Traditional Outdoor Kids Games
Old-Fashioned Backyard Children's Games Provide Fun and Exercise
Traditional outdoor games such as tag, hide and seek and red light-green light are still fun and help children develop physical coordination and perceptual skills.
“Mom, what can I do? I’m bored.” This is a familiar summer refrain, but there are plenty of games to keep kids busy all summer long.
There are scores of games that have been passed from generation to generation. Chances are today’s children don’t know these games and it’s up to you to parents to teach them, and keep these traditional games alive.
Traditional games offer many benefits which include exercise and improving physical coordination. Some games help children develop their memory and perceptual skills. And of course, one of the most important benefits is that the games are just plain fun.
Tag games
Of course everyone knows how to play tag. In its simplest form, one person is “It” an the others chase “It” with the winner becoming “It” next round. Tag is one of the best games for pure physical exercise. A variation of tag that adds a touch of humor and challenge to the game is “Stickly Apple.” When a player is tagged, he puts his hand on the spot where he was touched and keeps it there while he chases the other players.
On a sunny day, children can play shadow tag, in which the chaser needs only to step on the shadow of a runner.
Hide and Seek
This favorite children’s game probably originated in hunting societies as children were learning to stalk prey. Hide and Seek is usually played with one seeker who counts to 20 while the other children hide. One variation is Chain Hide and Seek. When the first child is found, he takes the seekers hand and goes with him to find the others. Each child joins the chain as he is found.
Another variation is Sardines, in which one person hides while the rest count. When a seeker finds the hider, she joins him at his hiding place. The game continues until all seekers are crammed into one hiding place like sardines in a can. The first seeker to find the hiding spot is the hider in the next game.
Red Light, Green Light
Players line up along a starting line, except for one player who stands with her back to the line, about 20 feet away. She counts to 10 and then turns around saying Green Light and all the players start moving toward her. When she calls Red Light, the players must stop moving; anyone who is caught moving must return to the starting line. The game continues until one of the players is close enough to tag the caller and becomes the new caller in the next game.
Stalking the Drum
This is a traditional Native American game, that requires a large outdoor space. The game increases the players’ sense of awareness. The players are blindfolded and lead off in different directions. Then the runner in the game starts to beat a drum every so often. The other players must follow the sound of the drum. As the players get closer to the drum, the drum beats become less frequent and softer. The drummer should not move around too much. As each participant makes it to the drum, they remove their blindfold and step out of the way of the others.
There are many more traditional outdoor games. Check out the library for books that can lead to hours of outdoor fun.
