Kids' Outdoor Games

If you're having a group of active children at your party, then playing kids' outdoor games is a must. With a selection of these games, I can promise that your group won't be bored.

As you've probably guessed, I'm a big fan of parties with themes. Nothing can be more excited to kids then having a theme to all their activities. So if you're looking for party games with themes, you can find them here:

Octopus: There are several games that are similar to classic Tag. This game is really fast-paced and full of action. You need a lot of outdoor space to play it.

Before the game, have the chalk lines drawn on the play area. There should be enough space to run in between the lines.

Pick one player to be the Octopus and have her stand in the area between the lines (the ocean). The other players are the Little Fishes, and they stand behind one of the lines. Their objective is to cross the Ocean and reach the other line without getting tagged by the Octopus.

To start the game, the Octopus yells, "Cross!" and all of the Little Fishes run across the Ocean to safety. Any Little Fish who is caught stays with the Octopus until the next round and becomes a Tentacle. The next round begins when the Octopus yells, "Cross!" and all the Little Fishes run across the Ocean, trying to avoid the Octopus and Tentacles.

"Octopus" Variations:

*Instead of yelling "Cross!" the Octopus can call out an item of clothing, and any Little Fish wearing the clothing must cross the Ocean.

*Once they are caught, have the Tentacles stand still in various spots around the Ocean, and allow them to use only their arms and hands to tag the Little Fishes.

*For a longer game, let the Tentacles become Little Fishes once they've tagged someone.

Red Light, Green Light: It's best to play this game in an open area, but you can also play it indoors - if you have lots of space.

Before the game, draw two parallel chalk lines or lay two ropes a good distance apart on the play area. Make sure there is plenty of space for the kids to run around between the chalk lines or ropes (twenty feet is a good minimum distance). Choose one player to be the Police Officer and have him stand in from of one line. All the other players stand behind the opposite line.

The game starts with the Police Officer facing the other players. He turns his back to other players and yells, "Green light!" Then he counts to five out loud as quickly as he can. The other players must run or walk quickly toward the Police Officer while he counts. When the Police Officer has counted to five, he shouts, "Red Light!" and the players must freeze instantly.

The Police Officer whirls around to catch any players who are moving. Anyone who moves must return to the standing line. Play continues until one of the players crosses the line while the Police Officer's back is turned. That player then becomes the Police Officer.

"Red Light, Green Light" Variations:

*Provide the kids with a special prop, such as a hat, shirt, or jacket when it's their turn to be the Police Officer. This makes it seem a little more official. A plastic "police" whistle is a fun prop, and the kids can use it instead of shouting the stop and go commands (give one whistle to each child to prevent spreading germs).

*Have the Police Officer wave a scarf (or other light material item) in the air to make the players move and drop it down when he wants everyone to freeze. This version is good when the game is being played indoors because it's a little quieter.

*Make the kids do something silly when they get caught by the Police Officer such as hop, zoom like a car, or make animal sounds as they go back to the line.

Crazy Olympics: Here is a great outdoor game for pre-teens. They will love the physical exercise!

Divide the kids into teams of two, and start the game with a crazy obstacle course. Have the two players compete at the same time on two identical courses.

You'll have to set up a series of starting and finishing lines all around the yard so the kids can go from one challenge to the other without stopping. Also tie a string of rope around two trees or two clothesline poles for the limbo (the trees or poles should be about five feet apart, and the rope about four feet off the ground).

For the first obstacle, have the kids balance an apple on their head and walk to the finish line, without dropping it. If the apple falls, it's back to the starting line for that player.

For the second challenge, have the kids run backwards on all fours (crab-walking) - it's crazy, but it can be done. Next, make the kids do the limbo! Show them how to bend backwards and walk under a rope without letting the rope touch their stomach.

For the final event, have the kids get on tricycles and pedal to the finish line as quickly as possible. After the first two players have completed the course, the next two players can begin.

Have the kids play the Leapfrog. After the kids have completed the other challenges, divide them into two teams, and put the ropes on the ground to mark the starting and finishing lines.

To play, the first player on each team must squat down, with shoulders and head tucked. The other players on each team line single file and, one by one, "leapfrog" over their teammates (to leapfrog, a player simply places his hands on the stooped-over player's back and vaults over him, legs apart.)

After the first players have completed the leapfrog, they must bend into a stooped position a few feet in front of the players they leaped over, and the next players must leapfrog over two players. Play continues like this until one team leapfrogs all of its players over the finish line.

"Crazy Olympics" Variations:

*Before the events begin, play the Olympic theme music (or any music that is similar, for example "Rocky Theme").

*Take lots of photos of the kids performing during the events. Then take one photo of the whole group of "Olympic Stars" and send reprints to everyone later, if you wish.

*If you can't set up two identical courses, have each player perform the feats separately. Use a timer to see who finishes first.

Giggle and Howl: Looking for games that bring the laughter? This one will definitely put you in a good mood!

The kids stand "frozen" in a circle and can't move until freed by the "magic handkerchief". When you toss the handkerchief up in the air, they must giggle and laugh out loud until the handkerchief hits the ground - then they have to stop instantly and become frozen again. If any player breaks into a smile, giggle, or howl after the handkerchief hits the ground, he must leave the circle. Continue until there is only one player left.

"Giggle and Howl" Variations:

*Instead of using a plain handkerchief, you can use a small scrap of colorful fabric, a piece of tissue paper, a feather, or a small army figure attached to a toy parachute. You can also blow a soap bubble into the air - when it pops, everyone freezes.

*If the handkerchief falls too quickly to the ground, hold it from the top of a tall ladder (or piece of furniture if you're indoors) or toss it up in the air wrapped around a small object (toss it away from the kids so the object doesn't hit anyone). The object will carry the cloth higher up but will detach itself on the way down so the handkerchief floats freely.

*If you don't want to have a winner, allow the kids who goof off to remain in the game, and just keep playing until the kids stop giggling altogether.

Balloon Burst: For this game, you'll need a sunny weather on the day of the party or it won't work.

Before the game, inflate a balloon for each player and tack all of the balloons to a fence that will get direct sunlight during party hours. Tack the balloons low to the ground, about a foot apart, so the kids can reach them easily. Or use a clothesline, and rig the line low to the ground in a sunny spot and tie the balloons to the line with a string.

All of the players sit or kneel in front of the balloon, and on the count of three must hold their magnifying glasses about three inches from the balloon. The sun should shine through the magnifying glasses onto the balloons.

After a while, a small bright dot will appear on the surface of each balloon. When this happens, each player must hold his or her arm and magnifying glass steady until the sun causes the balloon to pop. The first player to pop a balloon wins. (Don't stop the game once there's a winner - all of the kids will want to pop their balloons, too.)

"Balloon Burst" Variations:

*Let the kids pretend they are scientists during the game - provide accessories such as glasses (without lenses), pens, notebooks, and lab coats (men's white shirts) for everyone.

*If the sun refuses to shine on the day of the party, you can still have a balloon burst. Instead of having the kids heat the balloons until they pop, fill them with water and let the kids toss the water balloons back and forth until one eventually bursts, splashing everyone. For a really wet time, you can host a water balloon fight. (Just make sure that the guests don't mind a little water and that they bring and extra set of dry clothes.)

*For an indoor balloon burst, set the inflated balloons all over the party room floor and let the kids pop as many as they can by stepping or sitting on them.

Sense-Sational: Here is one of the most fun non-competitive outdoor games. It's full of suspense and gives the kids a chance to get "grossed-out".

Prepare all of the touch and sniff items before the party by collecting them in bags and jars. Place the tactile items in zip-lock bags first (don't seal the bags) and then in lunch bags, and put the aromatic items in empty containers - cover the sides of the containers with aluminum foil if the labels don't fully hide the contents.

At game time, the players sit in a circle so the items can be passed around easily. Choose one player to start the game and pass the first "touch" item to her. She must reach into both bags and touch the item without looking at it or saying what it is. (The other kids will love watching her expression of surprise or disgust!)

She passes the bag to the next player who must touch the mystery item without telling what it is. Once the bag has gone around the circle, the kids take turns saying what they think is inside. After everyone has taken a guess, pull out the item so the players can see if they guessed correctly, and begin the next round with a new item.

Play the "sniff" version next. This game is played with similar rules - the players must smell each item with their eyes closed and try to identify it.

"Sense-Sational" Variations:

*A fun variation is a tasting game where the kids take a variety of mystery foods and try to identify them. To play, give each child a paper plate and place spoonfuls of mystery food on each one (choose food items that the kids will generally like but aren't always easy to identify, such as pizza sauce, frosting, cream cheese or jelly). The kids have to taste each item (without smelling it or saying what it is) and then guess what it is once everyone has had a turn to taste.

*Gross the children out with a game called Body Parts (this is a great game for older kids). Put a bunch of food items in zip-lock plastic sandwich bags and lunch bags, as in the game Sense-Sational, but this time tell the kids you're passing around body parts. (Use skinned grapes for "eyeballs," popcorn kernels for "teeth," cooked noodles for "guts," a small raw carrot for a "finger," and a skinned peach half for a "tongue.")

Pass the items around and have the kids reach in and feel the body part. Once everyone has had a chance to touch the items, let them guess what the item really is.

Relay Races: This game will be a big hit among preteens. They'll enjoy the exercise and the craziness of the game.

Get ready for your day of relays by preparing all of the materials ahead of time - first gather sacks, spoons, clothing, and oranges, and then hard-boil some eggs. Lay ropes on the grass or, if you play indoors, clear away the furniture and mark starting and finishing lines with masking tape.

Start off with the Sack Relay. Divide the kids into two teams and have them line up behind the starting line. Have the first player on each team stand in a sack or pillowcase. The first players must hop to the finish line in the sacks, step out of them at the finish line, run back to the starting line with their sacks, and pass them to the next players in line. The race continues in this manner until every player on one team has completed the challenge.

Next, move on to some even sillier relays. For the Egg on the Spoon Relay, divide the kids into two teams and give each player a spoon. Give the first player on each team an egg (don't tell the kids the eggs are hard-boiled), and have them walk as quickly as possible to the finish line and back to the starting line, balancing the eggs on the spoons.

Once the players reach the starting line again, they must carefully pass the eggs to the next players in line without touching the eggs! The race continues in this manner until every player on one team has completed the task. (If a player drops an egg, she must get a new egg and start again.)

The Orange Relay is sure to make the kids laugh, too. To play, divide the kids into two teams and have them form two lines. Then have them pass an orange from the beginning of each line to the end, using only their chins and necks! If a player drops an orange at any given time, she must pick it up without using her hands to continue.

"Relay Races" Variations:

*Invite the guests' parents to join the relays! The kids will love watching their parents compete in the races, too.

*In the Orange Relay, have the kids line up alternating boy and girl, if you wish. This game can serve as a good icebreaker.

Loose at the Zoo: This version of Tag is fun for children because they have to stay alert!

Before the party, cut out pictures of different zoo animals from magazines or coloring books (or draw them yourself) and glue them onto index cards. Make one animal card for each player. Then draw two parallel chalk lines or lay two ropes a good distance apart on play area.

Select one player to be a Zookeeper - the rest of the kids are Zoo Animals. The Zookeeper stands between the lines while the other players stand behind one of the lines. The Zoo Animals are each given an index card that tells them which animal they should pretend to be for the game. They should keep their animal identities from the Zookeeper.

The Zookeeper patrols the Zoo (the play area), walking back and forth between the rope or chalk lines and making sure there are now loose Zoo Animals. At the same time, the Zookeeper must shout out the names of different zoo animals - any he can think of. Players whose cards match the animals called out must run to the opposite side of the play area before the Zookeeper tags them.

Any child who is caught must freeze instantly, and all the other kids must run loose around him or her for a more challenging race. Any kids who make it to the other side go back to the starting line for another round. The game is over when all the animals have been frozen - the very last Zoo Animal to get caught is the winner.

"Loose at the Zoo" Variations:

*For added fun, make a bunch of extra index cards with different animals on them so that the kids who make it across the line without getting caught can become a new animal right away and continue playing.

*Instead of having the kids who are tagged freeze, let the Zookeeper "lock up" the tagged kids behind the finish line with a special key - these kids can even act like caged animals so they won't get bored!

*Give a Zookeeper a prop to use (a special shirt, hat, or name tag) while he's in the middle of the field.

Great Kids' Outdoor Games