STRUGGLING to fill the long summer holiday days?
Garden games are a lifesaver for tired parents.
But all you need are some household items to keep the kids busy for hours . . .
ROLL IT OUT: Transform empty plastic bottles into a bowling alley in your garden, if you have one.
Gather ten bottles, fill them partially with water or sand for stability, and set them up in a triangle formation. Use any balls you have, whether for tennis or football.
The kids will love trying to knock down all the pins, and you can keep score.
RING IN A WIN: For this classic game, all you need are paper plates and an old cardboard tube or stick.
Cut out the centre of each plate to create a ring, and stand the tube or stick upright in the garden.
The game is to toss the rings on to the target from distance.
You can add different point values, depending on how far away the rings are thrown from.
TREASURE HUNT: Turn a walk around the garden into an adventure, with a scavenger hunt.
Create a list of items already in the garden for the kids to find.
Or get them to use a camera or phone to photograph the items on their list.
WASH AWAY PLAY: The Works has a bucket of colourful jumbo chalk for £2 — and kids can draw their own noughts-and-crosses game or hopscotch.
Or draw a giant maze on your patio.
And the best bit is that you can then just wash it away with a garden hose or wet rag.
WAT-ER GOOD IDEA: While the sunny weather holds, use the paddling pool to full advantage if you have one.
Throw toys in the water and get kids to do their best to scoop out the most toys they can in under a minute.
With a little planning the night before, you can also enjoy a bit of sensory play.
Collect plastic toys and freeze them in water in containers, then turn out the ice shapes in the garden and the kids can use toy hammers to retrieve their toys.
- All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability.
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