Looking for fun summer games at home? Check out these 85 summer games that you can enjoy indoors or in your backyard that are perfect for everyone.
Now that the summer holidays are here, both kids and parents are looking for simple summer games at home that are both relaxing and fun. Thankfully, there’s no shortage of ways to amuse yourself and your family without splurging or having to go out of your home. We have compiled a list of 85 activities and summer games to play at home that offer a good workout to both your body and mind.
1. Splash In An Inflatable Pool
The most obvious choice for a summer game at home is to have a fun day in an inflatable pool. You can either invest in a big pool that you can lay out in your backyard or a smaller one fit for patios. If you don’t want to spend money on a pool, you can simply fill up your bathtub with lots of toys and let your kid go enjoy themself.
2. Obstacle Course
This is a creative and fun summer game to play at home. Encourage your child to build their obstacle course (you can help out, of course) using random objects around the house. Turn it into a race and offer a grand prize to increase the stakes and the fun and competition.
3. Charades
This summer game to play at home is incredibly amusing without being physically taxing. Divide your group into two or more teams (if it’s just two people, you just play against each other). Take turns silently acting out clues while your teammates shout their guesses before the timer runs out. The team with the most correct guesses wins!
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4. Indoor Bowling
This is an easy summer game at home that you can do with or without many people. You can buy mini bowling sets and roll weighted balls at small white jacks in your living room. You can even substitute by using any heavy ball and some small water bottles.
5. Origami
If you are looking for a more relaxing summer game at home, origami might be a great option for patient and artsy kids. All you need are some colored paper and a pair of scissors; you can find various origami patterns on the internet and on YouTube.
6. Treasure Hunt
Organize an elaborate treasure hunt in and around your house. You can create cryptic clues, maps, and riddles to make the hunt challenging yet fun for your children. To take it to the next level, have a theme (pirate, robbers, tomb raider, etc.) and encourage your children to dress up for the occasion.
7. Football Toss
This is a simple summer game to play at home with siblings and friends. First, purchase or make a football toss board at home. Then, play with your children to toss the football at the targets. The player who gets the most points wins.
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8. Hide And Seek
This is a classic summer game at home for the slow days of the school holiday. Simply choose one person to close their eyes and count down while the others find a hiding place. The first one to be found becomes the next seeker.
9. Build A Fort
You can channel your inner architect with this fun summer game at home. Build a fort in your bedroom or living room using blankets, pillows, and other household objects. You can even decorate using lights and soft toys and have a slumber party inside your fort.
10. Legos
Building Legos and building blocks is a great way to pass the time on a summer day. For even more fun and adventure, you can purchase special Lego sets that resemble iconic movie memorabilia or landmarks.
11. Camp In
Like building a fort, this fun game to do in the summer at home allows you to have a camping experience without the heat and insects. Transform your living room into a “camp” by pitching a blanket fort, roasting marshmallows (over pretend flames!), and telling spooky stories by flashlight.
12. Bubbles
This is an amusing and chill way of spending a summer afternoon. You can easily purchase bubble wands and solutions in any convenience store. If you run out, simply make a bubble solution with water, dish soap, and glycerin.
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13. Homemade Ice Cream
This is a great summer game at home that is fun to do and has amazing results. Split your family or friends into groups and make a competition of which group can make the most unique and tastiest homemade ice creams. This is a messy and delightful way to liven up a summer day.
14. Lemonade Stand
Encourage your child to make some lemonade and open up a stand in your backyard. This is a great opportunity to teach your children about money while they enjoy themselves thoroughly. You can even call on neighbors and friends to enrich the experience.
15. Outdoor Restaurant
This is one of the summer games at home that will never go out of style. Have your children open a make-believe restaurant in your house or backyard. They can make pretend dishes and serve them to “guests.”
16. Hair Salon
This is a great way to let your child’s inner fashionista shine. Open up a salon and style each other’s hair in funky styles with different accessories. Just remember to hide the scissors to avoid any mishaps and accidents.
17. Riddles
If you want something to exercise your kid’s brain, consider telling the riddles as a summer game to play at home. Add a timer or incorporate it into a game to make it less tedious. You can even pretend to be the troll from Three Billy Goats Gruff.
18. Puzzle Race
This is another challenging option for summer games at home. Get two puzzles of the same number of pieces and race out who can complete the puzzle first. You can do this individually or in groups for even more fun.
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19. Clay Projects
Playdough and clay can come in handy when looking for summer games at home. You can either have a summer clay competition and mold your favorite animal, funny faces, or random objects. You can even stretch the clay project all summer long by gradually building a mini-clay world.
20. Create A Play
Like the timeless sisters from Little Women, your kids can write and act out a play with their siblings and friends. They can then show their creation to a small gathering of parents to show support.
21. Jewellery Making
This is a summer activity for kids and adults who like dainty handiwork. Using colorful beads, shells, loom bands, and other materials, you can make unique and personalized jewelry for yourself and your loved ones.
22. Water Blob
Incorporate some coolness into a hot summer day with this fun summer game to play at home. Grab a big sheet of plastic sheeting and some duct tape and craft giant water pillows, leaving a small opening for a hose to fill them with water. Set them up in your yard for your kids to hop from blob to blob.
23. Slip ‘n Slide
This is another water-based summer game at home. To make this, all you need is a plastic tarp and a garden hose to create a slippery slide to help you cool down and have fun on a summer day.
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24. Kite Flying
This is a fun summer activity that can be enjoyed in two parts. First, take the time to let your creativity shine and build a kite with your child. Then, you can spend the afternoon with them and fly your kite in your backyard (all the better if you have a large backyard)
25. Bubble Gum Bubble Blowing Contest
All you need for this summer game at home are some willing contestants and bubble gum. The game is simply to see who can blow the largest bubble without it popping.
26. Have A Water Balloon Baseball Game
If you are willing to get wet and messy, this is a very fun summer game to play at home. All you need is some water balloons, a plastic bat, and some old towels to mark your bases.
27. Have A Water Gun Race
This is a very competitive summer game to play at home. To do this, make small holes at the bottom of some plastic cups and thread string through them. Tie the string between a starting point and a finish line. To play, shoot water through squirt guns to propel their cups along the string as fast as you can.
28. Hula Hoop Contest.
This is a more physical option for fun summer games at home. Hold a competition to see who of your friends or family can hula the longest without stopping or dropping the hoop.
29. Jump Rope
This is a great summer game to play at home with your friends or family. You can either jump rope solo or team up with someone to jump together with a larger rope. You can add to the childish whimsy by singing nursery rhymes as you do.
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30. Miniature Golf
You don’t need to splurge on a miniature golf arena to have some golf fun. Just dig a few small holes in your backyard, stick some mini flags, and get golfing with your friends and family.
31. Play Outside In The Rain
Sometimes, you don’t need to have big, elaborate games and toys to have fun on a summer day. An age-old summer game at home is to just play in the summer rain and enjoy the grounded experience by smelling the rain and splashing in puddles.
32. Backyard Camping
If you come across a cool summer night, consider pitching up a tent and having a backyard camping session with your kids. You can bring out your sleeping bags and sleep under the stars with your children, creating unforgettable memories.
33. Have A Bonfire
The summer holidays would be incomplete without enjoying at least one bonfire at night. Just like the previously mentioned “pretend bonfire,” roast marshmallows and sausages over the bonfire, exchange stories and anecdotes amongst each other, and just enjoy being in each other’s company.
34. Stargazing/Constellation-Watching
This is another nighttime summer game to play at home. All you need is a blanket and, if you have it, a small telescope. This can be a great learning opportunity for kids to learn about stars, constellations, their histories, and the myths that are tied to science.
35. Backward Day Game
This summer game at home is exactly how it sounds- dedicate a whole day with your kids to doing things “backward.” You can walk backward, wear clothes backward, talk in Pig Latin, and do more silly things like that.
36. Monopoly
Board games are classic and fun games to do in the summer at home. Monopoly is one of the most popular options for this. While there is a learning curve for this game, especially for younger kids, the good times and competition that would follow are worth it.
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37. Capture The Flag
This is a great summer game at home for those with a large house and backyard. It is a friendly competition in which you can play with friends, family, and neighbors by dividing groups into two teams. The object of the game is to steal the other team’s flag and successfully bring it to your team’s territory without being caught in the enemy territory.
38. Tag
Classic tag is the perfect summer game to play at home, as all you need are some friends and some energy. Choose one person to be “it” and let the chase begin – you can run around your garden or even your house, but be careful not to knock anything over.
39. Hopscotch
This age-old fun summer game at home is a great way of passing the time as a child on a boring summer day. Just draw a grid of squares on your pavement with some chalk. Then, toss a stone to land on a specific square and try to hop the entire course on one foot without stepping on a line or landing in the wrong spot.
40. Sardines
This summer game to play at home is a twist on hide-and-seek. The rules are simple – one player hides, and then the rest searches. Whoever finds them piles in with the hider. The game continues until everyone’s crammed together, just like a can of sardines.
41. Keepy Uppy
This is an easy and fun summer game at home involving a balloon and a lot of patience. The name was popularized for the hit kids’ show Bluey, in which the goal of the game is to pass a balloon between players without letting it touch the ground.
42. Don’t Drop The Ball
Similar to Keepy Uppy, this fun summer game to play at home involves passing around a regular ball between two or more players without letting it hit the ground. You can move around in a circle or around the garden to add more challenge to the game.
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43. Hungry Snake
This summer game at home only calls for a jump rope and some willing players. Players form a circle with one friend, the “snake,” holding the rope in the center. The snake spins, whipping the rope around like a slithering tail. Everyone else hops over it, but if you get touched by the rope, you’re out!
44. Monkey In The Middle
While typically done with a normal ball, update this summer game at home for a hot day and use a water balloon or beach ball. To do this, two players stand facing each other while a third “monkey” stands in the middle. The other players try to throw the ball back and forth, aiming to avoid the monkey catching it. If the monkey catches it, they switch places with the player who threw the ball.
45. Musical Chairs
This is a perfect summer game to play at home if you’re having a party or simply need a pickup. Arrange some chairs in a circle (one less than the number of players), play some music, and dance around the chairs. Once the music stops, the players must sit on the chair, with the standing player excluded from the game. Remove another chair and repeat until only one is left sitting.
46. Duck Duck Goose
Incorporate some water into the classic game more suited for summer. As a summer game at home, have one player sit blindfolded in the center, tapping a water balloon on the ground and saying “duck, duck, goose.” while others sun in a circle. When the tapper yells, “Drenched Duck!” They throw the balloon at a player who must dive for cover. The first soaked player becomes the next tapper.
47. Dance Party
This is another example of not needing any elaborate games and toys. If you need to release some energy on a summer day, turn up the music and dance to your heart’s content.
48. Balloon Tennis
This fun game to do in the summer at home is a more relaxed version of actual tennis, substituting a tennis ball and racket with balloons and paper plates. See who can keep the balloon bouncing the longest, or challenge your opponent with trick shots. This summer game is both fun and easy to learn.
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49. Touch And Feel Boxes
This summer game at home is for the days you want to spice up with a little curiosity and fun. Take a few boxes and fill them with random objects. Tell your child to put their hand in the boxes and guess what’s inside.
50. I Spy
Suitable for a summer day at home or a car ride, this summer game at home is for the lazy days. The rules of the game are simple, “I spy something…” and provide a clue to something you see in your environment. Your kids or loved ones must guess what it is and vice versa.
51. Balance Beam
If you want to practice your balance, turn it into a fun summer game to play at home. Stick a long piece of tape on your driveway or patio and test your skills by walking heel-to-toe, trying fancy poses, or even balancing objects like beanbags.
52. Tape Maze
Take using tape for summer games at home one step further and create a twisting maze with tape. Add dead ends and shortcuts for extra adventure, and encourage your kids to navigate the maze with their friends.
53. Sock Basketball
You don’t need a professional basketball hoop for this summer game to play at home. Simply ball up some socks, grab a laundry basket as your hoop, and challenge your kids to see who can score the most throws.
54. Sock Bean Bag Toss
This is another summer twist on a classic game. Fill clean socks with dried beans or rice to create beanbags. Grab a laundry basket or bucket for each player, set them a few feet apart, and toss your beanbag socks into the opposing basket!
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55. Hot Potato
This is a fun summer game to play at home that involves something to throw around and some music. Blast some music and toss around the “hot potato” toy or ball in a circle as quickly as possible. When the music stops, whoever’s holding the “potato” is out.
56. Car Painting
No, you don’t have to paint your actual car at home during this summer game. Take some of your kids’ toy cars and give them a makeover with acrylic paint and different accessories. This is a great option for creative kids with nothing to do at home.
57. Car Races
Another summer game to play at home involving cars is quite simple. Simply assign all the players their toy cars, pick them off at one at the start line, and see who comes first. You can even use the toy cars that you painted yourself.
58. Floor Is Lava
This is a classic summer game at home that only requires a little imagination. Arrange your kid’s bedroom or living room floor with pillows, tables, and chairs scattered around. Then, you have to pretend the floor is lava and jump around the pillows and furniture without touching the floor.
59. Simon Says
This is a great summer game to play at home for kids and adults alike. One appointed Simon calls out instructions like “Touch your toes” or “Jump up high.” However, players can only follow the instructions if it starts with “Simon says…”. Those who act without hearing the full phrase are out.
60. Colour & Number Hunts
This is the ideal summer game at home for toddlers – especially if you want to teach them about colors, shapes, and numbers during the summer break. You have to instruct your child to find something in a particular shape, color, or with a particular number, and your child has to scavenge the house for objects that fit your description.
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61. Dominos
While this is a classic and fun game to do in the summer at home, you will need some domino tiles, which you can either buy or print off from the internet. Players take turns matching the ends of their dominoes to the tiles already played. The first player to empty their hand wins!
62. Domino chain
For this summer game at home featuring dominos, you might need to invest in the real thing. Then, you Strategically line up the dominoes, each tile carefully balanced. When you flick off the first piece, you can watch the chain topple satisfyingly.
63. Uno
This popular summer game at home is perfect all year round whenever you have a few friends around. The gist of the game is simple – players race to discard their hands by matching colors or numbers on a central pile. But you must be strategic as there are special cards to skip turns, reverse play order, or force opponents to draw cards. Yell “Uno!” when you have just one card left, and the first player to empty their hand wins.
64. Chutes and ladders
Also known as Snakes and Ladders, this nostalgic childhood game is perfect for a hot summer day. While commonly done with a board and some pieces, you can even create a life-size version in your backyard for your children to play with your friends.
65. Twister
This is a great summer game at home to test your flexibility and balance. Gather your siblings or friends, unfurl the colorful mat, and spin the spinner, calling out hand and foot placements. The last player still on the mat without losing balance wins.
66. Trivia games
This summer game at home is excellent for the whole family to test their knowledge on their favorite topics or even each other. You can have a grand prize and themes and even elevate the contest by adding challenges such as rapid-fire rounds.
67. Pictionary
This is a very common option for family game nights. You have to divide your group into two teams, pick a chit from an owl of suggestions, and draw it on a board so that your team can guess what it is. The team with the most points wins.
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68. Marbles
True to its name, this summer game to play at home requires only some marbles and friends. Players take turns using a “shooter” marble to knock opponents’ marbles out of a designated circle. The last player with marbles remaining is the winner.
69. Beetle
This fun game to do in the summer at home is a lighthearted activity that requires no skill at all. The objective is to complete a cartoon beetle by rolling the dice and collecting its body parts – head, eyes, legs, and all.
70. Hangman
This fun summer game to play at home is a popular word-guessing challenge. In Hangman, one player picks a secret word while others try to guess it letter by letter. Each wrong guess adds a body part to the hangman. Guess the word before the poor stick figure gets “hanged.”
71. Tic-tac-toe
This is a great idea for a summer game at home to play when you have a little free time. Grab a pen and paper and draw a 3✕3 square grid. Take turns marking Xs and Os to claim squares. The first to connect three in a row, either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, wins.
72. War/battle
This is an exciting card summer game to play at home which depends purely on luck. In this fast-paced game, Draw cards, reveal them one by one, and see whose card holds the highest power. Capture your opponent’s cards with higher ranks, and the player with the most cards at the end is the winner.
73. Crazy Eights
This is a summer card game that contains an element of surprise. Everyone gets a secret pile of cards, and the object is to get rid of yours first to win. Play a card that matches the number or color of the face-up card in the discard pile. But watch out for the “Shifter” cards! These wild eights let you change the color everyone has to play next, adding a twist to the game.
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74. Rat Slap
This fun game to play in the summer at home also features cards, but it is played lightning fast. In this fast-paced summer game, players race to spot matching pairs or specific card sequences. To win, you must be the first to slap the discard pile when you see them and claim the growing stack.
75. Spoons
This is another game that relies on reflexes and strategy that is great to play with friends and family. Each player races to collect four-of-a-kind while cards fly around the table. The first to grab a spoon from the center is safe, but everyone else must scramble for a remaining spoon as fast as possible. The player left empty-handed gets a letter towards “SPOONS.”
76. Alphabet game
This Summer Games for Home is a great test for your vocabulary, especially for young children. To play, you must pick a category like “foods” or “animals.” Players then take turns racing to name something in that category that starts with the next letter of the alphabet.
77. Twenty questions
Quite similar to I Spy, this fun summer game to play at home is not exhausting but very amusing. One player picks a secret person, place, or thing. Others take turns asking yes-or-no questions to narrow it down. With only 20 questions, you must use the clues you collected and guess the secret object.
78. Telephone/Chinese dragon
This Summer Games for Home is ideal for groups of 3 or more people. You must stand in a chain and the first person must whisper a secret message to the person next to them. This message gets whispered through the chain until the last person reveals what they heard. Chances are, it’s not at all what the first person said.
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79. Two Truths and a Lie
This is a summer game at home that is perfect as an icebreaker for parties and family gatherings. Each player shares three statements about themselves – two true and one a complete fabrication. The other players must guess which statement is the lie.
80. Truth or Dare
This Summer Games for Home list would be incomplete without the most universally loved (and feared) game. The rules are simple – each player must either choose truth, where they answer their friends’ (often embarrassing ) questions truthfully, or dare, where you must do a silly task assigned by your friends.
81. Talent show
Get your kids to put their talents or skills on display with this fun summer game to play at home. Get them to dress up and use props, and the parents can either spectate or be judges and score the kids’ talents.
82. Water fight
This fun game to do in the summer at home is ideal for a hot day. Just run outside with your kids and let the whole family throw water balloons at each other and drench one another with hoses, squirt guns, and buckets. No winners and losers, just refreshing fun.
83. Backyard Olympics
In celebration of the Summer Olympics, invite some friends, family, and neighbors to join in these summer games for home. Choose goofy games or classic favorites like water balloon toss, sack races, or an obstacle course. Award points for speed and creativity, and maybe even present an award for the silliest competitor.
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84. Have a picnic
A great way to spend time with your family is to have a picnic, even in your backyard. Add a little creativity to the activity by making the picnic a game of pretend and making the spread as creative as possible.
85. Reading Club
This Summer Games for Home is for the competitive bookworms at home. Instead of holding a regular discussion, create challenges based on the story. This can include trivia, debates, playing the devil’s advocate, having costume contests, and creating alternative endings for the chosen book.
Final Words
So there you have it: 85 fantastic ideas to keep your summer days jam-packed with joy and fun for both adults and kids. Remember, the best games are the ones that spark laughter, build memories, and create moments of pure summer magic. When trying out these Summer Games for Home, don’t be afraid to experiment and add your creative twist.
