The cost of living across the country continues to rise, as do fuel prices. With family vacations costing more than usual, many search for activities to replace their planned travels for summer vacations with more affordable options closer to home.

Instead of feeling down about not being able to travel further distances, families can take advantage of staying close to home while continuing to spend time outdoors. Summer is an excellent time to teach kids how to shoot a firearm safely and shoot a bow and arrow. Summer is also a great time to host a get-together with friends with a backyard party or cookout. Add activities such as  Birchwood Casey's Target Games for an exciting time while simultaneously sharpening your shooting skills. Below are three ways to get everyone involved in the fun this summer when traveling longer distances seems to be out of the question.

Get Children Involved

Educating children on the basics and the importance of safely shooting and handling firearms is vital at a young age. After the safety and the basics of shooting have been taught, kids must practice shooting periodically. It is fun shooting at a bullseye-type target when practicing. However, target shooting can lose its intrigue with younger kids after a short period. Adding target games can be thrilling for the young to keep their interest and excitement level up. The best type of shooting when using target games is smaller firearms that are easy for small kids to use. Firearms such as BB guns, air guns, or small rimfire-type calibers such as a .22 rifle are the perfect fit. The ideal target games for young kids are the Birchwood Casey Pre-Game series of targets that measure 12X18. Out of that series, my favorite game for children is the pre-game car racing target, titled the Checkered Flag. The Checkered Flag target game is made for two shooters to compete by seeing who can make it the fastest from the starting line to the checkered flag. At the starting line of the target sits two race cars side by side. The shooter must hit the small bullseyes to advance down the winding racetrack. Each shooter takes one shot, back and forth, until one hits all their targets to make it to the checkered line first to win. By adding friendly competition to target shooting, children can practice being better marksmen while having a blast competing.

Archery Competition

Archery shooting at target games can be entertaining for all ages, not just the youth. Archery is more challenging than shooting a long rifle-style firearm, yet the excitement level it creates is the same. Whether parents and children compete against each other, or more than one child is competing, memories and fun will be made. The Birchwood Casey pre-game targets  Shotboard and Chip Shot are two games that both adults and children can enjoy. The Shotboard game resembles the game of throwing darts. Each shooter takes turns shooting one arrow, like throwing a dart. The score is kept by recording where each arrow hits during each round of shooting. The game continues until a total score is achieved. Attaching one of the Shotboard targets to your favorite archery target, then placing it at ten to twelve yards, is ideal for competition shooting with a bow.

Teenage & Adult Games

Try adding shooting games to a backyard party or barbecue for a more grown-up version of shooting activities to enjoy this summer. The pre-game targets, Trick Shot, and Battle At Sea, are two great choices to add to this summer's backyard fun. The target game  Trick Shot resembles shooting a game of pool with your buddies. A billiards-style game is perfect for shooting handguns. Another great competitive game is playing Battle At Sea, like the famous Battle Ship game that many people played when they were kids. Both games are enjoyable when two or more are gathered during the summer. 

The great thing about playing games that revolve around shooting is that they are a blast to participate in with friends or family, and they do not require a lot of traveling, which can be very costly. Lastly, shooters can stay on top of their game whether they are a recreational shooter, competition shooter, or one who loves to hunt. These friendly summer shooting activities sharpen the shooter's skills to be used later while having fun during the process.