When I think back on my childhood summers, nothing makes me smile more than recollecting all the fun, neighborhood summer games we’d play.
Summer games were what got me out of bed at the crack of dawn each morning and kept me going until all the other neighborhood children went indoors.
Outdoor summer games can inspire our children to get up and outside more often. It’s not always an easy task to gather a group of children to play outside today, for a variety of reasons, such as competing with the allure of video games, unsafe neighborhoods, and busy schedules.
However, if you are lucky enough to have a small or large group of children around, these games can add so much fun to your children’s lives.
My 7 favorite outdoor games are:
1. CROSS MY OCEAN
One child is the “shark”, the rest of the kids are “fish”. The shark stands in the middle of the playing area and the fish stand on one side. The shark yells “cross my ocean!” and the fish have to run to the other side and avoid being tagged(caught) by the shark.
If they are caught, they become “seaweed” and have to sit down and wiggle their arms, mimicking the way seaweed moves in the water and trying to catch the fish as they run across the ocean. The game ends when there is 1 fish left and he/she becomes the shark in the next game
2. SCATTER
For this game, there must be set boundaries. We generally used a parking lot or a baseball field, but any area can work. You start by throwing the ball up in the air. The player that gets it can take up to three steps before they throw the ball. The player that next gets the ball must do the same, take up to three steps before throwing it. Meanwhile the other players can run around and dodge the ball. If a player is hit they must move to the sideline and remember who it was that hit them. If the player that got them out gets hit they are back in the game. Also, players can catch the ball to save themselves and the thrower is then “out”. Play is over when only 1 player remains.
3. RUNNING BASES
This is a great classic game that my dad taught me. It was one of the few games that would oftentimes lure some of the “dads” in the neighborhood to come out and play with us. Oh, how we loved when they joined us!
Assign two players to be the catchers. They each stand at a different base. All of the other players pick a base to start out at.
The catchers toss the ball back and forth to each other. The players run to the opposite base. The object is to get to the opposite base without getting tagged by a catcher with a ball. If you are tagged by the ball you become a catcher.
4. SPUD
This game is best played in a large open field. To start off the game, all the players count off and need to remember their number. One person starts off in the center and throws the ball up in the air as they call out a number. Everyone disperses and runs in all different directions, except for the person whose number was called. The person whose number was called catches the ball and then yells “Spud!” When he or she yells this, everyone must freeze. The person with the ball then is allowed to take three giant steps toward any player. He or she throws the ball and tries to hit someone. To dodge, players are allowed to move all parts of their body except they may not move their feet at all. If a player is hit the first time, he or she earns the letter “S”, eventually spelling the word S-P-U-D. The person who was hit becomes the new thrower; otherwise, the thrower who missed earns a letter. The next round begins and play continues. Whoever spells the letter S-P-U-D is out of the game; alternatively, if you do not wish to eliminate players, you can set a time limit and whoever has the least amount of letters when the time expires is the winner.
5. PARACHUTE GAMES
I have always loved parachute games! Check out my blog post for more ideas:
https://learningisawayoflife.com/parachute-games/
6. CAPTURE THE FLAG
Instead of a large open space for this game, a more woodsy area or area with lots of hiding spaces is preferred. First off, the kids are split into 2 teams, each team given a defined territory, and each team is given a “flag”(we usually used bandanas).
The game starts with each team hiding their flag in their own territory. Once the flags are hidden, the game begins. In order to win the game, you must capture the other team’s flag and bring it back to your own territory. But if an enemy team member grabs you while you’re standing on their territory, they are allowed to take you straight to jail (which is a certain spot in their territory). You can be freed from jail if one of your team members touches you, and there’s no limit to how many times you can be thrown into jail.
7. GHOSTS IN THE GRAVEYARD
Oh man, it seems as if all my best summer nights ended with this game. This is best played in a large area with lots of hiding spots and at night.
The object of the game is to find the ghost– a player who is hiding.
For me, the most memorable part of the game was the little song we sang while waiting on base, with our eyes closed, for the “ghost” to go and hide.
“One o’clock, two o’clock, three o’clock rock
four o’clock, five o’clock, six o’clock rock
seven o’clock, eight o’clock, nine o’clock rock
ten o’clock, eleven o’clock, twelve o’clock rock
midnight, moonlight, we’re off to find the ghost tonight”, with that last line being yelled loudly before anyone could open their eyes and step off of the “base”
The player who finds the ghost’s hiding spot, yells “Ghost in the Graveyard” to alert the other players. The player who finds the ghost is safe. All the other players must race back to base then without being tagged by the “ghost”. Whomever the ghost tags is the ghost for the next game.
Summer games provide so many memories and should be a staple of every childhood.
What were your favorite outdoor summer games?
Some of these brought back memories I had forgotten all about! Thanks for sharing great to have with the nice weather here!