Outdoor Game: Create a Natural Mini Golf Course

Perfect for: Backyards, parks, beaches, or forest clearings

Best for: Kids aged 5+ (fun for the whole family to play together)

Activity Description:

Design and play your own mini golf course using sticks, stones, leaves, and other natural materials. This imaginative outdoor game blends creativity, construction, and coordination into a fun-filled nature challenge!

How to Do It:

1. Gather Your Materials

• Sticks and branches (for guiding rails and obstacles)
• Pinecones, rocks, or shells (for decorations or targets)
• Buckets, cups, or dug holes (as the final “holes”)
• Plastic or rubber balls and child-safe clubs, sticks, or even wooden spoons

2. Design the Course

• Create 3–9 holes, each with a different layout or theme.
• Use logs or sticks to make walls or curves.
• Add fun features like:
  
  • A tunnel made from bark or boxes
  • A ramp built with cardboard or flat rocks
  • A “water hazard” drawn in chalk or outlined with blue leaves

3. Play the Game

• Players take turns putting the ball toward each hole.
• Keep score like real golf (fewer strokes = better!).
• Or just play for fun and try crazy trick shots!

4. Add Fun Challenges

• Obstacle Hole: Bounce the ball off two sticks before reaching the hole.
• Nature Trivia Hole: Answer a nature fact before your turn.
• Reverse Shot: Use your non-dominant hand or try with your eyes closed!

5. Learn While You Play

• Count strokes, measure distances—introduce simple math.
• Discuss how animals and insects move around obstacles in their own environments.
• Let kids explain how they’d improve the course—thinking like engineers!

6. Celebrate the Players

• At the end, give out awards like:
  
  • “Most Creative Golfer”
  • “Best Trick Shot”
  • “Quietest Put”
  • “Forest Golf Champion”

Bonus Tip:

Leave the course set up for a few days and invite friends or family members to come try your nature golf challenge!

This outdoor game encourages design thinking, active play, and nature connection, giving kids a chance to build and enjoy their very own course. Let me know when you’re ready for the next outdoor adventure or game idea!