Head outdoors for some summer fun and look no further than in your own backyard. Here are 10 fun things to do right there at home, and they don’t take acres and acres to enjoy.

1. Make it a picnic. Grab a blanket, make some sandwiches and lemonade, and make it a backyard picnic for the whole family.

2. Slip ‘n slide. This old-time favorite never goes out of style. camp 2

3. Water balloon-apalooza. Grab some inexpensive water balloons, fill them with water, and then have all sorts of fun. From hitting targets, to hanging them as a pinata, to putting paint in them and creating backyard art (make sure they are water soluble paints!), the possibilities are endless.

4. Make a fort. Blankets and sticks and fun, oh my! Pull out those bed linens, grab some large sticks and make a magical, outdoor land.

5. Backyard campout. Grab your tent and pitch it for a few days. The kids can use it as a summer playhouse, and still sleep inside when it gets dark.

6. Create a scavenger hunt. Have your kids find different colored flowers or plants from your yard. Go by color, or by a-b-c’s, to make it a teachable moment.

7. Search for stars. When the sun goes down, bring a blanket to the yard and lay down while finding stars. Have your kids play connect-the-dots to imagine an animal or object.

8. Flashlight fun. Heading into the dark with flashlights is so simple and so much fun. Take note of what noises the kids hear; make the connection that birds are asleep at night while geckos may be out more.

9. Bug Collecting. Ladybugs and caterpillars can be so fascinating to the little ones. Get a bug collector (any see-through plastic container will do) and let them collect the bugs around the yard.

10. It’s a ball. It would be hard to find a little one who doesn’t like kicking a soccer ball, throwing a baseball or hitting a tennis ball. Get on the ball and have some fun in your backyard.