In the summer there’s nothing better to do than play games outside. If your kid’s birthday is coming up in the summer there’s no excuse for not turning their birthday party into an outdoor party. Outdoor games are the perfect excuse to let the kids get a little exercise while all the parents get the chance to soak up some sun.

The following is an overview of some popular games available to hire and buy from kids party suppliers and toy shops.

Many pubs have recently renovated or bought new gardens for their premises which are enjoyed by children and adults alike. Many pubs have invested in giant board games for play outside with overly large pieces which are easy to handle when inebriated or if you are a young child.

Recognising that these games would be great for parties, many companies have also started business hiring these games. As these games don’t contain any small parts they are also suitable for children of all ages to play.

• Jenga was one of the first games to get the giant game treatment and can be found in many beer gardens throughout Britain. Giant Jenga plays in exactly the same way as the original sized version with players taking turns to remove bricks from the tower and then place them back on the top of the pile until one player knocks the whole pile over.
• Connect Four is another popular game that has been super-sized. Players drop large counters into a grid and try to make a connected line of four whilst blocking the other player’s attempts. As the grid and the counters are much larger and more visible its fun for people to watch and shout out hints to help players out.
• Giant Twister is similar to other giant games but can accommodate many more players. The playing area is much larger than the traditional twister mat but the coloured spots are still the same size. This means that a lot more players can take part and compete for space.

Lawn games have been popular for some time in Britain. Many lawn games are scaled down versions of games which usually require a whole pitch to play.

• Lawn Darts is a simple game that children of all ages can play that is loosely based on traditional pub darts. Plastic rings are set out on the floor to use as targets which are positioned about 20 feet from where the player launches their darts. Players throw the darts under arm and try to get the weighted tip to land within the target to score points. Although children of all ages can play lawn darts it is recommended that young children are supervised at all times whilst playing.
• Quoits is one of the oldest and most popular of all lawn games. Like most lawn games the secret of its success resides in its simplicity, making it perfect for people of all ages to enjoy a game. Players set down a small wooden cross with a peg on each side and one in the middle which players aim the hoop shaped quoits over. Whoever can land the most quoits on the pegs wins!

Boules is another simple game that players of all ages can take part in. The game starts with one of the players throwing out a small jack ball to set a target. Players then take turn to roll their boules as close to the jack as possible. Sounds simple but boules can soon become quite competitive as players push each others boules and the jack ball out of the way to win!