5 Outdoor Game Ideas for Children

When I was a little kid, I had amazing times playing outdoors with other children. The games can bring charm to a child's life, providing unforgettable memories. Here we give five games that children are sure to enjoy during the summer.

Ducks and Hunters

No. of players: 10 or more

Rules: Two children are assigned as hunters (one each from both the teams), and the other children are ducks. Hunters throw a ball towards the ducks and they have to avoid getting hit. The hit children need to leave the game, and the last child remaining without getting hit has to tell his or her age. Then a hunter throws the ball a number of times as this 'age'. When the hunter hits the last kid, the two teams interchange among themselves.

We need soldiers!

No. of players: no limit

Rules: Children are to be divided among two teams. The members of each team hold their hands tightly. The first team members shout 'We need soldiers!". The children of the second team answer 'Whom do you want?' The first team then names the child they want: 'We want....' The named kid needs to 'break down' the wall formed by the adversary team, to remain in the game. If he/she cannot break down this wall of children holding hands, he or she is taken hostage. The team with a single child left then loses.

Hide and seek

No. of players: minimum 3-4.

Rules: The children stand in a circle, counting among themselves. The children will be counted out one by one by the counting child. The child who is the last to remain will seek. He or she needs to count till 100. The other children hide during this time. When the counting stops, this child has to look for the hiding children. The child who gets found first will seek next.

Buzz!

No. of players: No limit

Rules: One of the children places a hand covering his eyes while holding the other hand at the back, with the palm open. He or she will say 'buzzzzzz', while one child strikes on the palm. The hit child needs to guess who struck. The game repeats until the child guesses the identity correctly. Then the roles are switched.

The Peacock

No. of players: Two minimum.

Rules: One of the children recites the alphabet silently. Another child says 'stop' and the letter of the alphabet at which the child was stopped needs to be the first of the word the next child has to say. This goes on likewise. When a child cannot form a word, he or she gets a 'P'. Each player can make seven mistakes and will be punished with each of the letters P, E, A, C, O, C, K. Then he or she will be removed from the game.

These games can help kids achieve social skills, have fun, and enjoy life outdoors, instead of spending lots of time before a computer or TV.