But a sunny afternoon wouldn’t be complete without a bunch of games to keep you and your mates amused. Here, we check out the best of what’s on offer.
Pro Swingball, £39.99
This should get the childhood memories flooding back. But it’s not the same game that was popular in the Eighties and Nineties; it’s harder – now at 1.75m, it’s taller, meaning you have to hit higher or jump. With two players taking it in turn to smash the ball, one clockwise, the other anti-, the aim is to reach the top or bottom of the spiral with the tether first. Easy.
swingball.co.uk
Butthead, £10
Grab a bunch of mates and team up to buy some of these silly games. Each box has two hats and three balls. The competition (as TNT sees it) would be that whoever is unlucky enough to end up with the most balls stuck on their head endures a forfeit. We’ll leave you to decide what that will be.
50fifty-gifts.com
Kubb, £24.99
Attempt this traditional Swedish lawn game, where the object is to knock over heavy blocks while throwing wooden sticks at them. Marry with a few drinks on a summer’s day, and what could possibly go wrong?
clasohlson.co.uk
Rounders set, £19.95
Enjoy this old school game, which comes with four wooden stumps, a bat and a tennis ball in a fetching cotton bag. You’ll need two teams – one bowls while the other bats – with a minimum of six on each. Aim to score the most ‘rounders’ by running round the stumps. Bring drinks as it’s full on.
dotcomgiftshop.com
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Micro-scooter, £52+
Who says scooters are for kids? The Micro Sprite is Swiss-designed and features a lightweight frame, tough PU wheels
and an easy-folding mechanism. Getting about has never been so much fun.
micro-scooters.co.uk
Jeronimo! Giant Tower, £40
Test your skills with this giant version of jeronimo, which is made up of 60 wooden blocks. Complete the tower, then the idea is to take it in turns to remove the blocks one by one without knocking it over. Just when you think you’re doing well, your world could come crashing down.
tsttoys.com
Chess set, £30+
Pit your wits against your opponent with this giant chess set – the mat is PVC and the pieces are made of plastic, so it doesn’t matter if they get wet. The aim of the game (in brief) is to get the other player’s king in ‘checkmate’, which means you’ve won. However, it’s a little more long-winded than that, so not suitable for anyone with a short attention span, really.
activetoys.co.uk
Space Hopper, £20
Expect to have hours of fun bouncing around on one of these retro hoppers. Choose from a range of colours and then race your friends while trying to eat a jam donut. Just an idea.
space-hoppers.co.uk
Bananagrams, £44.95
Looking for something a little more taxing than hitting a ball around? Well, this is a game more for your mind than your physique. A super-sized version of Bananagrams is being released just in time for summer. Packaged in a funky banana-shaped bag, the game is a race against your opponent to build giant crossword grids and use all tiles.
bananagrams.com
