Well it looks like we might have had our summer judging by the current weather outside. The recent heatwave got us all outside enjoying the sun and having as much fun as possible, but how can we keep our children fit during the summer?

The family garden is a great place for children to play learn and interact, whilst it also gives you the opportunity to keep your kids safe.  The majority of back gardens now have a trampoline, which can keep the kids occupied for hours and help to improve fitness levels, but not everybody has the space or the kids eventually get bored. There are a wide range of garden games available to suit every budget, but which are best?

One of my all time favourite games as a chid and even now is Swingball, it’s such an easy concept to pick up and can be played by all. It’s also portable too, it can easily be packed away, taken to any location  and  then quickly reassembled. Swingball is also great at family BBQs, not only to keep the kids occupied but the adults as well.   

Cricket has always been popular in our household but playing with a wooden cricket bat and a cricket ball were an instant no, unless we were on the field. But using a foam cricket bat in the garden meant practicing was safe and helped me to improve my bowl and batting skills. Due to the bats being made out of foam less damage is being done to your lawn keeping you and your children happy.

We’ve all seen giant garden games such as chess and snakes and ladders but they are often costly. If you’re looking for something giant to keep your child’s brain working then the giant playing cards are a much cheaper option. There not just for playing the classic Bruce Forsyth’s higher or lower game but can help to exercise your child’s brain.  The fact that the cards are giant makes them much more enjoyable to play with in the garden.

As children the one thing we loved was getting wet, particularly on warm days. I remember once at primary school the head teacher rounded us up into the playground and drenched us with the fire hose (I doubt health and safety would allow that today). At home we use to shoot water from water pistols (the bigger the better), chuck it out of plastic bottles and cups and even had a crazy daisy which got us all running around and watered the garden too.

Obviously they are so many garden games available it’s hard to list them all. No matter what garden  game your child is playing it’s sure to help improve both their communication and coordination and help them stay fit and healthy. There will be days where the weather restricts outdoor play but many improvised games can be played indoors which do not involve watching the television or games consoles. The classic one I remember was shark attack, where the sofas were safe zones and the floor being the ocean.

All4Kidsuk.com, the family Directory online, offers a wide range of products and services including trampolines, swings, climbing frames and other garden equipment.