Say Goodbye to Boredom: These 6 Backyard Activities Are Fun For the Whole Family

If you're sweating just thinking about stepping outside, opt for an activity that will keep you cool — like water balloon juggling. Throw on your swimsuits, fill up a bucket full of water balloons, and challenge the kids to try juggling them. If a full-blown water balloon fight breaks out, so be it!

With a little bit of chalk and creativity, you can turn any sidewalk or driveway into a beautiful mural. Ask your kids to come up with an idea for a large-scale artwork, then have the whole family pitch in to bring their vision to life.

Even if you had to cancel your family camping trip, you can still give your kids a dose of nature. Just tell the kids you're going on a bug safari — through your own backyard. Outfit them with bucket hats, magnifying glasses, and notebooks to record their observations, then set out on a mission to identify all the bugs you can find.

How do you make a game your kids have played dozens of times seem new and exciting? Make it "extreme" by turning on the sprinklers during game play. Suddenly, everything from croquet to badminton seems more fun!

There's something incredibly calming about staring up at the night sky. On a clear night, let the kids stay up a little later than usual to look at the stars. Even if you don't have a telescope, you can spot plenty of heavenly bodies in the night sky, from the moon to planets like Saturn to bright constellations like the Little Dipper. Not only is stargazing educational, but it also doubles as a way to help little ones relax and wind down before bed.