In our family, we love to come together during the summertime. We pick a central location (often my husband's grandparents' house), ask everyone in the family to bring a side dish for lunch, and someone usually offers to serve up drinks and a main course. We usually stick with something simple, like grilled chicken, hamburgers and hot dogs, or BBQ.

After everyone has been fed, and we've taken some time to let our tummies rest, everyone is ready to play! Our family loves to get outside and play games. There are children of various ages in our family, and it's really neat to see how everyone comes together to have a good time.

Here are some of our favorite summer games & activities for family get-togethers...

Inflatable Yard Toss Game

Everyone in the family loves a good old fashioned yard toss challenge! What's great about this game from Oriental Trading Co., is that it's portable! We can use it at our family BBQ's, take it to the park, the lake, or take it with us on a family beach trip! The older kids, the little kids, and the grown-ups love to try their hand at seeing how many balls they can toss into the open holes.

Double Water Slide

When it's hot out, everyone's looking for ways to stay cool. A double water slide is a cool way to have fun and cool off at the same time. The kids love to race down the water slide, two by two, to see who can reach the finish first. Even the adults like to cool off and get in on the water slide action every now and then!

Crawl Through Arches

We have some new little ones in the family, who are just starting to learn to walk or crawl. They love to be on the move, and we love to encourage them. The little kids love to lead the babies and toddlers, and like to set up little fun courses for them to play, too. Using these fun crawl through arches allows the little kids to play with the tiny ones, in a safe environment, in a game they can all enjoy!

Family Tug of War Game

What could be more fun that getting the whole family involved in a fun tug of war game? We love playing boys vs. girls, kids vs. kids, and adults vs. adults. The little boys especially love to spend time trying to see if they can win the coveted center flag. This game is perfect for kids parties, family gatherings, holiday games, and more!

All in all, we love to be active. and selecting a few fun games and activities from Oriental Trading Co. each summer helps us to have a lof of fun things to do together. It's definitely our go-to shop for all things summer, whether we're planning a family BBQ, a party, a celebration or what-have-you. Oriental Trading Co. makes it easy to plan any type of gathering with their idea pages, and product pairing suggestions! Don't miss out on planning a fun family gathering this summer!

What types of summer gatherings might you be hosting this summer?