt enough water into her teammate's cup to float out the ball. Set up a water bucket nearby for refills during play.

This backyard game is great practice for real-life bowling alleys. Click here for instructions on making and using this family game for older kids.

If lousy weather is producing a bumper crop of couch potatoes around your house, try injecting some movement into your family's day with a classic exercise: jumping jacks. Even better, a good cardio workout can "help control blood sugar and mood, and balance your energy," says Pire. To experience it for yourself, try these jumping jack games with your kids. Compete to see who can complete the most!

By Nicole Harris Updated May 12, Pin More. Round up the entire family for these 13 backyard games, which provide entertainment for parents and kids alike. Start Slideshow. Girl in field of balls with dog. Credit: Photograph by Kim Lowe. Kids Swimming in Pools. Mother and son playing tug-of-war.

Credit: Image Source. Target game shot. Most of these games are Minute To Win it games, but we don't take it very seriously the part who wins or loses. It's all about the fun! By now, you have probably seen those viral videos on the internet of people wearing a mouth re-tractor and trying to say words so others can try to guess what they are saying. You can get the printable phrase cards here. Super simple, yet pretty genius game where not so perfect drawing comes in handy.

It's like a broken telephone game, only this time is in drawing. Draw what you see then guess what you saw for hilarious and unpredictable outcomes. Get the printable files and instructions here. You will need: orange or tennis ball or an apple and nylons. Put the orange in the nylons and put it on your head. Challenge: Bounce balloons depending on the age and abilities at the same time with your hands without them falling on the floor. It's one of our favorite games that we played during our family reunion.

Challenge: Place it on the upper cheek and using your facial muscles get that piece of chocolate in your mouth. And eat it! Don't use hands. Challenge: Get the penne noodles on the spaghetti. Without your hands. Only using your mouth.

You will need: at least 2 toilet paper rolls, long stick, chairs, rubber bands, 2 empty plastic water bottles with lids. Put toilet paper rolls on the stick and hang the ends on the chairs or let family members hold it. Get empty water bottle, open the top, put a sheet of toilet paper roll and put the top back on. Let the bottle hang. Using rubber bands and and paper "bombs" shoot the toilet paper until it rips and falls together with the bottle.

Then practice taking shots from different spots. You can even introduce a game of Horse or Pig. Running Through the Forest. Take the kids on an imaginary adventure in which they must run, skip and crawl in place. Pretend together that you are running through a forest. When you come upon a branch, duck. When you reach a log, jump. When you find a pond, get in and swim. When you meet a lion, run fast!

Together create your imaginative adventure and get moving. Maze Game. Create a checkerboard pattern on the floor — either with pillows, washi tape or paper — with a start corner square and opposite exit corner square. This game is a great way to practice your acting skills. This BINGO idea can be tweaked into the perfect fun family game for when you do feel like going out of the house! Take a Hint. You can give hints, but only have one chance to guess the word correctly.

How Do You Doo. This game is similar to Name that Tune, except you take turns seeing how many songs you can get your team to guess in 5 minutes. Movie ID. You might find yourself playing it more than once! As a side note, it might be fun to add some prizes for the winners! Hang Man. This is a classic family game that many of you have probably already played, but it never gets old.

For example, many car rides in our family have been filled with hangman, but we never grow tired of playing it! Additionally, you can always make it more interesting by adding rules like, if you guess a wrong letter, you have to do a silly task or challenge. Firstly, choose a category and have each player write things that fit the category on slips of paper that you will put into a pile. Split into 2 teams. After that, set the timer for 1 minute and each player tries to get their team to guess as many slips of paper as possible.

Players have 1 pass per round. If they pass; however, the paper goes back in the pile. Alternate between teams until all of the papers are gone. Teams get 1 point per correctly guessed slip. The team with the highest score wins!

Sound effects allowed. No actions. Reverse Charades. This game is perfect because you act as a group and one person is responsible for guessing the correct answer! First, grab some paper slips. After that, have everyone write down a few things to act out. If your teammate guesses correctly before the timer runs out, you get a point! What If? Finally, once everyone has had a turn, you will open the paper and read it from start to finish!

Who is Telling the Truth? The mismatched responses make it hilarious! The goal of the game is to try and figure out who the members of the mafia are without knowing who you can trust — and before they murder you! Plus, you get to wear costumes for that one! Tech-Free Games. There are plenty of included drawing, writing, and paper folding prompts on this list.

Not to mention, these ideas could be used again and again and again. These fun family games will take you back to your college days or maybe even your elementary years. Hot Lava. Playing it as a family game is a blast. For even more fun, you could follow up this game by building a pillow or blanket fort. Monsters in the Dark. When we were little, we would play hide and go seek all the time, but it was often at night.

Whenever the person seeking got close to the person hiding, the hiding person would jump up and scare the seeker! It was terrifying, but we would always end up giggling. In the same vein, you can now create your own memories by playing this fun version with your own family!

Additionally, you could follow up this game by doing shadow puppets. The Greatest Game in the Universe. First, send three people out of the room. For example, a ballerina with a kite in the salon.

That person will act out who it was. Similarly, it will be acted out. It is hilarious to see how it changes with each reenactment! Two Truths and a Lie. First, state 3 things about yourself, but only 2 can be true. After that, see if the other players can guess which statement is a lie. Everyone will learn more about each other! Best of all, no supplies are needed!