Children who play outdoors get exercise, develop social skills and learn to be more confident in their abilities. However, it can be hard to get children excited about outdoor play when they’re used to staying inside. With a little creativity, parents and teachers can use playground games to engage kids outside and promote learning in an entertaining way.
Children’s playground games help kids improve motor skills, such as coordination and balance. They also help kids build their social skills by promoting teamwork and encouraging communication. Kids can play these games at school recess, summer camps or neighborhood playgrounds. While playing childrens playground games, kids can also learn about safety and equipment.
The classic game of tic-tac-toe is one of the easiest playground games to teach children. Most playgrounds have a built-in tic-tac-toe board, and kids love to play it. Children can even make the game more challenging by drawing their own boards with chalk and adding obstacles like hurdles or hiding places for a more competitive game.
Another playground game that helps children develop their balance and coordination is jumping rope. This activity requires two teams of children, who compete against each other to see which team can jump the most times. It’s important to make sure the children are well-supervised to avoid injuries.
While it’s not a traditional playground game, marbles can be a lot of fun for kids and adults. Children must be careful to avoid putting marbles in their mouths, as they can pose a choking hazard. Adults should supervise this activity to ensure that the children are not swallowing marbles or dropping them on other players.
In this group game, kids divide into two teams and mark a defined playing area with a flag or marker for each team. They then attempt to run into enemy lines, steal the opposing team’s flag and return it to their home base. If an opposing team member tags you, you must freeze in place until another member of your team reaches you and unfreezes you. The first team to do so wins.
This is a great game to play when the weather is warm, and it can be played with groups of any size. Kids can even form teams based on the colors they wear or their birthday month. It’s a great way to break the ice between new students or classmates.
Kids can also practice their listening skills while playing the game of Red Light, Green Light. The leader of the game calls out a color that some or all of the players have on their clothing and then runs across the playground trying to tag other players without being tagged. When the leader says, “Green Light,” everyone runs, but if they hear, “Red Light,” they must stop running.
A variation on this game is a classic: Four Square. A large square of ground or pavement is marked into four, five-foot squares, and each square is numbered clockwise from one to four. Players take their spots in the squares and hit a rubber playground ball to another player in a different square after only one bounce. If the ball hits the ground, is thrown incorrectly or hits a player outside of a square, that player is out and another player must go into their place.