Backyard Activities for 6-Year-Olds for the Summer

After the first or second year of sending your little one to school, you’ll probably be missing them.

So to reconnect the family outside of work time, you’ll probably want to do everything you can to make this summer a great one.

Since we are past activities for toddlers, what are the best backyard activities for 6-year-olds for the summer?

As your age six child returns home, you will want to engage them with fun projects. The best DIY backyard projects include building a climbing wall, water wall, and an obstacle course.

Do your projects about them so you can give them a play space in the back.

Below, we will dig into the hours of fun you can spend with your toddler this year with both simple and complex projects.

By the end of this article, you’ll have a list of backyard ideas for kids fun with multiple projects and distractions. 

DIY Projects for Your Six-Year-Old

In this section, we will go through three major DIY options:

All of these will be approachable for younger kids to play with during the summer. However, they will all require some adult supervision. 

Making a Climbing Wall

The first DIY project goes back to the climbing wall. Since your older kiddo has had time to develop motor skills from being a toddler, now is time for something more of a challenge.

This wall is more of a tree.

If you happen to have one of those large oak trees in your yard (or one you can borrow from a good neighbor), the idea is to build climbable elements.

This process includes climbing rocks you can tie to the sides of your tree and a tight rope with great thickness known to hold both adult and kid weight.

Make sure that your gear can hold your weight. A tree swing climbing rope is an excellent addition to all backyards. 

Making a Water Wall 

A water wall is something like creating a makeshift waterfall in your backyard. If you want to create a fun thing to watch, the whole family can enjoy it.

Make sure to include some interactive elements so your kid can enjoy it as well. 

To build this, you’ll need to have a basic understanding of this engineering. You’ll need a simple water pump installed at the bottom.

You’ll also need an impeller and a collection of PVC pipes. For a visual experience, take a look at this video

Creating an Obstacle Course

An obstacle course is another one of those DIY projects that turn into a backyard playground.

For people looking for something budget-friendly, all this will require is some old tires, pool noodles, and any other obstacles you can think of laying around the house.

The borders of your obstacle course are your pool noodles. You can install hurdles which can be anything from buckets of water to old suitcases.

You can even include a section where you need to use that rope swing we mentioned earlier to swing “across a gap.”

Don’t forget to include a section where your kids have to crawl on their hands and knees. Also, you will have to do it too. If you aren’t willing to do it, why should you expect them?

If your old PE teacher had that same mindset, make sure that your obstacle course is adult-sized so you can follow through.  

Other Thoughtful Activities for Your Six-Year-Olds

If you don’t feel like building something that day, you also can do something simple. For more leisurely outdoor activities you can still enjoy as a family, here’s the easy-mode list:

Outdoor Scavenger Hunts

Kids Scavenger hunting

With a piece of paper at hand, write down a list of nature items your kid needs to find. Try and associate it with things they would learn at school if possible.

Otherwise, make it reasonably simple with objects in your backyard. Add $5 to the list to watch them lose their minds.

Backyard Golf

While teenagers would argue that golf is a game for grandpas, kids typically don’t have the same bitterness in their soul quite yet. Take it while you can get it with this kid’s golf set.

As an outdoor play area, a golf course isn’t a terrible way to go for your kids.

You can combine this with DIY activities to make a golf course in your backyard. If you need a fun backyard activity, think of golf.

Just don’t use actual golf balls or clubs; your insurance will thank you.

Kiddie Pools

Despite what some kids may believe, Kiddie pools are still in style long after the age of three. When the summer heat is beating down, kids will love to splash around in the backyard.

Try and position it under the patio to avoid the worst sunburns. Don’t forget your sunscreen for kids!

You can also consider similar water-based activities for kids like splash pads and bubble wands.

You can devote an entire outdoor play space just for your kids, so they feel like they always have a piece of the outdoors.

Garden with Children

Kid spraying water in the plants

Kids don’t always want to have space from their parents. Many of them would be excited to be involved in your activities.

If you’re going to make them feel like an adult, ask them for help with your gardening.

You can teach them valuable gardening skills that apply to their future gardens.  A long-term project that ends with them bringing something to life is pretty cool.

This project isn’t exactly “low impact,” but it’s pretty easy to include your kids if you are already planning on it. 

Final Thoughts 

People don’t need $1500 backyard playgrounds to have fun with their kids. Most of the fun and bonding moments come from you just enjoying each other’s company.

If guys are playing Crash Bandicoot in your basement with air conditioning, that’s also awesome.

Just try and fit in some time for you and your kids to go outside. That backyard play area won’t enjoy itself.

If you are looking for another type of backyard fun, purchase a giant Connect-4 game.

Part of the fun is explaining to your neighbors that you bought it and beating them off when they want to try it. Thanks for reading!

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