Fun games for boys can make a sleepover into an event to remember. Without games to keep these energy-filled boys entertained, you could end up with a bored group… and a group of bored boys can be a nightmare.

We at Starlux Games are not going to let that happen. Fun and physical games that get kids to play and get exercise are what make us tick as a company and as a family. So we have compiled a list of five awesome games that will keep boys engaged, entertained, and active at their next sleepover.

Rest assured these games won’t be of the insane variety of our youth and maybe yours. The adults who raised us and coached us in sports thought games like “Kill the Man with the Ball” were good ideas. Or how about “Meanest Son of a Gun” on the football practice field, where there were no rules. Just throw everyone to the ground and the last man standing is the winner!

Clearly our parents didn’t have enough cable channels back in the day. So putting us through the ringer with brutal games was their entertainment.

Well, we’re gonna do better. Here are our picks for the top five fun games for boys that entertain but don’t resemble cage fights.

5. Bad news – rain has put a damper on your kid’s sleepover. Our parents would send us out with a garbage bag cut out in the shape of a poncho. We aren’t barbarians in 2018 though. So let’s mix in a simple game of indoor cornhole. If you don’t want to brave the lines of Wally World, just use the items you have on hand. Fill a sock with pennies for the bean bags. Use a laundry basket for the cornhole board or tape down some construction paper with painters tape for the goals.

4. On good weather days, you know the boys would love to become American Ninja-like. Use some creativity to set up a fun obstacle course in the backyard. Tarps, tires, tape, blocks, ropes, swings, brooms, and yoga mats are a few items to create a course for the boys to run through. When they master the course, mix it up by having them go through it backwards. No boredom allowed… if you want them asleep by midnight.

American Ninja type games are much safer than “Bull in the Ring.” This was another “fun” pastime of our youth football coaches. One player is set in the middle of a circle and is charged by another player of the coach’s choice. This was repeated until the coach tired of seeing the player in the middle of the ring whacked by half the team.

3. There was no bowling alley near my house as a kid. And bowling is kinda expensive considering you have to strap on smelly rented shoes and deal with a zoned out clerk at the counter. A better option is bowling right in your own house. Set up the lanes with some pool noodles or painters tape on the floor. Use solo cups for the pins and any ball you have on hand. Make it more challenging by shaping the lanes to resemble a mini-golf course. Fun games for boys stay fun by adding variety.

2. Tag. There is an awesome trailer out for a movie called Tag. The premise is that this simple game keeps a group of buddies connected their entire adult lives. A 30-year game of tag gives them a reason to see each other even though they now have careers, are having babies, and are busy with life. The movie is based on a true story by the way! Tag will never go out of style. No need to buy any equipment. The game is simple. One boy is chosen as “it” and runs about trying to tag the other players who then become “it” once tagged. Freeze Tag was our favorite variation of this game. When tagged, you are frozen until thawed by another player. Shadow Tag makes it so you must tag the shadow of the other players. Long live Tag!

*You might want to set some basic rules. Some boys will figure out they can climb high into a tree and never get tagged. Funny at first, until the fire department has to be called to get “catboy” out of a giant oak tree.

1. Last but not least, I’m gonna throw in flag football. You need a football and you can buy one with a set of flags here. Or you can use cut out flags from leftover fabric or old t-shirts. There are real dangers in tackle football now with concussion concerns even in youth leagues. With flag football, you only have to worry about your kids being worn out at the end of a game or two. The cardio benefits are amazing and also the building of athletic ability. Jumping, catching, juking, and chasing builds healthy versatile athletes.

Sleepovers can be some of the most memorable events of a boy’s childhood. They won’t remember boring ones though. So moms and dads, be creative with your game planning. Maybe even ask the boys what they want to play before the weekend of the sleepover.

That way you can have the items on hand best suited for fun games for boys.

And, if you need more ideas for fun games for boys (and girls), check out our fun glow in the dark games that light up the night and keep kids off the couch.