A backyard obstacle course is a fun way for 11 year olds to work up an appetite. Kids can race each other to complete the course or take turns doing so.
Another great outdoor game is hula hoop ball toss, which is basically like hot potato but with water balloons! Break the kids into teams and have them line up.
Backyard Camping
The outdoors is a natural setting for kids to engage in camping activities. Depending on how strict you want to be, consider temporarily changing the Wi-Fi password or allowing no cell phones so that everyone feels disconnected from technology and focused on spending time together.
Gather a few tents and sleeping bags for the kids to sleep in, along with pillows and blankets. Make sure the fire pit is ready to go and a pile of tinder is nearby. Before it gets dark, try a nature scavenger hunt around the yard. They can find leaves, flowers and other specimens to place in a bag then use them for an art project later.
Another great nighttime activity is reading books by lantern light. If the weather is clear, you could also encourage the children to observe the stars by creating a constellation guide for them to reference. You can play a game of campfire telephone as well. Have the first person whisper a phrase to the next, then it gets passed along. It’s fun to see what the last person says and creates a little suspense.
Movie Night
Even though experts are now saying that screen time should be limited, movie night is a great way to gather kids together and create memories. It’s not just about watching Captain Underpants again or sitting in the dark with their phones, it’s about a thoughtfully chosen movie that will satisfy all age groups and lead to boundless cuddles and discussion afterwards.
Before the movie, play a classic game like sharks and minnows. Set up a playing area with cones that will be the starting line, finish line, and boundary lines during gameplay. Choose 2 kids to be the sharks and let everyone else try to make it across without stepping on or falling off. If a child does step off the bridge, they must go back to the starting line. The team with the most points wins!
If you’re hosting the movie night at a community center, check with them to see what equipment they have available for showing the movie. They may be able to provide large screens and projectors that will help recreate the feeling of a drive-in theater.
Theme Park
At this age, children are usually into games of skill and a lot of outdoor activities can help them get a good workout. They also love solving jigsaw puzzles. You can bring some jigsaw puzzles that are suitable for their age to the party or make one with your kids at home. You can even divide the kids into two teams and let them compete to see who can finish the puzzle first.
A game of throw-over cups is another fun way to keep the kids engaged and active outdoors. Set up a table with plastic cups or cartons. The kids will work in pairs to build a pyramid of cups as high as they can. When they are done, they will stand back and try to throw a ball at their cup towers to knock them over. The team with the least number of cups standing will win.
This is one of the classic outdoor party games for 11 year olds. Lay a rope in a straight line and then split the kids into 2 equal teams. Call out ‘Grandmother’ to start the game. The kids will move towards ‘Grandmother’ and the first kid to reach her without her catching them has to take her place at the game start line.
Water Balloon Fight
This is a classic outdoor party game that kids love. Each player will get a partner and a water balloon. They will stand a few feet away from each other, and the balloon is passed back and forth between them until it pops. They will then get another balloon and continue the game until theirs pops too. The last duo with an unpopped balloon wins.
This game is great for a large group of kids, and you can even keep score by keeping track of who has the most points at the end of the night. Kids will enjoy comparing their scores to one another and seeing if they can beat their friends.
A backyard pool is a fantastic option for this outdoor party idea. If you don’t have a pool, a kiddie pool or even a rubber bathing pool will do. Bring a few fun toys, such as these skip balls and diving sticks, for the kids to play with in the pool too.
Balloon Games
This game is great fun and also a good way to keep kids cool on a hot day. Split the players into teams and have them race to a mark while holding a water balloon between their knees. If the balloon drops or bursts, they must return to the starting point and try again. This game can be made harder by making the course more complicated, or by adding obstacles such as cones and zig-zags.
This is a fun and easy game that works best outdoors but can be played indoors as well. Set up a net across the playing area and divide the kids into teams. Each team takes turns hitting the balloon over the net, and every time the balloon touches the ground on their side they lose a point. The first team to 10 points wins.
This is a classic outdoor party game that is great for any age. All you need is a few pairs of children and a few lengths of string. The kids take turns hitting each other’s balloons, trying to keep their own balloon in the air. This is a great game to play while learning to count backwards too!
