Classic Outdoor Games For Kids

It appears that many classic outdoor childhood games that were played with few or zero toys, gadgets and such are getting lost. Children are not playing about these games as much as they used to, and many don't know how to play them.

Many of these are great exercise, cost nothing and best of all build awesome childhood memories. Many of my fondest childhood memories are hours and hours of playing these various games with my brother, cousins and anyone else who was nearby.

Here's a list of some of my favorites: Red Light Green Light - Someone is chosen as the "stop light" or "it". The point of the game is the rest of the kids try to touch this person and whoever does so first, wins. The kids all form a single line about 15 feet away from the stop light person, and the stop light turns his/her back to the rest of the kids. The stop light calls out "green light" and all the kids move to try to reach the stop light person. When the stop light calls out, at any point, "Red Light" and turns around, if he/she catches anyone moving, they are out. This continues until someone touches the stoplight. They win the game and earn the right to be the stop light in the next game.

Kick The Can - Is a combination of tag and hide and seek. A person chosen is "it". They count to a predetermined number while the other kids hide, while at the same time sort of guarding the can. They then seek to find the hidden kids. When they find one, it is then a race between the two. The one found tries to get to the can first and kick it over, while the "it" person tries to tag him before he can do this. There's always those smart alec kids who hide in dumb, close places to sprint to the can when seen and catch the "it" person off guard.

Marbles - Usually is played just on dirt. Take a finger and draw a circle around creating a small playing field, and in the center make a small hole. Each player puts in one of his marbles randomly around the play area. Each player uses a large marble called a shooter to knock a marble into the hole, similar to playing pool. Each person takes a turn, and when someone does knock a marble into the hole, that marble becomes theirs and they get another turn. There are many variables to the rules of of this game, and of course trading marbles can also be great fun.

Duck Duck Goose - Kids sit in a circle facing each other. One person is "it" and walks around the circle. As they walk around, they gently tap the person's head that they just walked past and say whether they are a "duck" or a "goose". Once someone is proclaimed a "goose" that person gets up and tries to chase "it" around the circle. The goal is to tag that person before they are able sit down in the "goose's" spot. If the goose is not able to do this, they become "it" for the next round and the game continues on like before. If they do tap the "it" person, the person tagged has to sit in the center of the circle. Then the goose become it for the next round. The person stuck in the middle can't leave until someone else is tagged and they are replaced.

Stick Ball - No teams are used in this, just a person designated the batter and the rest are in the outfield. Tennis balls are great to reduce risk of breaking windows, and either a bat or stick is used. The batter throws the ball in the air and hits it, then lays the bat or stick on the ground in front of them. Whoever gets the ball first, then rolls the ball to the bat, which causes it to bounce. If the batter does not catch the ball, the person who rolled the ball becomes the next batter. If someone catches a fly ball he/she is automatically the next batter.

Hopscotch - Hopscotch is a wonderful hopping game that can be played on a sidewalk or pavement or on a floor indoors. There are hundreds of variations of the diagram that can be drawn. Use your favorite version to have children play. Use chalk to draw a hopscotch pattern on the ground or use masking tape on a floor. Create a diagram with 8 sections and number them. Each player has a marker such as a stone, beanbag, bottlecap, shell, button, etc.

The first person stands behind the starting line to toss her or his marker in square 1. Hop over square 1 to square 2 and then continue hopping to square 8, turn around, and hop back again. Pause in square 2 to pick up the marker, hop in square 1, and out. Then continue by tossing the stone in square 2. All hopping is done on one foot unless the hopscotch design is such that two squares are side-by-side. Then two feet can be placed down with one in each square. A player must always hop over any square where a maker has been placed.

A player is out if the marker fails to land in the proper square, the hopper steps on a line, the hopper looses balance when bending over to pick up the marker and puts a second hand or foot down, the hopper goes into a square where a marker is, or if a player puts two feet down in a single box. The player puts the marker in the square where he or she will resume playing on the next turn, and the next player begins. Sometimes a dome-shaped "rest area" is added on one end of the hopscotch pattern where the player can rest for a second or two before hopping back through.

Farmer in the Dell - This game needs about 15 or people or more to stand in a circle. A person is chosen as the Farmer and stands in the middle. Everyone sings, "The farmer in the dell, the farmer in the dell; Heigh ho, the Derry-oh the farmer in the dell" and walks around in the circle with the Farmer standing still. The next verse is "The farmer takes a wife . . .," which is sung as the Farmer person chooses another person from the circle to come to the inside. The next verse is "The wife takes a child . . .," when the wife person inside the circle chooses a third person to be the child. This continues with "The child takes a dog . . .," "The dog takes a cat . . .," "The cat takes a rat . . .," and "The rat takes the cheese . . .." The final verse is? The cheese stands alone . . .," then all people on the inside of the circle go back to the outer edge of the circle and sing as the last person chosen "stands alone" in the circle, the game is over.

Reminisce about some of your favorite games and add to the list. Bring back the lost games of childhood to pass on to your children and grandchildren to play, plus share a special bond with them through the examples of what you did as a child. They will begin to see another aspect of your life.

Article Source: http://www.rent-car.infositehome.com

By Rachel Ray - Trying to assist others engage their creativity by recharging and having some fun with life. Many times home life can be simply too serious and anxiety filled.

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