Fun Outdoor Games

When you are arranging a party or an outdoor event it is good to have some game ideas to keep the young ones and the big kids entertained.

So whether you are arranging a picnic, camping or hosting a garden party, our list of fun outdoor party games with and without equipment might come in handy.

RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT

Players: Any size
Positions: Designate one person to shout red light or green light
Equipment: None
Area Required: You need an area where you can define a start line and a finish line.
A distance of approx 25m or more between the lines would be ideal.

How to Play:

• The person calling red light or green light should be positioned at the finish line
• Players start at the designated start line.
• When the designated person calls green light, all players dash towards the finish line until the person shouts red light, and at that point players should then immediately stop.
• If anyone is still moving when red light has been called then they have to return to the start line.
• Red light and green light is called until the first person makes it over the finish line and is crowned the winner.

FREEZE TAG

Players: Any
Positions: Choose one person to be ‘IT’
Equipment: None
Area Required: Define a large enough area for people to be able to run around freely

How to Play:

• Players have to dodge and run from the person who is ‘IT’
• The person who is ‘IT’ has to run after players and tap them and shout freeze.
• When a player has been tapped they then have to freeze on the spot until another player unfreezes them.

HIDE AND SEEK

Players: Any
Positions: Choose one person to be the seeker
Equipment: None
Area Required: Define an area with good areas to hide

How to Play:

• The designated seeker closes their eyes and counts to ten whilst everyone playing finds a place to hide.
• After the seeker has counted to ten, they then proceed to find the players.
• When a player is found they are out.
• The seeker continues to find the other players until one person is left.
• The last person to be found is the winner.

RELAY RACE

Players: Any
Positions: Divide players into equal teams
Equipment: None
Area Required: You need an area where you can define a start line and a finish line.
An overall distance of approx 100m or more between the lines would be ideal especially for little legs.

How to Play: 

Example – two teams with four runners each.

• Divide the distance between the start line and the finish line into four equal sections.
• At the start of each section a runner belonging to each team will stand.
• At each section there should be one runner from each team.
• The objective for each team is to race and beat the opposing team member in their section.
• Only when a runner reaches their team member in the next section can they start running on to the next team member.
• The team with runner that crosses the finish line first is the winning team.

TELEPHONE

Players: Any
Positions: Everyone sits in a circle
Equipment: None
Area Required: Enough space for everyone to sit in a circle.

How to Play:

• One person is given a message i.e Harry hurried home to watch football on TV
• The message is then whispered to the person on the right.
• The message is only allowed to be said/delivered once.
• The message continues round the circle until it is received by the last person.
• The last person says the message out loud and the group will see if the message has differed from the start.

LIMBO

Players: Any
Equipment: Pole and Music Player
Positions: Two people are required to hold the Limbo Pole. One at each side.
Area Required: Define a space for the two people and the pole to be positioned and a starting point for people to approach the pole.

How to Play:

• To start, the Limbo pole should be held approx shoulder height
• Each person participating has to limbo under the pole without touching it or falling.
• The pole is lowered after everyone participating has successfully bypassed the first pole position.
• If someone touches the pole or falls they are out.
• The winner is person that manages to limbo under the pole at the lowest point to the ground.

BLIND MAN’S BUFF WITH A WATER GUN

Players: Any
Equipment: Blindfold and Water Gun 
Positions: Designate one person to wear the blindfold and use the water gun
Area Required: Define a large enough area for people to be able to run around freely

How to Play:

• Players have to avoid, run and dodge the person blinfolded in order to avoid being squirted by the water gun.
• If a player is squirted by the water gun they are out.
• The blindfolded person continues hunting the players until one person remains
• The last player left is the winner.

TUG O’ WAR

Players: Any
Equipment: Rope
Positions: Create two teams with an equal number of players and assign someone as the referee.
Area Required: Enough space for the rope to be extended full length

How to Play:

• Mark a vertical centre line on the ground
• Place the rope horizontally across the centre line ensuring the rope flag is in the middle. There should be an equal amount of rope on either side of the centre line.
• One team picks up one side of the rope and the other picks up the other side.
• The referee signals when teams have to start pulling.
• The aim for each team is to pull the first person on the opposing team over the centre line.
• The referee will declare the winning team.

CAPTURE THE FLAG

Players: Any
Equipment: Flags
Positions: Create two teams with an equal number of players
Area Required: Define a large enough area for people to be able to run around freely with each team having a specific area that belongs to them.

How to Play:

• Each teams’ objective is to enter the opposing team’s side and capture the flag and return it to their area.
• If a team player is tagged by the opposing team player they have to freeze until a team mate unfreezes them by touching them.
• The team to retrieve the flag is the winning team.

SCAVANGER HUNT

Players: Any
Equipment: Checklist of Items to Collect, Pencils, Bags for Collected Items
Positions: Create teams or play individually
Area Required: Depending on where you want to play the game, it can span a whole park or restricted to a back yard

How to Play:

• Teams or individuals are given the checklist of items to be collected
• The individual or team that finds all the items on the list in the quickest time is/are the winners.

DO YOU KNOW ANY MORE FUN OUTDOOR GAMES?

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