Outdoor Game Ideas for Kids
Outdoor Games
Welcome to our listing of outdoor games! Hope you can find some great ideas for fun in the sun!
One child is the thrower, and the other players stand a short distance from the thrower. The thrower tosses the ball in the air toward the other kids and shouts out a number between 50 and 500. If a child catches the ball, they get as many points as the thrower yelled. If someone drops the ball, they lose the same number of points (negative scores are possible). The first person to get 500 points wins and become the thrower for the next game
In this game, one child plays the "stop light" and the rest of the children try to touch her. Have all the children form a line about 15 - 20 feet away from the stop light. The stop light should stand with her back to the line of children and say "green light". At this point, the kids are allowed to move forward, towards the stoplight. At any point, the stop light can say "red light!" and turn around. The children must freeze. If any of the children are caught moving, they are out. Play resumes when the stop light turns back around and says "green light". The stop light wins if all the kids are out before anyone is able to touch her. Otherwise, the first player to touch the stop light wins the game and gets to be "stop light" for the next round.
The game is generally played in a large area with at least 10 kids. One child in the group is "it". The first person she tags is *also* "it". Now, the two chase the others, and so on, until the last person is caught. The last child caught is "it" for the next round.
Have the children divide into two teams. Label one team HEADS and the other TAILS. Lay out two center lines that are parallel to each other and about three feet apart. Then set up two boundary lines about 20 feet from the center lines for each team to cross for their safe zone. Hoses or rope work well outdoors. To start, make teams stand with their backs toward each other at the center lines. Toss a coin into the air. Once the coin has landed on the ground call out if it’s heads or tails. If it's tails, the TAILS team must run to their safe zone. The HEADS team will turn around and try to tag the TAILS team before they reach their safe zone. After each toss and chase, players are to return to the center line. Tagged players are out of the game. Play until one team has captured everyone on the opposite team.
Players are divided into two teams. Line up facing each other, about 30 to 50 feet apart (or less depending on your space). Each side takes turns calling "Red Rover, Red Rover, send (name) come over." At that signal, the player called runs from her line and tries to break through the line of opponents, who have joined hands. If she breaks through, she can take one opponent back with her to her team. If she does not break through, she must join the other team. The team to add the other players on its side first, or which has the most players at the end of a designated time period, wins.
Have one child start off as the runner. The other children form a circle holding hands. The kids need to spread out enough so that their arms are straight out forming large spaces between the children. These spaces are the windows and doors. The runner starts running and weaving in and out between children. As he does this, have the kids in the circle randomly drop their arms down attempting to touch or trap the runner. Once the runner is caught or touched by the arms of someone, he is out. Then, another child takes a turn as the runner and the games starts over again.
There are two teams. Team 1 has the front yard and Team 2 has the back yard, or a field is split between the two teams. The teams are given a time period to hide their flag in their part of the yard. When the flag is hidden, each team calls out that they are finished. Each team tries to get the other team's flag. If a person is caught and tagged by the opponent on their territory, he has to go to "jail" and can only be freed by a teammate who grabs him when the opponent isn't looking. The first team to capture the flag wins.
One child plays the wolf. Set up a start line about 10-15 feet behind the wolf and have the kids stand behind the line. The wolf will stand with her back turned to the others. The other children call out, "What's the time Wolf?" and the wolf turns to face the others and shouts out a time. (For example, "six o'clock") The other kids then take 6 steps toward the wolf. The children take the same amount of steps toward the wolf as the amount of hours in the wolf's time. The wolf will then turns her back to the group again, and the group repeats the question. When the group of kids get really close to the wolf yell "What's the time Mr. Wolf?" the wolf will say "Its DINNER TIME!" and run after the group of kids who are running back to the start line. If the wolf catches a child, he will then become the wolf. If not, the wolf continues to be wolf and repeats the round again.
Have two bases set up. You can use 2 trees or set something up yourself. One child stays in the middle of the bases playing the hen trying to round up her chicks. The other kids are grouped together at one base acting as chicks. When the hen calls for her chicks, all the chicks run from one base point to the other while the mother hen tries to catch them. If chicks are caught, they have to stay in the middle and help mother hen. The last chick caught gets to be the hen for the next round. You can use any animal theme you'd like!
All of the children sit in a circle facing each other. They are now the "ducks". Pick one child to be "it". The child who is "it" walks around the outside of the circle, gently tapping the other players heads while saying "duck" each time he/she taps. After a few times around the circle, the child selects a "goose" by tapping a player's head and calling "goose!". The goose quickly jumps up and chases the child who is "it" around the circle, trying to tag him before he can get to the spot where the goose was just sitting. If the child who is "it" succeeds in taking the goose's place, he is now safe and the goose is "it". If however the child who is "it" is tagged while running from the goose, he has to sit in the center of the circle. Then the goose becomes it for the next round. The person in the middle can't leave until another person is tagged and they are replaced.
Have two bases set up. You can use 2 trees or set something up yourself. One child stays in the middle of the bases playing the hen trying to round up her chicks. The other kids are grouped together at one base acting as chicks. When the hen calls for her chicks, all the chicks run from one base point to the other while the mother hen tries to catch them. If chicks are caught, they have to stay in the middle and help mother hen. The last chick caught gets to be the hen for the next round. You can use any animal theme you'd like!
All of the children sit in a circle facing each other. They are now the "ducks". Pick one child to be "it". The child who is "it" walks around the outside of the circle, gently tapping the other players heads while saying "duck" each time he/she taps. After a few times around the circle, the child selects a "goose" by tapping a player's head and calling "goose!". The goose quickly jumps up and chases the child who is "it" around the circle, trying to tag him before he can get to the spot where the goose was just sitting. If the child who is "it" succeeds in taking the goose's place, he is now safe and the goose is "it". If however the child who is "it" is tagged while running from the goose, he has to sit in the center of the circle. Then the goose becomes it for the next round. The person in the middle can't leave until another person is tagged and they are replaced.