Giant Slip 'n' Slide
Make your own slip 'n' slide by laying out a tarp, spraying it down
with water, then letting the hose continue to run on top of the slide.
Take turns running across your lawn, then sliding across the tarp for a
slippery, exciting game.
Flashlight Tag
Best played after the sun goes down, flashlight tag is the perfect
outdoor game
for late-night birthday or block parties. One player is designated "it"
and is given a flashlight. The other players hide. When "it" finds a
hidden player, he shines the light on the hider and the hider then
becomes "it." The original "it" then hides, and the game continues.
Jump Rope Challenge
Give each player a plastic cup filled with water. Start spinning a
large jump rope. One at a time, each child must attempt to enter the
rope and jump three times, all while spilling as little water as
possible. The child with the most water left in his cup wins the game.
Hole in the Bucket
Fill up a large trashcan with water and place two empty trashcans
about 40 feet away. Split kids into two teams and give each team an
empty milk carton with 10 to 12 holes in the bottom. When you say "go,"
the first player from each team fills her carton with water, then places
it on her head while she walks or runs to her team's empty trashcan.
She empties the remaining water into the trashcan, then runs back,
passing the carton to the next player. The first team to fill its
trashcan with water wins the game.
Sticks & Stones
If you have a sizable group of kids, playing sticks and stones will
make them laugh while also tiring them out. Split the kids into two
teams -- the sticks and the stones. Line them up facing one another.
Designate an area roughly 30 feet behind each team as that teams' safe
zone. To start the game, yell out "sticks" or "stones." The team you
call on must begin chasing the opposing team, which begins racing toward
its safe zone. Any tagged players must switch teams, and the two new
teams line up to play again. The team to bring all the players to its
side wins the game.
Shoebox Relays
Split the kids into two teams. Each team gets two shoeboxes. Tape the
lids onto the shoe boxes and cut an "I" shape into the top of the box,
with a four-inch slit and two one-inch slits. Have the first player from
each team slip her feet into the shoeboxes. When you say "go" the
players wearing the shoeboxes have to run from the starting line to a
designated spot, then back again. Players pass the shoeboxes to their
waiting teammates, and the relay continues until all the players have
participated and a winning team is crowned.
Blind Man's Walk
Set up a simple
obstacle course
in your yard and let all the kids examine the course. One at a time,
blindfold the kids and let them work their way through the obstacle
course. The child to make it through the fastest wins the game.
500
If your
kids love sports
and want to play catch with a twist, introduce them to the game of 500.
Give one child a football and have him stand about 20 feet in front of
the remaining children. The child with the ball throws it up into the
air toward the waiting players while calling out a number between 50 and
500. The player to catch the ball earns the number of points called,
but if she drops the ball, she loses those points. The first player to
accumulate 500 points becomes the next thrower.
Backyard bowling
Bowling is always fun, but who wants to be cooped up in a bowling
alley when it’s gorgeous outside? Bowl right in your backyard for a fun
time with your family. Pick up an outdoor bowling set at most stores
where toys are sold or easily make your own. Collect 10 2-liter bottles
and use them for your pins. Use any ball you have (basketballs work
great) as your bowling ball. Put a few inches of water at the bottom of
each bottle for weight. If you want to get fancy, make a family project
out of painting the bottles, either to resemble actual bowling pins or
with any design you like.
Sprinkler dash
Set up several sprinklers across the yard, and have one person try to
run across the yard without getting hit with water. Let players who
aren’t the runner operate the sprinklers, turning them off and on, while
the runner tries to surprise them with their direction. The winner is
the person who can go the longest without getting wet.
Flashlight tag
It’s always fun and exciting for kids to play outside when it’s dark.
Indulge them with a game of flashlight tag. One person is designated as
"It" and given a flashlight. "It" then closes his eyes and counts to a
predetermined number while everyone else hides. Once he arrives at the
number, "It" takes off in search of everyone else and tries to shine the
flashlight on anyone he finds. The first person to find themselves in
the beam of the flashlight becomes the next "It."
Blind obstacle course
Set up several large objects across your yard. Anything works -- try
patio furniture, lawn chairs, big buckets, wheelbarrows, outside toys
and anything else you can find. Once everything is scattered, bring
everyone outside to study the obstacle course you created. One by one,
blindfold each player and let them try to cross the yard without bumping
into an obstacle. The player to get the farthest is the winner.
Water Limbo
Everyone knows how to play Limbo. This is the same game, but with
water instead of a Limbo stick. Play some fun music and get everyone
dancing. Then have one player (an adult would be best) hold a water
hose. Adjust the spray so you have a straight stream, and hold it at
about shoulder-level for most of the players. Keep getting lower and
lower, until the last dry player remains. The game probably won’t last
very long on a hot day, because you’ll find many of the players are
hitting the water on purpose to cool off.
