If you haven’t worked it out already, we love board games dearly here at Eeny Meeny. While board games can seem like autumnal or winter fare and something to cosy up with when the weather is cold, there’s no reason to reserve these fun opportunities for colder months! We also stock a lovely range of large-scale board games and outdoor games that you can take onto the garden grass, to the park, or even to the seaside when summer comes around. Here’s a run down of our two favourite types: giant games and lawn games.
Giant games
There’s something particularly nostalgic about large versions of classic childhood games. These are also particularly great for taking outdoors, as they’re hardier, and much harder to loose! Firstly we love this giant 4 in a row game from Egmont Toys. This family favourite is a lovely introduction to strategy games for younger children, and is sure to have many, many rounds of play. Made to last and great for younger pre-school hands, as the pieces are larger than the typical four in a row. This one is also great for fine motor control, critical thinking and planning!
Finally, we love these marbles. Great for rolling as they are, but a brilliant open-ended toy to create lots of games from! Add chalk and you have hundreds of different games to play with just one toy! We love this blog post for providing lots of ideas to prompt little ones with, but they’re sure to make up their own too.
Lawn games
Our other love when it comes to outdoor games is lawn games. Designed typically for grassy areas, these are ideal for your local park, or garden if you have one.
Quoits are a great game for those new to lawn games, or those with smaller hands! We love this easy-clean silicone set from Scrunch. Light weight and durable, this eco-friendly set is great to take on the go. Little ones are sure to pick up the rules quickly - but can just as easily design their own games with the open-ended hoops and ball. Great for family gatherings, parties, or play dates!
For older children, this beautifully made diabolo set is sure to conjure up visions of circus performers. With so many skills to master, this game really does keep giving. Rolling, balancing, switching between sides and so much more, this is sure to be a popular game for little ones every time the weather warms up. This one is also wonderful for hand eye coordination and manual dexterity. It’s easy to clean too, which is a real winner if left outside!
Finally, this lovely eco-friendly kids bowling set is a great game for the outdoors. Best used on a harder surface (dry grass, patio or pavement away from a road is ideal), bowling is a fab activity to practice counting, hand-eye coordination and all important physical development skills. These are also beautifully made and will make a wonderful addition to your play or outdoor space!
Happy playing!
We hope these playful games give you plenty of opportunity to get outdoors this summer. Happy playing!
Emily Hanson
Freelance Writer, Education and Play Specialist
