30 Classic Outdoor Games for Kids

 When I was a kid, we played  outside with the other kids in the neighborhood with most of our free  time. We also made the most of recess at school. We kept ourselves quite  occupied without any of today’s modern technologies. Listed below are  some no-tech games that you may have enjoyed as a kid. I sure did. Some  can be done indoors. Some can be done by yourself or with just one  friend. But most of them are best when done outside with a group of  people. Also, most of these games can be changed or improved by making  up your own rules. Use your imagination! 

 

1-Hide and Seek:

Everyone has played this one. Most parents have played with their  kids, since hiding and finding is a common interest of small children.  I’ve heard of all kinds of variations on this game. Sometimes you count  to twenty, sometimes ten, sometimes one hundred. Sometimes there is a  home base that you can run to and tag, becoming “safe,” sometimes you  just wait to be found. The general idea is that one person is “it,” that  person closes his or her eyes and counts to a certain number without  looking and then he or she tries to find the others.
Number of Players: Ideally at least three.
Equipment: None. 

2-Kick the Can:

This game is a variation of tag and hide & seek. One person or a  team of people are designated as “it” and a can is placed in the middle  of the playing area. The other people run off and hide while the “it”  covers his or her eyes and counts to a certain number. “It” then tries  to find everyone. If a person is tagged by “it”, they go into a holding  pen for captured players. If one of the un-captured players manages to  kick the can, the captured players are released. The game is over once  all the non-“it” players are in the holding pen.
Number of Players: Ideally at least three.
Equipment: A metal can. 

 

3-Capture the Flag:

This game is most fun when played with a large group. Split the group  into two teams, each team having a flag or other marker at the team’s  base. The object of the game is to run into the other team’s territory,  capture their flag and make it safely back to your own territory. You  can tag “enemy” players in your territory, sending them to your jail.  They can be sprung from jail by a member of their own team running into  your territory, tagging them and running back, with one freed person  allowed per jail break. It is sometimes played that all the people in  jail could hold hands and make a chain back toward their own territory,  making it easier for members of their team to tag them. We also played a  similar game called Steal the Sticks. It had almost the same rules, but  several sticks were used instead of one flag.
Number of Players: A large group.
Equipment: Two flags or other markers. 

 

4-Parachute:

Fun for kids of all ages, this game involves a large round parachute,  preferably with handles, with people holding the parachute all around  the edges. It helps if someone is in charge telling people what to do.  Players can just ruffle the parachute up and down a little bit, they can  go all the way up and all the way down, or all the way up and then run  underneath, sitting on the edge of the parachute, which can create a  bubble of air with everyone inside. Players can also place light objects  such as wiffle balls or beanbags on top of the parachute, and make them  jump by ruffling the parachute. Also, one person can sit in the middle  of the parachute and everyone ruffles it near the ground. If there is a  smooth floor and a light child, the child can sit in the middle on top  of the parachute and everyone else can walk partway around still holding  the parachute edge. Then everyone pulls backward, spinning the child.  There are countless variations.
Number of Players: Depends on the size of the parachute, but usually eight to ten.
Equipment: A play parachute. These aren’t as hard to find as you would think. Try here and here. 

5-Traffic Cop:

This game works best on a street with little to no traffic, or in a  large paved area of some kind. You need bikes, wagons, pedestrians,  scooters or whatever is available. One person directs traffic to make  sure kids don’t run into each other. It is more fun than it sounds, and  helps kids learn about waiting to cross the street and about traffic  safety.
Number of Players: A small group.
Equipment: Bikes, wagons, scooters, anything on wheels. 

6-Four Square:

This ball game is played on a square court further divided into four  smaller squares, numbered one through four. One player stands in each of  the squares, with the highest ranked player in number one, lowest in  number four. You bounce the ball among the players, bouncing once in the  other person’s square before that person catches it. When I played this  as a kid, we had countless additional rules to choose from. The person  in square one got to choose the rules. Anyone who violates the rules  will have to move down in the ranking, or be eliminated with another  player rotating in to square four.
Number of Players: Four, unless you take turns.
Equipment: A four square court or sidewalk chalk, a playground ball. 

7-Hopscotch:

Use some sidewalk chalk and make a hopscotch grid. Number the squares  from one to nine. Pick a rock that is good for tossing. Small ones can  bounce too much, and larger ones are hard to throw. Start by tossing the  rock onto Square 1. Hop over the rock and hop with a single foot or  both feet (to follow the hopscotch pattern) all the way to the end. Turn  around and come back, stopping on Square 2. Balancing on one foot, pick  up the rock in Square 1 and hop over Square 1 to the start. Continue  this pattern with Square 2. And so on. If you toss your rock and miss  the correct square, your turn is over. This game can be played with any  number of people, but only one person can go at a time. If it’s raining  or dark or too cold, you can get indoor hopscotch mats or foam pieces, or just find a pattern on the floor to follow, perhaps using a beanbag instead of a rock.
Number of Players: One at a time.
Equipment: Hopscotch grid, rock or beanbag. 

8-Jump-Rope and Double Dutch:

One of the biggest ways I spent my recess time as a young girl was  jumping rope. I got quite good at it for my age, both in speed and in  skill. It was fun to jump by myself, but it was even more fun to have a  long rope and jump with a couple of friends. That’s where jump-rope rhymes  come in. They turn a simple exercise into a fun game, to compete  against yourself and others. Then there’s double dutch. I was always in  awe of the older girls who could do double dutch. The first time I tried  it, I got tripped up almost immediately. However, once you understand  how to do it, it isn’t as hard as it looks.
Number of Players: One for single jumping, three with a longer rope or for double dutch.
Equipment: One or two jump-ropes. 

9-Chinese Jump-Rope:

This game requires three people, or just one or two people with  really good chairs. It is easily done inside, assuming a sturdy floor.  This game resembles regular jump rope in that you jump. A lot. But you  jump in a pattern. Two people (or chairs) put their feet inside the rope  and stretch them out, standing far enough apart for the third person to  jump between them. The third person, or jumper, faces one of the people  holding the rope and jumps in a pattern of left, right, inside, outside  and on the ropes. What pattern you use is up to you, but all the  players should use the same one. The game is started with the rope  around the ankles. Once the jumper does the jump correctly, the rope is  moved up to the calves. Then to the knees, then the thighs. Usually it  doesn’t get any farther than that. Once you miss, it is someone else’s  turn.
Number of Players: Preferably three, but it can be done with one or two.
Equipment: A stretchy-type rope or 5 to 6 meters of rubber bands tied together in a circle. 

10-Jacks:

This game can be played on any flat surface, indoors or out. The  player scatters the jacks on the playing surface, often by just tossing  them out of one hand, as if rolling dice. The ball is then tossed up, is  allowed to bounce once, and is caught before the second bounce. The  player tries to scoop up jacks and catch the ball with one hand before  the ball’s second bounce. The number of jacks to be picked up goes in  order. First you pick up one (“onesies”), then two (“twosies”), then  three and so on. There are many variations to the rules of this game  including things like “pigs in the pen” and “double bounces.” Jacks is  one game I wish I had played as a girl, but it was much more common when  my mom was a child.
Number of Players: Any, taking turns.
Equipment: A set of jacks and a small rubber ball. 

11-Marbles:

The general rules specify that you draw a circle in the sand or on  the sidewalk, and then take turns trying to knock each other’s marbles  out of the circle with your one large marble. As with the other games,  there are countless variations. I haven’t played this game at length,  though, because I always seem to hurt myself flicking the large marble  into the ring! You can also use a marble mat which contains different point zones.
Number of Players: At least two.
Equipment: Chalk, large and small marbles. 

12-Red Light, Green Light:

With enough room, this game can easily be played inside. One person  is the traffic light at one end, and the other players are at the other  end. When the traffic light faces the group, he or she says, “Red  light!” and everyone must freeze. The traffic light then turns his or  her back and says, “Green light!” while the group tries to get as close  to the traffic light as possible. The traffic light turns around  quickly, again saying, “Red light!”, and if anyone is spotted moving,  they have to go back to the starting place. The first person to tag the  traffic light wins and gets to be the next traffic light.
Number of Players: A small group.
Equipment: None. 

13-Mother, May I:

This game is set up in the same way as Red Light Green Light. One  person in the group asks the person in the front, “Mother, may I take  <insert number> steps forward?” The person at the front then says,  “Yes, you may.” or “No, you may not.” You can vary your requests by  including options such as taking baby steps, spinning steps, leaps or  whatever strikes your fancy. Again, the first person to tag the person  in the front wins and is the next person in the front.
Number of Players: A small group.
Equipment: None. 

14-Simon Says:

This game can be played anywhere, even in a car or other small space.  One person is Simon and starts by saying, “Simon says, ‘[insert action  here]’. ” Everyone must then do the action. However, if Simon makes an  action request without saying, “Simon says” to begin the request, anyone  who does that action is out. The last person still playing in the end  will be Simon for the next round.
Number of Players: A small group.
Equipment: None. 

15-Tag:

It seems that everyone knows how to play tag, but just in case it  wasn’t in your childhood game playing repertoire, here is how you play. A  group of kids decides who will start out as being “it.” That person  chases the other people around, trying to tag one of them with their  hand. The newly tagged person is now “it.” There is often the rule of  “no tag-backs” where you can’t tag the person who just tagged you. The  game ends when everyone is tired of playing.
Number of Players: Any size group.
Equipment: None. 

16-Shadow Tag:

In this fun version of Tag, you tag each other’s shadow with your  feet instead of tagging their body. Thus, it must be played on a sunny  day. The closer to noon, the greater the difficulty.
Number of Players: A small group.
Equipment: None. 

17-Freeze Tag:

This is a variation of Tag where if the person who is “it” tags you,  you have to freeze where you are. Another participant can tag you to  unfreeze you.
Number of Players: A small group.
Equipment: None. 

18-TV Tag:

A variation of Freeze Tag where the person unfreezing the frozen  player has to call out a TV show title. That show then can’t be used  again during that game.
Number of Players: A small group.
Equipment: None. 

19-Marco Polo:

This variation of tag is played in a swimming pool. Whoever is “it”  closes their eyes and yells “Marco!” The other players then yell “Polo!”  The “it” person has to tag one of the others, and then that person is  “it.” Be sure to play in a pool that is not too deep for any of the  players.
Number of Players: A small group.
Equipment: A swimming pool. 

20-Blind Man’s Bluff:

A favorite game in Tudor and Victorian England, this game is yet  another variation on tag. The person who is “it” wears a blindfold and  tries to tag the other players. Be sure to play this in an area safe  from obstructions and other hazards.
Number of Players: A small group.
Equipment: A blindfold. 

21-Red Rover:

Divide everyone into two teams, each forming a long line, holding  hands, facing the other team. The two teams should be around 20 or so  feet apart. The teams take turn calling out, “Red Rover, Red Rover, let  <insert child’s name> come over!” That child leaves their team’s  line, runs as fast as they can toward the other line and tries to break  through the held hands. If they break through, they get to take someone  back to their team. If they don’t, they join the new team. When a team  only has one person left, that person tries to break through the other  team. If they do not, then their team loses. If they do, they gain a  player and play continues.
Number of Players: Any decent size group.
Equipment: None. 

22-Heads Up, Seven Up:

Dating back to at least the 1950s, this game is one we played in  elementary school. In my experience, it was usually done in the  classroom with everyone at their desk. To start the game, seven players  go to the front and the teacher says, “Heads down, thumbs up!” Everyone  still at their desk puts their head down, extends an arm and stucks  their thumb up. The seven kids that were at the front go around and each  press one person’s thumb down. Then they all go back to the front of  the room and the teacher says, “Heads up, seven up!” The players at the  desks raise their heads and the seven whose thumbs were pressed down  stand up. Each in turn names the person they think pressed down their  thumb. If they are correct, they change places with the presser. Then  the game can start again.
Number of Players: Minimum of 14.
Equipment: Desks at which to sit. 

23-Spud:

This outdoor game is a lot of fun. Every player gets a number and  crowds around the person who is “it” for that round. “It” then tosses  the ball straight up and the other players run away. As the ball reaches  the top of its toss, “it” calls out the number of one of the other  players and then runs away also. The player whose number was called must  run back and catch the ball (or chase after it if it is bouncing  around). Once that person has the ball, they yell, “Spud!” Then everyone  else must freeze. The person with the ball must try to hit one of the  players with the ball. If they do, that new person gets a letter (first  S, then P, then U, then D) and is now “it.” If they miss, the person who  threw the ball is “it” for the next round.
Number of Players: A small group.
Equipment: Playground ball. 

24-Button, Button, Who’s Got the Button?

Played inside or outside, the group sits or stands in a circle and  holds their hands together in front of them. One person takes the button  and goes around the circle, pretending to put the button in someone  else’s hands. They actually deposit the button in one person’s hands,  but then continue the rest of the way around the circle, pretending to  put it in everyone else’s hands. Then going around the circle, each  player tries to guess who has the button now. Before each person’s  guess, the group asks together, “Button, button, who’s got the button?”  Then the player can state their guess. Once the player with the button  is finally guessed, that person distributes the button during the next  round. Because a button is used in this game, be sure that all the kids  playing are old enough so as to not choke on the button. In another  version of this game (and the one that I am more familiar with), one  child stands in the middle of the circle, and the button gets passed  around the backs of the rest of the group. Those without the button  pretend to pass it. When the passing stops, the player in the middle has  to guess as to who actually has the button.
Number of Players: Any size group.
Equipment: A button. 

25-Cat’s Cradle:

This incredibly portable game can be played anywhere. If you are  playing alone, you can make various string shapes on your own hands.  With two people, you can play a bit of a game, transferring the shapes  back and forth and creating new ones. Learn from someone if you can, but  otherwise there are some good books on the subject. Make your own  string, or buy a book on how to do it, which often comes with a string!
Number of Players: One or two.
Equipment: A string, approximately 36 inches long, tied in a circle (length varies, so find one that works for you!). 

26-Hand-Clap Games:

The first hand-clap game most people have played is Pat-a-Cake with  their parents. Songs and patterns get much more complicated from there.  Usually there are two people involved, doing a series of clap patterns  on their own and each other’s hands while singing or chanting a rhythmic  song. There are many rhymes listed online, but if you can learn from  someone else or see it in a video, that is best, so that you can get the  notes of the song and the rhythm of the clapping. From “Miss Mary Mack”  to “Miss Susie” to “Say, Say, My Playmate,” there are countless hand  clap games to learn.
Number of Players: Usually two, but creativity can allow for a third or fourth person.
Equipment: None. 

27-Crack the Whip:

Though often played on ice while wearing skates in the winter, this  game is much safer, though possibly less fun, when played on grass. All  the players hold hands in a line. The person at one end of the line  skates or runs around, changing directions quickly. The tail of the  “whip” of players tends to get moved around with a lot more force than  players closer to the front. The longer the tail, the harder it is to  hold on. If the players at the end fall off the end of the tail, they  can attempt to get back on, perhaps in a position closer to the front.
Number of Players: A small group.
Equipment: None. 

28-Musical Chairs:

In a circle, arrange chairs facing outward to total one fewer than  the number of players. An additional player needs to be in charge of the  music. When the music starts, the players walk around the chairs. When  the music stops, players sit down in the nearest chair as soon as they  can. The one player who does not have a chair is out. One of the chairs  is then removed, and the game continues in this manner. The player that  sits in the final chair is the winner. This game is traditionally played  inside, but it can also be played outside with outdoor furniture and a  portable music player.
Number of Players: A small group.
Equipment: Music player or person making music, chairs. 

29-Telephone:

This game is one in which most people end up laughing quite a bit, so  if you’re in the mood for silliness, give it a go. Players sit in a  circle. One person thinks up a sentence or phrase and whispers it to the  next person. That person repeats it to the person on their other side.  This continues around the circle. When it finally reaches the last  person, that person says the sentence out loud. Hilarity ensues. The  ending sentence is usually quite changed from the beginning sentence,  since errors tend to compound as they go around the circle.
Number of Players: A small group.
Equipment: None. 

30-Freeze Dance:

Choose one person to be in charge of the music. When the music  starts, everyone else dances, the crazier the better. When the music  stops, the dancers must freeze in their position. Anyone caught moving  after that is out. Play continues until there is one person left, the  winner.
Number of Players: Any number.
Equipment: Music player or person making music. 

You can find more activities in The Dangerous Book for Boys and The Daring Book for Girls, as well as some jump rope and hand clap rhymes. 

source: www.wired.com