When children get tired of playing the same games over and over, introduce a new variation on a classic game, or simply try a new game your children have never played before. Cool or unusual games encourage children to stay interested in active outdoor play, an essential source of physical activity.
Splash and Score
Water balloons provide a source of relief from the heat on warm summer days. Splash and Score appeals to children's natural desire to burst water balloons and create explosive splashes. Line up plastic buckets on the ground, each a few feet apart, using half as many buckets as you have players. Fill the buckets with water to weigh them down and create more splash potential. Divide players into two teams. One team begins the game as the throwing team and one begins as the batting team. The throwing team lines itself up about ten feet from the buckets, with each child facing one bucket. The batting team sits or kneels behind the buckets, each child prepared to defend one bucket with a bat. The throwing team must try to toss water balloons into the buckets while the batting team tries to bat the water balloons to keep them from landing in the buckets. The throwing team gets one point for each water balloon that lands in a bucket. The team with the most points after a previously determined number of rounds wins.
The Blob
This silly variation on tag works well for large children's parties or class groups. The more players, the more challenging the game will be. Select one volunteer to begin the game as the blob. Like "it" in regular tag, this player must chase all other players and attempt to tag as many as possible. When the blob tags a player, that player becomes part of the blob. New members of the blob must join hands with other members of the blob. The blob must move together as one unit to tag all remaining players, until only one player remains separate from the blob. That player gets to start the next round as the blob.
Toppling Towers
Gather cardboard boxes and paper towel tubes from your house, and divide them evenly among the players. Gather a few soft objects, such as rolled up socks or beanbags, and distribute these evenly as well. Have each player create a circle with a six-foot diameter using rope or chalk. Players must build the tallest tower they can with their cardboard items. When the game starts, players try to knock down their opponents' towers by throwing the socks or beanbags without leaving their circle. Players can also defend their towers by blocking their opponents' shots, or repair or rebuild toppled towers. Players can leave the circle to retrieve more socks or beanbags if they run out, but then they must leave their tower undefended. The player with tallest tower at the end of the game wins.
Member Comments