Outdoor Bonding Time – Fun Gym Equipment Games The Whole Family Will Enjoy

Bonding time as a family is essential, and indoors often involves playing board games, watching a movie, and snuggling up to listen to family tales. But when it comes to outdoor play, it can become more of a challenge to find things that the whole family can do that don’t involve running around with a football or playing rounders and cricket. 

Many families arent’ aware they can enjoy a wealth of outdoor gym equipment together. A trip to an indoor gym is generally an adult-only experience. Yet, many parks and open spaces now have the perfect play and gym equipment for the whole family to bond outdoors and improve their physical and mental health at the same time. 

Being outdoors for a while every day brings so many health benefits, and choosing to do fun outdoor exercise activities, which the kids will see as playing, will benefit everyone.

Outdoor gym equipment and play equipment suppliers such as PlayEquip can give you professional advice on the equipment most suited to you and your garden. Getting expert advice is a good idea if you are looking to set up at home or set up or makeover an open space or park in your neighbourhood. Many parks and open spaces now offer many outdoor gym equipment choices, too, so get the whole family together and enjoy time bonding outdoors.

Games outdoors are fantastic for encouraging teamwork, individual challenges, individual growth and turn-taking, and the chance to share in the successes of all family members. You could even invite friends and have inter-family fun on a great day out or pop to the park on the way home from school or when done with work for the day.

Gym equipment games for all ages

Monkey bars and pull-up bars – a great individual challenge as well as competing in mixed-age family groups. It doesn’t need to be a competition; it’s about bonding as a family and enjoying some fun in the park with the added benefit that you will feel better for time outdoors both physically and mentally. It’s a strengthening exercise for mums and dads as well as the kids. Parents can help younger children with support and lifting help to be involved.

Balance beams – even toddlers can enjoy joining in with the family to see how good everyone’s balance is. Use the equipment to see who can go the furthest or fastest across the beams. When this becomes easy, try doing it when holding a ball or balancing something on your head to make things a little more complicated.

Circuits – why not set up a course using many of the outdoor gym equipment pieces and find inventive ways to incorporate the play equipment too. Weave bars, up and under bars, outdoor dip bars, wooden hurdles, and wobble beams can become a fun circuit to use as a family. Incorporating aerobic exercise with strength and flexibility tests will do every member of the family good and give you a shared interest to enjoy the bonding time you have together.

Other equipment

Even if your park or open space doesn’t have dedicated outdoor gym equipment, they will likely have some valuable play equipment that can be used to exercise alongside bonding games as a family. Outdoor gym-style equipment such as climbing walls, climbing ropes and trim trails and trampolines are often found as well as traditional swings, slides and see saws. 

If you are lucky enough to have garden space, you could consider having some of the equipment at home for occasions when you don’t have time or can’t get to the local parks so you can still enjoy fun and games. Many quality equipment pieces are available in both natural wood and steel, so you don’t even need to turn your garden over to brightly coloured plastics either, as the more natural materials are hardwearing even with adult use, so you could even sneak off without the kids! Check out the options and get advice. Everyone will feel the benefit of being in the fresh air and being more physically active so why not switch up your family bonding time and try to challenge each other to improve your mental and physical health – it could be the best achievement to reach for you and your family.