Easy Outdoor Activity for Kids: DIY Noughts and Crosses Garden Game
Looking for easy outdoor activities for kids that don't involve screens, expensive equipment or lots of preparation?
This DIY Noughts and Crosses Garden Game is the perfect combination of craft and play. Using just a few natural materials, children can create their own outdoor game before challenging friends and family to a match.
It's a brilliant screen-free activity for kids, a fun summer holiday activity and a great way to encourage children to spend more time outdoors. Best of all, it uses simple materials you can collect from your garden, local park or nature walk.
If you're searching for things to do outside with kids, this easy garden game ticks all the boxes.
Why We Love This Outdoor Activity
At Let's Make & Do, we're always looking for creative outdoor activities for kids that encourage both making and playing.
What makes this DIY garden game so special is that children get to enjoy the whole process. First they gather natural materials, then they create their game, and finally they get to play it.
This simple activity encourages:
- Creativity
- Fine motor skills
- Problem-solving
- Outdoor exploration
- Turn-taking and teamwork
- Screen-free play
It's also a fantastic summer holiday activity when you're looking for ways to keep children entertained without spending lots of money.
What You'll Need
For this easy outdoor craft and game, you'll need:
- 4 long sticks
- String or thread
- Scissors
- 10 pebbles
- Paint
- Paintbrush
Most of these materials can be found around the house or collected during a walk outdoors.
How to Make Your DIY Noughts and Crosses Garden Game
Step 1: Create Your Noughts and Crosses Grid
Start by finding four long sticks that are roughly the same length.
Lay the sticks on the ground to create a classic noughts and crosses board. Place two sticks horizontally and two vertically to form a simple grid.
Once you're happy with the layout, use pieces of string to tie the sticks together where they cross over. This will help keep your board secure while you play.
Top Tip: This is a great opportunity to head outdoors and hunt for sticks together. Children love collecting materials and it helps make the activity feel like an adventure from the very beginning.
Step 2: Collect Your Pebbles
Next, gather ten pebbles.
Try to choose pebbles that are a similar size so they're easy to use as playing pieces.
Whether you're searching in the garden, at the beach or during a nature walk, collecting the pebbles becomes part of the fun.
Give them a quick wash if needed and allow them to dry before decorating.
Step 3: Paint Your Playing Pieces
Using paint and a paintbrush, decorate five pebbles with noughts (O) and five pebbles with crosses (X).
You can keep them traditional or get creative with colours and patterns.
Children might enjoy using bright rainbow colours, favourite shades or even turning their pebbles into themed characters.
Allow the paint to dry completely before moving on to the next step.
Step 4: Time to Play
Place your painted pebbles beside your homemade grid and you're ready to play.
Take turns placing your noughts and crosses on the board until someone gets three in a row.
The beauty of this outdoor activity is that the fun doesn't stop once the crafting is finished. Children can play again and again throughout the summer.
Why This Is a Great Screen-Free Activity for Kids
Many parents are searching for screen-free activities that genuinely keep children engaged.
This DIY garden game works because it combines several activities into one.
Children get to:
- Collect natural materials
- Create something with their hands
- Spend time outdoors
- Play a game they've made themselves
That sense of ownership often makes children more invested in the activity and encourages longer periods of independent play.
If you're looking for outdoor activities for kids during the school holidays, this is a simple idea that can provide entertainment well beyond the crafting stage.
Variations to Try
Once you've mastered the classic version, why not create your own themed Noughts and Crosses game?
Nature Version
Paint leaves on one set of pebbles and flowers on the other.
Bug Version
Use ladybirds versus bees instead of noughts and crosses.
Beach Version
Use shells instead of pebbles and driftwood instead of sticks.
Rainbow Version
Decorate your pebbles with bright colours and patterns.
Creating different versions is a great way to revisit the activity throughout the year.
Looking for More Outdoor Activities for Kids?
If your children enjoyed making this DIY Noughts and Crosses Garden Game, why not try some of our other outdoor crafts and nature-inspired activities?
From Butter(cup)flies made with wildflowers to nature crowns and scavenger hunts, there are plenty of creative ways to encourage children to get outdoors and get making.
Happy crafting - and may the best player win!