As kids, most of us spent a lot of time outside playing with other kids from the neighborhood. We also enjoyed school breaks a lot. We were very busy even though we didn’t have any of the current technologies that people use today. Here are some simple outdoor games and garden toys that you might have liked as a kid and old like to try with your children. Some can be done inside. You can do some of them by yourself or with just one friend. But most of the children garden games are better played with other people outside. You can also change or make these games better by making up your own rules.
1. Hide and Seek
This game has been played by everyone. Most popular way to play this simple game is by counting up to a specific number (usually 20, 50 or 100). Usually there is a set “home base” which if you reach before the searcher you’re safe, alternatively you can wait to be found. Once a person is found in their hiding pot thy become an “it” and that person closes their eyes and counts to a certain number without looking. Then that person tries to find the other people and so on.
2. Twister With a Splash
Children garden toy games like Twister help kids build core strength, balance, and power, and they also help them get better at coordinating their hands and eyes. It also helps them focus their minds while they work out, which makes the connection between their body and brain even stronger. Hook up the Twister Splash Mat that comes with it to a hose, spin the wheel, and have fun! It only takes one minute to fill up the Splash Mat with water, so you can start playing right away!
3. Traffic Officer
This game is best played on a street with little to no traffic or on a big, paved surface. You need bikes, wagons, people walking, scooters, or anything else that belong in traffic. There is a “traffic cop” to make sure that kids don’t run into each other. Children can learn how to wait to cross the street and be safe around cars. It’s more fun than it sounds. A small group of player is all you need and wheeled things like bikes, wagons, scooters, etc.
4. Four Squares
A square court is split into four smaller squares, which are labeled one through four. This ball game is played on all four of them. Each square has a player, with the best-ranked player in square one and the worst-ranked player in square four. The ball is passed back and forth between the players, landing once in each square before it is caught. As a child, when I played this, there were a lot of different rules to choose from. The person in square one got to decide what the rules were. If someone breaks the rules, they will either have to drop in the rankings or be removed, and a new player will start from the beginning. Four people can play, unless you take turns. A four-square court or outdoor chalk, and a playground ball are all art of the required equipment.
5. Hopscotch
Draw a hopscotch grid on the ground with sidewalk chalk. Put a number from one to nine in each square. Choose a rock that you can throw. It’s hard to throw bigger ones and too small ones can bounce too much. Throw the rock on Square 1 to begin. Just hop over the rock and keep going until you reach the end. You can do this with one foot or both feet, like in hopscotch. Go back the way you came and stop at Square 2. On one foot, pick up the rock in Square 1 and hop over it to get back to the beginning. Square 2 is the next piece in this pattern. So on. You lose your turn if you throw the rock and miss the right spot. There is no limit on how many people can play this game at once. You’ll need a hopscotch grid, a rock, or a pillow.
6. Jump Rope
Jumping rope is a fun way for kids to get exercise and show off their creativity while they move. You can jump rope by yourself or with friends for a fun game. Kids over 3 years old can play jump rope games, which are great because they don’t need a lot of expensive equipment, just a rope and group of hyperactive children ready to get all of their energy out!
7. Jacks
You can play this game on any available flat area, inside or outside. To spread the jacks out on the board, the person usually just throws them out of one hand, like rolling dice. The ball is then thrown up, bounces once, and is caught before it bounces again. The person tries to grab the ball with one hand before it bounces a second time. The number of jacks that need to be picked up goes from least to most. You pick up one (“onesies”), then two (“twosies”), then three, and so on. This game’s rules can be changed in many ways.
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