Frog Races, The Hare, and the Tortoise are some classical games practised by the parents of the 90s kids to keep them engaged, active, and healthy. But as of now, the inception of smartphones has undoubtedly reduced their physical activity, and they've got stuck to their machines! In such a complex situation, encouraging your child to participate in outdoor activities could be impossible. So, to promote such activities, you must arrange certain creative game plays to seek your child's interest. So what could be those games? In this blog, I have shared some outdoor games for kids that you can try to help keep your kids engaged. So, if you want to know more, read the blog till the end!

What Are Outdoor Games?

Outdoor activities are recreational or physical activities performed outside the house. These activities often focus on relaxation, adventure, or socializing with others. The main aim of outdoor activity is to promote physical activity among children and help them stay active. Participating in outdoor activities will help improve your physical and mental health. You can participate in outdoor activities like sports, games, adventure, water, fitness, leisure, and team-building activities.

Outdoor Games For Kids

The following is the list of outdoor games for kids that they can play to keep themselves engaged and active.

Cricket

Since cricket is the most popular sport, teaching your child to play cricket can be a good practice. You can play cricket with your child, not as a team of eleven members or on the ground. With a bat and ball in your backyard, you can throw and bring the ball to your child and let them bat or interchangeably. This helps increase their exposure to professional games. This helps improve your child's batting, bowling, and catching tricks and techniques right from childhood.

Hide and Seek

The most loved game by children is hide and seek, which they often play with their friends or sometimes even with their parents. There are many ways by which this game is played. In one format, children hide and count numbers from one to twenty or one to ten and wait until they are found. In another format, children go behind the catcher and tag them, so the game restarts from the beginning. It is an outdoor game but can also be played inside your house.

Hopscotch

Another best outdoor game for kids on our list is hopscotch. The game starts with constructing a square diagram where you must follow the pattern of one, two, three, four and five together of two boxes parallelly, six and seven, and eight together. Now, you must take a small rock and toss it over the box. If the rock falls inside the box, the player can continue to play, and if it bounces out or goes to the wrong square, the player cannot play. The rock should be thrown in the serial order. Now, jump over the box where you have thrown the rock and simultaneously hop into the other boxes. In the double boxes, jump together till the end and turn around without letting your leg go outside the box.

Colours and Shape Game

The colours and shapes game is another best outdoor game for kids, which helps enhance their motor skills. In this, the children should listen to the instructor, where they must select specific shapes of different colours and place them on the floor. Once when the instructor orders to jump on the blue square or red circle the listeners must do it properly. But if they did it wrongly they are considered out and will be dismissed from the game. All these require a large area to play and which cannot be carried out in your house.

Jump Rope

Yes! Of course, the jump rope is not just a game but a field of competition where you are trying your level hard to defeat your opponent by jumping for extra seconds or the counts. It is incredibly beneficial for your health and gives several health benefits. Playing it has different variances; you can try skipping in a criss-cross way or double jumping with others to add more fun to the game. Usually, jumping rope is a great way to boost your metabolism.

Musical Chair 

Musical chair is another fantastic and best outdoor game for kids that you can try for your child. The game is played by placing the chair facing outwards as if the players can sit immediately. Music will be played while children are running around the chair, and suddenly the music will be stopped, so that the players sit on the chairs instantly. The person who is unable to sit on the chairs is out and dismissed. Chairs are placed on the number based on the number of players available in the game with one usually less. And with every player getting out, one chair will be removed from the game as part of the game's rule. Usually, the game is played outside in a green environment and cool air with an appealing atmosphere, but it can also be considered as an indoor game.

Frequently Asked Questions About Outdoor Games for Kids

What Are the Benefits of Outdoor Games for Kids?

Outdoor games offer several benefits to your child, including.

  1. Improved physical and mental health

  2. Increases creativity and imagination

  3. Enhances problem-solving abilities and cognitive development

  4. Instigates creativity and imagination in children

  5. Reduces stress in both adults and children to a great extent

  6. Cognitive development and problem-solving abilities

  7. Helps develop social skills and cooperation among children

How to Ensure Safety While Playing Outdoor Games?

  1. Supervise your children then and there

  2. Make sure that their attire matches their activities

  3. Set rules and boundaries so that they do not attempt any dangerous moves

  4. Look after the playing area to avoid any sports injuries

What Are the Differences Between Indoor and Outdoor Games?

The primary difference between indoor vs outdoor games is that indoor games can be played inside your house, whereas outdoor games should be played outside the home, as they require a huge space while playing.

There are several outdoor games for kids that will not only help them stay strong but will also be helpful in many ways, including developing motor skills to life skills, which could benefit them in the long term. Parents must make a small attempt to encourage their children to participate in outdoor game activities and reduce their screen time to keep them engaged.

Turf Town is a platform to discover the best playing grounds near you. You can also join a group of people who share your interest in the game. The app is available for both Android and iOS users.

​Thank you!