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Giant Yard Games are the ‘Must Have’ Gift for Kids This Year!

Want to get your kids off screens this summer? I’ve found a way that keeps on working at our house… Giant Yard Games! It’s a fantastic way to get the kids out of the house and in the backyard, park or beach foreshore for a picnic!

If you want to get them playing games and interacting with other people rather than being on screens this summer, then this is the way to start! We’ve road tested some over the last few months and well as being awesome fun for kids, us adults have thoroughly enjoyed them too! This Christmas we are investing in giant yard games for the kids… and er… for us!

Kids LOVE Giant Yard Games

It’s true!! We were first introduced to giant yard games at Victoria Park Golf Complex (side note, love it there – you should go soon!) Not only do they have a fantastic FREE playground for kids (read more about that here), but they also have giant yard games that the kids can play with for free too! On weekends, as well as a free jumping castle, they have giant chess, giant connect four, giant scrabble and giant jenga! For real. Our kids got hooked, so I’ve been researching up a storm to find our kids something for our back yard that they will use time and again. But what to choose?

Giant Bowling Pins

Giant Yard games for kids

We bought a smaller version of this a few years back and set it up on the driveway for Christmas! Oh the fun we had!! Strikes, spares and ‘gutter balls’ (when the bowling ball went into the grass) were all part of the fun. The kids kept score and it become a numeracy lesson without them even realising. I love this rainbow bowling pins set that I found.

Giant Jenga

Giant Yard Games - Giant Jenga

I am not going to lie to you. I think I have already made my mind up and decided on this giant wooden jenga game. The kids love the version at Victoria Park so much that we bought the table top version… but they were less than excited with the smaller counterpart. I honestly think that this is the game we will be choosing this year! but I like the pine version, I think. It will be a hit with the kids on Christmas Day and beyond at BBQ’s with our family! You can see a variety of versions here,

Giant Connect Four

giant yard games - connect four

Then again…. giant connect four is another family favourite. We have the smaller version of this too. When we played the larger version at a school fete, the kids love running around the game and looking at it from their opponents ‘side’ to get another ‘point of view’. So we’re pleased… they are playing AND getting exercise! Check out these Connect Four games here.

Giant Chess for Kids

Giant Yard Games for kids

Giant Chess is a great games that all of our kids love. We’ve played it a few times now and they do tend to play it more like ‘checkers’ though, but the plan is as they get older to remind them of the rules that they were taught and encourage them to play ‘properly’. For now we just let them play it ‘their way’ and they love it. You can find the giant Chess game we love here.

So… I am not entirely sure what I will get. The kids DO love both the jenga and the scrabble… I am going to have to decide very soon though if I want it in time the BIG DAY!

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Janine Mergler

Janine Mergler is a veteran Queensland teacher, graduating from QUT with a BEd majoring in Social Sciences. After many years in the classroom, Janine moved on to academia. She has proudly trained new generations of teachers in her role as a lecturer at Queensland University of Technology Faculty of Education. She has also worked in the Queensland Government as an education specialist, developing education resources and delivering community awareness programs to help families conserve water. Currently she is the owner and editor of Families Magazine, a publication specifically targeted at parents who value a quality education for children.  Janine leads a team of professionals who write about family lifestyle, early childhood, schools and education information and family-friendly events.

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