Summer is the perfect time to plan outdoor activities for everyone in the family, including the young children. Whether you're a young mom organizing a play date or a family looking for things to do with your kids, you'll want to take advantage of the warm weather outdoors. Prepare a backup plan for indoors in case it rains.
Drip Drip Drench
Most small children are familiar with the game "Duck Duck Goose." Teach them a variation of the game that involves water. They should wear their swimsuits or outfits that you don't mind getting wet. The person who is "It" walks around a circle of children with a plastic cup filled with water. As she walks behind the children, she drips a few drops of water on each person's head, saying, "Drip, drip, drip." When she decides it's time to run, she pours the water over someone's head and says, "Drench!" That person gets up and chases her. If "It" makes it to the wet child's place, the one wet child is "It."
Sponge Tag
You'll need a large sponge and a bucket of water. Designate one child to be "It," who gets to run around and chase the other children with a wet sponge. Set a rule that he must tag other players with the sponge on their backs. Once someone is caught, that child becomes "It."
Backyard Obstacle Course Race
The Kaboose website recommends setting up an obstacle course in the backyard. Use sports cones, tables, trays, lawn furniture, hula hoops and cardboard boxes for the course, which should be appropriate to the ages of the children. If you have a wide range of ages, set up two separate courses---one for toddlers and preschoolers, and the other for elementary-age kids. Have a "start" point and a "finish" line. Time each child running through the obstacle course to find the winner, who has the lowest time.
Sharks and Fish
The Wondertime website recommends this shark game to play with small children. Place beach towels or hula hoops on the ground with some space in between for them to run. Each child gets into the space of a hula hoop or on a towel. One child is the "shark." When she says, "Fishy, fishy, cross the ocean," all the other children run from their safe space to another, while the shark tries to tag someone. Once someone is tagged, she gets to join the shark to tag other children. The last fish to be tagged gets to be the shark in the next game. You may remove one of the safe spaces as people get tagged.
Indoor Balloon Volleyball
Rainy days can be just as fun as sunny days. Bring the children inside for a game of balloon volleyball. Clear out a room with the exception of a center "net," which can be anything from an actual net to a row of chairs or a couple of TV trays. Divide the children into two teams. Fill half a dozen balloons with air and have the children volley them back and forth across the net. The team with the fewest balloons to fall on their side wins the game.
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