Kids Outdoor Play Activities And Games !
Ideas, Game Play And More.

If kids are coming over for a birthday party or just to play then it's always a good idea to be prepared with fun kids outdoor play activities / games! The outdoor kids games on this page can also be played at the park or anywhere there's enough space.

The best part about kids outdoor play activities and games is that they're "Outdoors". In this age of video games and staying in on even the most beautiful summer days kids aren't enjoying the fun we had growing up. There's nothing like getting dirty, playing some fun games outdoors and having laughs with family and friends. No video game can compare to that!

Below you'll find a list of fun kids outdoor activities and games that family and friends will enjoy on vacation, in the school yard, at home or in the park.

If you know of a fun kid activity and think it should be included on this page please use the "Parents Participate" submission page to send in your idea.

Thank You And Enjoy All The Fun Kids Outdoor Play Activities And Games!

Kids Outdoor Play Activities And Games

Acting School / Act It Out

Game Set Up - You'll need a good imagination or a variety of magazines.

Game Play - You choose a photo from the magazine or make up an acting scene and then have to play it out. You need at least a group of 3 people to play this game and it's usually best when you have a large group of people. If it's outdoors you just have two people sit facing backwards or behind a tree while the other person looks at the picture. That first person must act out what is happening in the picture for everyone to see. Then one of the waiting players will come out and watch the first actor once again act out what is in the picture. Then the first actor will sit down and the second actor will act out exactly what the first actor did without knowing what was in the picture. Finally the 3rd actor will come from behind the tree to watch the second actor act out the original scene and then the third actor will have to act the scene out without knowing what was in the picture. Besides having a lot of laughs you can keep score. Giving points to the 2nd and 3rd actor if they figure out what they just acted out and if neither figure out what they're acting then the original actor will get the points.

Badminton

Game Set Up - You'll need a net of some sort or a rope will work, a birdie and badminton rackets for each player. This game is for two or more players. The longer you make the net the more players can play.

Game Play - First of all you need to measure out the badminton playing area. The size of a badminton playing area is around forty five by twenty feet. Of course it doesn't need to be official so just make it big enough to play. You can start play by choosing a server and that server will serve the birdie by hitting it underhand with their badminton racket from the server's line, which is around 4 feet behind the net to the opposing team/player. The opposing player then tries to hit the birdie back across/over the net to the server. This continues until a birdie falls within the playing field or goes out of bounds. The server continues to serve each time they score a point. If the opposition scores then the serve switches to them. You can only gain points if you are serving. Also it's important to remember that a player can only hit the birdie one time, if a player hits it more than once to get it over the net the other player gains services or earns a point if they're the server. Also it's illegal for a player to reach over the net or touch the net while a point is in play. Games go up to 21 points and if you want to make it longer you can install the win by 2 points rule. Badminton Games can be found at just about any department store and all over the internet. They range from high-end, yes professional sets to sets you'd use on vacation.

Classic 500

Game Set Up - You'll need a ball of some sort: tennis ball, football or baseball if you have a bat and if the players also have baseball gloves. .

Game Play - The first person to accumulate 500 points is the winner. You'll need at least 3 people to play this game. One person is designated the starter/thrower while the other players 2 or more are the catchers. The thrower yells a point total, for example 100 points and then throws the ball in the air. The catchers battle for the catch and the one who makes the catch gets the points. If someone tries to catch the ball but drops it then they lose 100 points. The first person to reach 500 points is the winner and then they become the starter/thrower. Depending on the type of ball used you can also give points if the ball is caught on one bounce or two bounces. Say 50 points for one bounce and 10 points for two bounces before the ball is caught or grabbed. If you're using a football it can be kicked or thrown and for a baseball you could us a bat to bat the ball in the air and for tennis a tennis racket is used of course. This game is really fun and giving each person a chance to be the started/thrower always makes the game more interesting. You could play a total of four games and the person who reaches 1000 points wins. That way you may lose one game but you could still reach 1000 points before someone else if you have larger scores in the other 3 games.

Duck Duck Goose

Game Set Up - Nothing needed except for a group of children and large enough flat space for forming a circle with the children sitting on the ground. Plus you'll need enough space to run around on the outside of the circle. .

Game Play - One player is chosen as the starter who is standing behind the circle of kids sitting in a circle on the ground. The starter player taps each child and says "duck, duck, duck, duck", when the started taps a child and says "GOOSE", the starter then tries to run around the circle as the chosen goose must quickly stand and chases after the starter trying to tag the starter BEFORE the starter rounds around the circle and sits down in the chosen goose's spot. If the starter succeeds and makes it to the gooses spot before being tagged then the goose is now the new starter. Otherwise if the started is tagged by the goose then the goose sits back down in their original spot and the starter starts the game once again by taping each player and saying "duck, duck, duck, goose".

Hot Potato

Game Set Up - Traditionally you need a potato or anything you can pass from person to person and a radio. Turning it into an outdoor game, you could use a football or rubber ball etc. And instead of standing close to each other and handing it from one person to the next, stand five feet apart or a safe distance, still in a circle and toss the ball around until the music stops. If it's out of your hands when it's in the air then the person who catches it next is out.

Game Play - When the music starts you pass the potato/object from person to person and when the music stops whoever is holding the potato/object is out of the game. On and on it goes until nobody is left. If you don't have a radio you can have someone sing a song and then all the people who are out of the game can join in on the song. The game continues until there is only one person left. The Winner!

Last Balloon Standing

Game Set Up - You'll need medium to large balloons and some string. Game Play - You blow up the balloons and then tie one to each player's leg or one on each leg for double the chances of winning. When someone yells "Go" then each person tries to pop the others balloons by stepping on them. The person with the "Last Balloon Standing" is the winner.

Outdoor Bingo

Game Set Up - Bingo Cards, Pens or Crayons, Bingo Game and some fun summer prizes. You need the crayons or pens to mark the cards, being played outdoors if you have bingo chips they'll get dropped and lost.

Game Play - You play bingo as normal adding elements of fun. For example whoever gets the first four corners gets to choose the first candy bar or ice cream flavor. This can become really fun during a picnic with family and friends.

Racing Jump Ropes

Game Set Up - You'll need two or more jump ropes, a starting line and a finish line. Plus you'll need a smooth surface to race.

Game Play - When someone yells "go" the jump rope racers will "jump rope" while walking/running fast to the finish line. The first one across the line wins. If you're having a birthday party or picnic outing you can turn the race into a relay. Whereas once a racer reaches the finish line they'll hand off their rope to a team-member who will race back the other way. The first team to complete the race wins.

Scavenger Hunt

Game Set Up - You'll need a pen and paper to make a list of objects to find for each person/group. In the outdoor game version you'll want to list items for individuals or teams to find that are of course found in the outdoors. For example: Leaves, Acorns, Worms, Rocks, Grass, Clovers and whatever else you can come up with depending on where you're playing the game.

Game Play - The first team to find all the object on the scavenger hunt list is the winning team. You can make this a timed game and then the team with the most objects found is the winner within the allotted time period. For example 15 minutes. Adding time as a factor really makes the game fun for kids.

Scavenger Hunt � "PHOTO"

Game Set Up - Pen and Paper to write down the objects that need to be found. You'll also need a Digital Camera to take photos of the objects or a Polaroid camera. Digital cameras are cheaper these days and they even have disposable digital cameras.

Game Play - To find and take photos of the items on the scavenger hunt list. This works in both a country and city setting. This game would also work for older kids in jr. high or high school on a school trip. Examples of objects could be: park bench, blue car, neon sign, bird, grass, pine tree. You can really get creative with Photo Scavenger Hunt!

Water Balloon Toss

Game Set Up - You'll need small to medium sized balloons filled with water. Sometimes small balloons don't break easily enough so slightly bigger balloons are recommended. Fill the balloons up at home and transport them in a cooler if possible.

Game Play - You form teams of two people each and stand a specified distance apart say five feet. Then as the balloon is tossed back and forth one time each team member takes one step back. You continue to do this until players miss the throw and the balloon hits the ground and breaks. The last team with an intact balloon wins the game. A fun variation of this game would be to make it a raw egg toss. Just be careful that the kids throw the eggs underhand as to not hurt anyone. Also it can become a bit messy but it's fun.