Outdoor Games for Children

Outdoor games for kids offer the perfect blend of fresh air, fun, and physical activity, bringing families together for games that challenge both the body and mind.

Explore the upcoming pages for fantastic backyard game ideas that will entertain the entire family.

Backyard Challenge Course

Discover how to design an exciting and challenging obstacle course for your kids. Learn more about this thrilling backyard activity.

Basketball Hoop Fun

Create a mini basketball court right in your own backyard to practice dribbling, shooting, and refining other basketball techniques with your kids.

Classic Tag Variations

Explore fun twists on the classic game of tag that will keep kids entertained for hours, all within the comfort of your own backyard.

Backyard Balance Challenge

How well can you balance everyday items from your backyard? Enjoy this simple and fun game with your children in the comfort of your own yard.

Creative Storyteller Scavenger Hunt

Encourage your kids to unleash their creativity with this exciting backyard game. Host a Storyteller Scavenger Hunt right in your own backyard.

Numbered Hopscotch Challenge

Create a unique hopscotch game without the usual squares that challenges kids' observational skills. Learn more about this innovative backyard activity.

Tree Tag Challenge

Add a unique twist to the classic game of tag that your whole family will enjoy. Get active and have fun with this exciting backyard game.

Gymnastics Showdown

Watch your kids create and perform their own gymnastics routines as they play Gymnastics Jam. Discover more about this fun and active backyard game.

Creating a Backyard Obstacle Course is simple and provides an excellent way for kids to get moving. Learn more about this fun backyard activity on the next page.

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Backyard Obstacle Challenge

Get ready, set, GO! Challenge yourself and your kids to see how quickly you can complete a Backyard Obstacle Course.

How to Build a Backyard Obstacle Course

What You'll Need to Get Started:

Step One: To create your course, search around the house for items you can use. You’ll be amazed at how everyday objects can become part of the challenge.

Step Two: For example, arrange hula hoops in a zig-zag pattern for kids to hop through on one foot. Unroll the garden hose to form a winding path to jump over, and set up a row of lawn chairs to crawl under without tipping any over.

Step Three: After navigating through the lawn chairs, race around the wading pool three times and try to bob for an apple.

Step Four: Next, grab a garbage bag, jump in feet first, and hop your way to the next challenge. Kick a soccer ball through a maze of lawn chairs arranged around the yard.

Step Five: You can time yourself as you go through the course. Once you've completed it, challenge a friend to see if they can beat your time!

Hit the Hoops is a backyard game where kids can improve their aiming skills. Find out how to set up Hit the Hoops on the next page.

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Basketball Hoops Challenge

The Hit the Hoops game puts your aiming abilities to the test. No need for a gym—set up your court right at home and practice your shots.

How to Play the Basketball Hoops Challenge

What You’ll Need to Play:

Step One: Watch out, Michael Jordan... here I come! First, choose the perfect spot for your basketball court. If your backyard isn’t flat enough or doesn’t give the ball a good bounce, head to the driveway and set up your home court.

Step Two: Grab an empty trash can or a medium-sized cardboard box and place it on top of a lawn chair. That’s your hoop! Now you’re ready to play some basketball.

Step Three: You know the drill: dribble (bounce) the ball, take a shot at the hoop, and even try a slam dunk if you’re feeling bold. But remember, no traveling—don’t take more than two steps without dribbling the ball.

Step Four: Want to up the ante? Place another basket at the opposite end of the driveway and play full-court. You can even invite some friends over for team play.

Try out exciting new Tag Games that give the traditional game of tag a fresh twist. Discover this backyard game on the next page.

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Tag Games

Tag Games come in many different variations. You’ve probably played regular tag countless times, but why not switch things up and try something new?

How to Play Tag Games

What You’ll Need:

Step One: Tag is fun, but you can spice things up by trying air tag or shadow tag with your friends. In air tag, the only time you're safe is when your feet are off the ground.

Step Two: If you're being chased, climb a tree, jump onto a rock, or even stand on your hands. Just get some air! (Lying down with your feet in the air doesn’t count.)

Step Three: In shadow tag, you only become 'it' if your shadow is tagged. So keep both you and your shadow moving to stay safe!

The Backyard Balancing Game challenges kids to balance items they discover around the yard. Find out how to play this fun backyard game on the next page.

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Backyard Balancing Game

The Backyard Balancing Game challenges kids to see how many objects they can balance. Can you stack pinecones without them toppling over?

How to Play the Backyard Balancing Game

What You'll Need:

Step One: Begin by stacking simple items like leaves or flat stones.

Step Two: As you get better, try stacking more challenging objects like tree branches or small pebbles. Anything that can be stacked is allowed!

Step Three: For a fun twist, keep track of how many of each item you manage to stack.

The Storyteller Scavenger Hunt is a backyard activity that sparks kids' creativity. Find out how to play this exciting game on the next page.

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Storyteller Scavenger Hunt

The Storyteller Scavenger Hunt is a fun and imaginative backyard game that pushes creativity to the limit. While you've probably tried a scavenger hunt before – racing to find items from a list – this one introduces a unique creative twist.

How to Play the Storyteller Scavenger Hunt

What You'll Need:

Step One: Every team (with two or more players) needs to gather specific items listed for the hunt.

The list includes items like something red, something living, something old, something hard, something soft, and something gross.

Step Two: Here’s the twist: the winner isn't the team that collects all the items first. Instead, it's the team that gathers the items and creates the best story that connects them all.

For example: "Once upon a time, a pioneer girl got her red ribbon caught on a piece of old barbed wire as she fled from a swarm of pill bugs with runny noses. Why were the pill bugs after her? To snatch her bag of marshmallows, of course! They were tired of sleeping on cold, hard rocks."

Step Three: See how it works? This game is sure to have everyone in stitches.

By the Number Hopscotch is the perfect game to get your kids hopping with joy. Learn more about this fun backyard game on the next page.

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By the Number Hopscotch

By the Number Hopscotch is a fun and engaging backyard game that will have your kids hopping, skipping, and thinking. Traditional hopscotch is all about numbers, but now it's also a game of observation and quick thinking.

How to Play By the Number Hopscotch

What You'll Need:

Step One: Draw a classic hopscotch grid. Now, to move from one numbered square to the next, you'll need to identify something in the environment that corresponds to that number.

Step Two: If you're aiming for one, look for something solitary like a flagpole or a ball. To jump to two, find something with two wheels or two legs. Heading to four? Look for something with four wheels, like a car, or an animal with four legs, such as a dog.

Step Three: The first player to reach the final square wins. Use pebbles to mark your spot while the other player takes their turn.

Tree Tag is a backyard game that turns trees into a central element of the game. Discover how to play Tree Tag on the next page.

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Tree Tag

Tree Tag is a fun and exciting variation of the classic game of tag, where trees play a pivotal role in the action. This game adds a creative twist to an old favorite.

How to Play Tree Tag

What You'll Need:

Step One: The game kicks off with one player being "it" while the others scatter and dash for safety. The twist comes with the three to five designated tree bases, each player can only take refuge twice per tree, forcing them to keep moving until they're tagged.

Step Two: Clearly mark each tree's base with a numbered paper and a blank sheet. Use packing tape to attach them gently, ensuring no harm comes to the tree and that everything can be easily removed once the game concludes.

Step Three: Provide each runner with a marker of a unique color attached to a string they wear around their neck. When they reach the base, they must leave an "X" on the blank sheet using their color. After two strikes, that tree is no longer a safe spot.

Step Four: The last player remaining wins and gets the choice to either become "it" or select the next person to take the role of "it."

Let your kids show off their tumbling skills when they play Gymnastics Jam. Find out more about this energetic backyard game on the next page.

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Gymnastics Jam

Gymnastics Jam is an exciting backyard activity that allows your kids to showcase their tumbling abilities. Watch them shine as they compete in their very own Olympic-style events.

How to Play Gymnastics Jam

What You'll Need:

Step One: Use chalk to draw a pretend balance beam on your sidewalk. Then add fun moves like silly steps, hops, twirls, somersaults across a grassy area, and swings from your swingset rings.

Step Two: Have your friends judge your performances by holding up scorecards from one to ten. Take turns being both the athlete and the judge.

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ABOUT THE CRAFT DESIGNERS

The Backyard Obstacle Course by Maria Birmingham, Karen E. Bledsoe, and Kelly Milner Halls

Hit the Hoops by Maria Birmingham, Karen E. Bledsoe, and Kelly Milner Halls

Tag Games by Maria Birmingham, Karen E. Bledsoe, and Kelly Milner Halls

The Backyard Balancing Game by Maria Birmingham, Karen E. Bledsoe, and Kelly Milner Halls

The Storyteller Scavenger Hunt by Maria Birmingham, Karen E. Bledsoe, and Kelly Milner Halls

The Numbers Game of Hopscotch by Maria Birmingham, Karen E. Bledsoe, and Kelly Milner Halls

The Tree Tag Adventure by Maria Birmingham, Karen E. Bledsoe, and Kelly Milner Halls

The Gymnastics Jam Challenge by Maria Birmingham, Karen E. Bledsoe, and Kelly Milner Halls