School summer fairs are a brilliant way to fundraise for your school and get students excited about the summer. However, planning and executing a successful fair can be a lot of work, so it’s important to have plenty of fun activities in place beforehand.
Thankfully there are lots of awesome outdoor games for school summer fairs that you can use to make your school fundraiser even more enjoyable.
From old classics like an obstacle course and mini basketball to more unusual ideas like a pool noodle ring toss, there’s something here for everyone.
Whether you want something quick and easy to set up with minimal cost or something more challenging that will test the participants’ wits and coordination, you’ll find something perfect for your next summer fair right here!
Here are 7 of the most popular outdoor games for school summer fairs!
- Obstacle course
- Tin Can Alley
- Bean Bag Toss
- Mini Basketball
- Pool Noodle Ring Toss
- Target Golf
- Beach Ball Relay
Obstacle Course
First up is the ever-popular obstacle course. This is a great way to get students moving around and having fun. Make the course as easy or as challenging as you want, depending on the age group you’re working with.
Use foam pool noodles to set up your obstacle course in less than 15 minutes. Just like that you have a brilliant outdoor summer fair game!
Charge 20-50p for entry. Set a timer and give out small prizes for winners in each age group, or perhaps a small treat / consolation prize (eg penny sweet) for completion.
Tin Can Alley
Another classic outdoor game is tin can alley. This is a great game to play at a school summer fair because it can be played in a relatively small space.
An inexpensive DIY project using leftover paint, washed-out tin cans, and a spare hour gives you a fun summer fair game for little money and a lot of fun. The person who knocks down the most cans is the winner.
Bean Bag Toss
The Bean Bag Toss is an old faithful summer fair game. To play you will need to buy a set of bean bags or make your own. The bean bags are usually made of fabric and stuffed with rice or dried beans.
You can find ready-made bean bag toss boards with holes or targets, or you can make your own fairly easily with some wood and fabric to make targets on the board.
The rules of the game are pretty simple. Everyone starts with 3 bean bags and tries to toss them into the holes or onto the targets.
The first person to get all of their bean bags into the holes/targets wins the game.
Mini Basketball
It’s time to get creative and make your very own summer fair mini basketball game! All you need to create this masterpiece are 5 plastic cups, paint, a large poster board, styrofoam balls or ping pong balls, a hot glue gun (requires adult supervision), tape and markers.
Put it all together and let the basketball fun commence!
Pool Noodle Ring Toss
Pool noodle ring toss is a fun game that’s both challenging and also a little silly. Each player gets a set of pool noodles that have been made into a ring using duct tape. Another noodle that is staked into the ground will serve as the goal.
Everyone will have a blast throwing the rings, trying to get them all to land around the pool noodle goal. It’s a great game to break the ice at the start of a summer fair or to keep the energy levels up for the whole day.
Target Golf
A perfect outdoor game for school summer fairs is target golf. This is a variation on traditional golf transforming a cardboard box into a kiddie version of mini-golfing fun!
Beach Ball Relay
Finally, beach ball relay is a fun game that’s great for outdoor summer fairs. The game works best with at least four teams, although more can compete if you have enough balls and space.
Each team member has to put a beach ball between their legs and waddle or jump to the cone and back then pass the beach ball to the next team member until everyone on the team has a go.
The first team to complete all rounds wins! It’s a great game for boosting confidence in younger students and encouraging teamwork in older ones.
Whether you’re raising money for a tech equipment, sports equipment, or a new outdoor area, school summer fairs are a great way to get fundraising and bring the school community together.
One of the easiest ways to make your summer fair more fun and exciting is to include some awesome outdoor games. These 7 popular outdoor games for school summer fairs are sure to get students excited and keep the fair lively for the whole day.
So choose the games that best suits the age range at your school and get organising!
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