One of the things we love to do with our family is to plan outdoor game nights. When the weather is getting warmer and the evenings are getting longer, we plan these nights often. It offers our family an opportunity to bond and connect during the business of life.

What is an Outdoor Family Game Night?

An outdoor family game night is an event where we plan to eat outside, play outside games, and sometimes watch a movie to finish off the evening. It is the perfect opportunity for our large family to connect with each other, have fun, and work off any stress we may be experiencing.

When do we plan an Outdoor Game Night?

When the weather is nice outside, we plan to have an outdoor game night at least twice per month. We generally have a family movie night once a week and so we just simply turn one of those nights into a game night instead.

As I am doing our large family schedule, I am putting it on our calendar for the week. I usually try to do this when I am doing the grocery shopping so that whoever is in charge of the planning can place the order for the food they will need.

Who does the planning?

This is the fun part! A lot of times we as the parents think we need to plan everything in order for it to happen. I have found this is not the case and my children love to do the planning, so they have a say in what happens.

I talked about this concept in our Large Family Budget post, but I like to create events at home. It is much easier on the budget and it gives everyone something to look forward too.

It does require some thinking ahead because you need to put it on the calendar so you can purchase any necessary supplies needed to host the event and give everyone a chance to look forward to it. Promoting your game night is key to its success!

I usually pick one person to plan what we are going to do and what we are going to eat. I give them a small budget to work with and let them run with it. For example, I may give them a $25 budget to get what they need to feed everyone. This is an expense I already have allocated in our grocery budget because these kids expect to be fed every evening!

I encourage them to look around the house and use things we already have to plan the activities or games.

Who participates in the family game night?

Everyone participates in the outdoor game night even if they can’t play. People to be in the audience and a cheering section is needed to make this evening successful too! So, from the youngest to the oldest, there is something to be enjoyed.

When we were foster parents, I noticed that the best way to get to know a child was through play. There was something about the connection it creates when we are doing an activity together. This was a lesson I’ve never forgotten and one of the reasons everyone participates in outdoor game nights.

This is also a great event to invite extended family or even friends too. It’s an easy and simple way to make memories TOGETHER!

Why are outdoor game nights so much fun?

Outdoor game nights are fun because everyone gets to experience a variety of experiences. In my POST about homeschooling with the five senses, I talk about how we use our senses to make memories with our children. Outdoor game night is a great path to making that happen.

There is an opportunity for so many of their senses to be awakened. The sights of the games being played, the smells of food being cooked or grilled, and the feel of touching the ball or whatever activities are being played. It all comes together and creates a great memory.

Why do parents love outdoor game nights?

So, I have a lot of goals in life but two of my most important are:

• To be a good mom
• To wear my children out

What I love about outdoor game nights is that both of those goals are met. I have found that playing outside wears a child out better than anything else and so this is a fantastic opportunity for them to tire themselves out right before bed. It’s perfect!

Plus, this is a time for me to pay attention to what my child is doing well. For example, are they running really fast or are they hitting the ball really far? These are opportunities for me to recognize and praise them for working hard and doing a good job.

How many times do I have to tell you this? Teaching your child to listen.

A Parent’s Guide to Teaching Your Child How to Listen

What does an outdoor family game night look like?

When you are planning your event, think party! What kind of things will make your family excited? Music? Balloons? Water play? Let me tell you how it generally looks for us.

This is what our outdoor game nights look like:

• Music
• Games
• Food
• More Games
• Movie

Music

Music always sets the tone for whatever it is that you are doing. Generally, Sam, age 16, is in charge of the playlist and he gets everything started with his choices. We have a portable Bluetooth speaker that we hook up to our phone or tablet and just take it outside with us. Simple and easy!

Games

We always start off will a game or two. These are usually a quick game of tag, frisbee, or an obstacle course. We like to start off with something quick and simple just to get everyone moving and the party started.

Food

I like to try and plan food that smells good. I know that sounds silly but over the years I have noticed that smells bring back memories for me and I want to give the same experiences for my children. For us there are three ways of doing this:

• Barbecue Grill
• Smoker
• Roasting (over an open fire)

Barbecue Grill

Smoker

The meat options make wonderful sandwiches and offer easy clean up too. You could buy some simple sides like chips or potato salad. Or you could even turn it into a baked potato bar by adding a variety of toppings.

Roasting

For the burritos and the pizza pockets, I set out a food bar with a bunch of toppings and had them build their own. Then we wrapped it in aluminum foil and set it close to the fire. Just a tip, watch it closely or they will get really toasty.

More Games

After we eat, then we go crazy playing games. We will play whatever the person in charge has planned but we will plan to play several different games. Some may be really short, and some may be a bit longer. Here is a list of games we do:

The list could go on forever!

We love to change the rules or mash up two different games to make it more challenging and interesting! It’s fun to see them be creative and come up with their own stuff. They have very active imaginations, let them use it!

Movie

Sometimes we end the evening with a movie and sometimes we don’t. This can be very beneficial if your child needs some time to calm down after the excitement of the games. We do have the option of an outdoor movie but sometimes we do it inside it just depends on what everyone is up for.

Make Memories

At the end of the day, our children remember the time spent with them and how we invested in their lives. This is a simple way to let them know we love them and we care enough to have fun with them. These types of nights are not in vain and will be imprinted in their memory bank for a long time! Give it a try and let me know how it goes! We have an outdoor game night scheduled for this week. I’m looking forward to it!

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