Just about any open outdoor space will do for these activities, including parks, schoolyards, playgrounds, backyards, beaches, or meadows. Simple, easy-to-understand instructions for kids of all ages can encourage hours of active play. That means more time spent outside with their friends, enjoying the sun and fresh air—and giving you some time to enjoy your adult company, just catch your breath, or join in on the fun.
Fun Outdoor Games and Activities for Kids
The following list highlights classic, fun games that don’t require a lot of components or setup. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, many of these games, such as the dress-up relay race or obstacle course, can be easily transferred indoors to a basement, large living room, community center space, or gymnasium. Party on!
SPUD
The object of this ball game is to run as far and as fast as possible from the person who is throwing the ball and to dodge the ball when it’s thrown at you without moving your feet. Be sure to use a very soft ball, such as a foam ball, which is specifically made to be thrown at people without hurting them.
How to Play
Rainbow Challenge
For this game, kids are challenged to find as many items in different colors as they can. It’s ideal to play in a park, garden, or large backyard. Simply set a timer and encourage the players to run around and collect things in every color in the rainbow. When the timer dings (you can make this a shorter or longer activity depending on the space and attention span of the kids), have the children come together to present their bounty. For little kids, you can simply have them collect items and then work together to sort them by color. To add challenge for older children, task them with finding as many items as they can within one color, such as looking for multiple shades of green or yellow.
Red Light, Green Light
This is a simple and fun outdoor game that doesn’t require any setup or accessories. It’s great for a small or large group of kids.
How to Play
Sardines
This game is essentially a reverse version of hide-and-go-seek.
How to Play
Sidewalk Chalk
Hours of fun can be had with sidewalk chalk, for small or large groups. Simply buy a package of sidewalk chalk and watch their creativity bloom. Pick a theme, say spaceships and aliens, underwater world, or flowers and fairies—or simply encourage them to draw or write whatever comes to mind.
Four Square
You don’t need much to play this popular game. All that is required is:
A ball that’s good for catching and bouncing (such as a soccer ball or volleyball)Sidewalk chalkSpace on asphalt or another hard surface on which you can draw lines and bounce a ball
The concept and rules are simple: First, draw a large square, about 8 to 10 feet long on each side. Then, divide the square evenly so that you have four equal-sized quadrants and label each from 1 to 4 in clockwise order. The first square is “king,” the second is “queen,” the third is “jack,” and the fourth is “ace.”
How to Play
Obstacle Course
Kids invariably love running through obstacle courses. You can do this activity as a race, timing who gets through the course the quickest, or just for fun. Anything can be used to create the course, from play tubes and cardboard boxes to step ladders and bean bag chairs. Simply line up items for kids to navigate over, under, or around. Review the obstacles with them before they run the course so they’ll know what to do. For added complexity, you can add extra elements, such as doing jumping jacks or a summersault, at various points in the course.
Freeze Tag
Here’s an oldie but a goodie. Kids love the thrill of chasing and being chased, which is why variations of tag are so popular.
How to Play
Crayon Rubbings
Most adults have done a crayon rubbing or two as kids themselves. This makes a game out of an art activity and doesn’t require too much effort on the part of parents.
Make the Crayon Rubbings
It’s best to show kids how to make one before they begin their hunt. Peel the paper off of an old crayon, set a piece of paper on a leaf or something with an interesting texture, just for demonstration purposes, and rub the crayon over the paper until the texture or shape outline starts to show through.
How to Play
Dress Up Relay Race
Relay races make great outdoor party games for many reasons. They get kids moving and active, they inspire teamwork, and they satisfy kids’ love of competition. This game adds a fun twist that has kids put on dress-up clothing as part of the race, which adds a fun and festive extra step.
How to Play
Set up an obstacle course with items from the dress-up theme. Divide the kids into teams and have them race through the course and put on a dress-up item (such as hats, shoes, jewelry, tops, dresses, bags, skirts, or fairy wings) at each marker. Then, they go in reverse and replace items at each marker. The first team to have each player go through the course wins.
Water Balloon Toss
Here’s an awesome outdoor game for any gathering. Because it involves water balloons, you may want to dress kids in their swimsuits. It’s the perfect way to have fun on a hot summer’s day!
How to Play
There are many ways to play with water balloons. The simplest version is to line up the kids in pairs and have them toss a water balloon back and forth until it breaks. The last pair with an intact balloon wins. Another option is to throw the balloons at each other with the intention of popping them, which is particularly fun on a hot day. You can use different variations of games with water balloons that don’t involve combat, too. These include tossing balloons at a target rather than each other. These games help develop motor skills and coordination.
Kickball
Kickball is a blast to play with a larger group and is fun for all different ages and athletic abilities. All you need is a large rubber ball, which is sometimes called a four-square or playground ball. The game can be played on a baseball diamond. Or you can use a makeshift field by using any grassy or paved area. If so, you’ll want to roughly mark four bases at the corners of a “diamond.”
How to Play
Nature Photo Scavenger Hunt
Scavenger hunts can be great fun at parties or with larger groups of kids. There are many types of scavenger hunts, but if the weather allows, take your hunt outside and look for items in nature to get kids active and exploring in the fresh air. Plus, a nature-based theme helps to inspire a love of nature and the outdoors. By focusing on nature, you’ll make this outdoor activity a great green game that’s perfect for kids today. They will be learning about nature and developing their cognitive skills while having fun.
How to Play
Scavenger hunts take a bit of prep work, as you’ll need to decide on the items to find ahead of time. The great thing with a nature scavenger hunt is that you don’t need to put out or hide anything. Instead, simply take a walk in the designated play area and note what you see. Then, use these plants or animals in your list of things for kids to find. (Although, you can certainly place specific items with or without clues for your group to find if desired.)
Ring Toss
Ring toss is a simple but addictive game that can be played solo or in groups. You’ll need rings to toss and a standing stick to try to toss the rings onto. Ring toss game sets are available for purchase or you can use any rings you have with a stick or post secured in the ground. Alternatively, if you don’t have rings, you can modify the game by designating an area on the ground where children attempt to throw bean bags or other items. This game builds on hand-eye coordination, patience, and tenacity—and is loads of fun. Essentially, kids take turns throwing their rings to see how many they make on the stick (or designated spot on the ground). Whoever gets the most rings on the stick wins.
Steal the Bacon
Steal the Bacon is a fun outdoor party game that’s perfect for grade-school-age kids. This classic outdoor party game will encourage kids to listen and pay attention, sharpening kids’ reflexes while having fun!
How to Play
This game is played in a large field or backyard. Divide your group into two teams. Each team gets one “side” of the play space. Place two objects, such as balls, bean bags, or hand towels, in different colors in the center of the field. Decide on a safe area at opposite edges of the field for each team to have as their home base. For each round in this tag-based game, each team seeks to “steal” their object (“the bacon”) and get it back to their home base without being tagged. If a player gets tagged while holding the bacon, the other team gets a point. If they get the item back to their home base without being tagged that team gets a point. The team with the most points wins.
Balloon Stomp
Balloon Stomp is a raucous game that will get kids moving as they try to stomp their way to victory. Between the laughing, screaming, and popping of balloons, this outdoor game will be one loud and happy party event.
How to Play
Each child has two balloons attached to their feet with a string and, as in musical chairs, they walk around a circle until the music stops. Once the music stops, they try to stomp each others’ balloons. (Be sure your group is wearing sturdy shoes and is instructed to watch out for each other’s toes.) The last child with an unpopped balloon wins.
Fun Beach Game Ideas
If your group is going to be on the beach, try these entertaining beach activities for kids. Children can have lots of fun at the beach just by splashing in the waves, digging holes in the sand, or burying each other or their parents in the sand. When the kids are looking for something else to do or you’ve got a larger group to organize, try a bucket relay race where you can only use your hands to transfer water from the waves to fill your bucket. Beach volleyball is also a blast. It’s loads of fun for parents, too! You can fly kites and compete to see who can send their’s aloft the fastest or highest. Or you can have a sand sculpture competition. You can also give them a beach-themed scavenger hunt to collect shells and pebbles.
Badminton
Badminton is an easy-to-learn game that kids of all ages can enjoy. To play an official game, you’ll need rackets, birdies (also called shuttlecocks), and a net. However, you can definitely have fun even without the net by just designating a line to hit the birdie over back and forth with a partner or groups of players.
How to Play
Grounders
Grounders is an entertaining twist on the game of tag. It’s played on a playground or play structure, which adds an extra element of complexity that older kids will enjoy.
How to Play
Running Races
Set up a course for kids to have a running race. You can choose to either have them do sprints or a longer run depending on the age and interest of the children. If you have a group of various ages, you can stagger the kids, with the younger children closer to the finish line. Then, yell, “ready, set, go,” and they are off!
