Kids are healthier if they play outside. A 2008 article published in "Monitor on Psychology," published by the American Psychology Association, reviewed the benefits of kids being involved with nature. The benefits include lower stress, less anxiety, better ability to concentrate and better physical health. Take your kids outside and introduce them to a few outdoor games to help them get the benefit of being outdoors.
No Equipment Needed
Games that require no equipment, just the kids themselves, are classics. These games include tag and hide and seek. If it's been some time since you've played, the rules are simple, but you can add levels of complexity to each of these games as your kids get older. Both games reinforce educational concepts for kids, too. Tag teaches kids to take turns, and hide and seek reinforces counting skills.
Tag requires one person to be "it" and chase the other players until she tags someone, who then becomes "it." Another method is to freeze in place until all people are frozen, with the last person frozen becoming "it." Hide and seek requires little supervision, though you need to establish boundaries for where kids should not hide, such as in the car. One person counts to a predetermined number and then seeks the other players, with the last kid found becoming the counter for the next round. Older kids might add in the ability to run back to the counting spot to be "free" to play the next game and avoid becoming the counter.
Minor Equipment Required
A bat, a ball and some gloves create a multitude of games your child can play outdoors. If it's just you and your child, you can play catch, reinforcing gross and fine motor skills as your child learns to throw and catch with precision. A group of kids can set up an informal baseball game, if space allows. If space is at a premium, kids can play catch, taking turns throwing to one another.
A ball of almost any type provides many outdoor game options. If the kids can play on a flat driveway against the garage door or wall, they can play wall ball, where one kid bounces the ball toward the door and the second kid receives the ball to bounce it to the wall. The kids exchange bounces until one kid misses, and then it's someone else's turn. This reinforces fine motor skills, judgment as to when to bounce the ball, math skills to aim and plan trajectory as well as the social skill of taking turns.
Equipment Required
Water games played outdoors require a pool, swimsuit and sunscreen as well as a lifeguard or adult supervision. Games in the pool can include minnows and sharks, which is similar to tag, where one swimmer is the shark trying to catch the minnows. The last minnow caught becomes the shark. Another classic game is Marco Polo, where one swimmer closes his eyes and calls out "Marco" looking for a return call of "Polo" and trying to catch the responder. The last one caught becomes the caller. Swimming games not only provide all-over conditioning but also help kids develop social skills, practice good judgment and learn to play fairly.
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