There are lots of reasons why you’ll want every member of the family to stay active and outdoorsy right now. Sure, the weather might not always play ball over the autumn and winter, but with the appropriate seasonal wear and other preparations, you and your loved ones absolutely can.
With coronavirus lockdowns – or at least significant restrictions – remaining in place in various parts of the UK and looking likely to remain right through to spring, you’ll probably be thankful for your significant other and the little ones getting some vitamin D and time away from their screens.
But what exactly can you do in the garden with your spouse and children that doesn’t run the risk of dangerous balls flying over the neighbour’s fence, or even smashed windows? Here are some great ideas that show you don’t all have to be sedentary over the coming months.
Croquet
Croquet has precisely the kind of sedate reputation that makes it a must-include in an article about safe garden sports! The principle really is very simple and accessible for players of all ages and ability levels; using a long-handled hammer to attempt to hit balls through hoops embedded in the ground.
Yes, it’s true – acquiring a croquet set could be one of the wisest decisions you make for keeping every member of the family enthralled in the garden this autumn and beyond.
Cricket
Given that even the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) says you can play cricket in the garden, why don’t more of us do it? Oh, yeah: a cricket ball seems like exactly the kind of thing that could eventually have an ill-fated meeting with the kitchen window of that gentle old lady next door.
So, what can you do to enjoy all of the thrills of cricket as a family in the garden this season, without risking any neighbours shaking their fist at you? This GS5 Home Cricket Batting Net from the MR Cricket Hockey online store could be the perfect safeguard.
Swingball
It’s such a simple and home-appropriate concept, that you might have imagined it to have been practically invented for coronavirus lockdowns – but in truth, it has a history dating as far back as the early 20th century.
Anyway, swingball is literally a tennis ball tethered to a pole, with players using paddles to hit it back and forth. But despite how apparently basic it is, you can count on it to provide hours of laughs and stimulation.
Hula hoops
If you’re on an especially tight budget when it comes to garden games, you can’t beat going super ‘old school’.
It’ll cost you practically nothing to purchase a set of hula hoops online, and you’ll find that the challenge of trying to keep one spinning around your midriff burns a surprising amount of time on those otherwise dull Sunday afternoons.
Badminton
If your last memory of badminton was secondary school PE lessons, it might be time to reacquaint yourself with the charms of this underrated sport. Like the other games listed in this article, it doesn’t require mammoth financial investment – you’ll just need some racquets, a shuttlecock, and a net.
For playing in the garden, look for portable nets in a size that works well in whatever space you have. Or failing that, simply use the clothes line as a makeshift “net”.
Who would have imagined that there would be so much scope for fun in the garden, even with items that you might already have lying around at home? It just goes to show that you and your family will have little real excuse for boredom this autumn, whatever happens with the ongoing societal restrictions.
If you're looking for even more ways to entertain the kids during lockdown check out my 10 best play ideas for when the kids are stuck at home.
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