eSpend some time at the park and enjoy some great bonding time together with great family outdoor games that everyone can enjoy.
There is nothing like spending time together and playing outdoor games in the park is a thrilling and enjoyable experience. Family outdoor games that you can play in the park offer a refreshing break from indoor spaces, allowing us to engage in physical activities while immersing ourselves in nature’s beauty.
There are so many different family-friendly games and variations of games that you can enjoy. These provide a chance for fun and friendly competition while enjoying the open space, fresh air, and lush surroundings of a park.
Playing outdoor games is a wonderful way to bond with friends or family, create lasting memories.
Family Outdoor Games that Everyone Can Enjoy
Here are some outdoor games that you can enjoy for a fun time outdoors.
Scavenger Hunt
A scavenger hunt can be a thrilling and engaging activity that keeps everyone on their toes.
To put together a scavenger hunt, you will need to first develop a checklist of things that people must look for. If you are playing this in a park, make sure that the items of the list can be found in the playing area.
So, for example, if you are in a park, it could be items such as a brown leaf, a flat stone, a twig that is at least 20 cm long, and so forth.
Or you can prepare some items of your own and hide them in the playing area for the players to find.
The split everyone up into teams and give them a time limit to find the various items within the playing area. It is a great way for kids and adults to work together to try to find the various items on the list.
Monkey in the Middle
This is a fun game for kids to play. All it takes is a ball and at least three persons.
The three or more persons can take turns passing the ball to each other while the last person in the centre, the “monkey in the middle” will have to try to intercept the pass and get hold of the ball.
When he or she catches the call, he or she will take over the position of whoever last threw the ball.
If there are four or five persons playing, you can form a circle to play this game.
Just take note that this game can get quite competitive. Or, if the person who is in the middle is unable to catch the ball, it can also get quite frustrating. To mitigate this, set a time limit that the person can spend as the “monkey”. If it reaches the time limit, swop out the “monkey” so that everyone has the chance to play different positions.
Eagle and Chicks
This game is said to be of Taiwanese origin. To play it, you need at least four or more people and a large open space, hence it is a great family outdoor game to play in the park.
Choose one player to be the eagle and appoint another player to be the mother hen. The rest of the players will be the chicks.
The aim of the game is for the eagle to try to catch one of the chicks. The mother hen’s job is to try to protect the chicks behind him or her from the eagle.
All the chicks should stand in a line behind the mother hen and hold on to the shoulders of the person in front of them. They cannot break away from the group or they will be out of the game.
It then becomes a fun game of the eagle trying to get past the mother hen while all the chicks try their best to stay out of the way of the predator eagle.
If the eagle catches the chick, the round is over and the chick becomes the next eagle.
Read more about how to play eagle and chicks.
Follow the Leader
Follow the Leader is an easy yet fun game to play.
Just form up into a line with the person at the front of the line being appointed as the leader.
The leader can walk around the park. As he or she does so, he or she can carry out different actions such as touching his or her head, or hopping on one foot. Everyone else behind the leader is supposed to mimic the leader’s actions.
Every so often, the leader will turn around and everyone behind him or her will have to freeze and stay as still as possible. Those who wobble or move will then need to make their way to the back of the line.
Do make sure that everyone has a chance to be a leader and watch as the giggles come.
Catch or Tag
This is a simple, yet fun childhood game. Known as Catch or Tag, all it takes to play the game is to appoint one person to be the catcher or “it”.
The catcher’s job is to try to tag the other players.
This game is best played in an area which has a wide open space. Hence, it is a great outdoor game to play in the park.
Once the round has started, you will find everyone scrambling around, trying to get out of the way of the catcher. It is a great way to get everyone moving and stretching their legs.
Hide and Seek
Hide and Seek is a classic game that can be played outdoors. This is a good option especially if there are features in the park such as trees and shrubbery close by as they present different options to hide.
It is also important to set a playing boundary for this game when playing outdoors. Then the seeker can make sure that he or she know where to look.
Find out more about how to play hide and seek, including different variations of the game.
Frisbee
Chucking about a frisbee can be great fun. It is alway a good way for kids and adults to practise their skills and coordination. The larger the outdoor space you, the greater the opportunities for you to stretch out and run because you can throw the frisbee over greater differences.
In addition to tossing about the frisbee, you can also play a simple game of ultimate frisbee where opposing teams try to score by catching the frisbee within a scoring zone. It is a fun way to get running and have some friendly competition.
Capture the Flag
This game can get quite competitive, which could either be a good or bad thing! To play capture the flag, start by organising the players into two teams.
Each team will have a home base and an item that they will have to protect. It could something like a bean bag or cone. The objective is for each team to infiltrate into the other team’s base without being tagged, and the capture the “flag” and return it to their own home base.
Watch as the competitive streak appears!
Captain’s Ball
This is a fun game that can be played with a larger group and just a ball. Divide the players into two teams. Each team will appoint a captain, who will be positioned at the end of the playing field. He or she will remain there at the end zone and try to catch the ball. A defender from the opposing team can stand in front of the captain to prevent the captain from catching the ball.
The rest of the players will have to pass the ball to each other and eventually score by passing the ball to the captain. Once a player receives the ball, he or she cannot move.
Outdoor Games with Family and Friends
We hope you enjoy all these ideas for outdoor games that you can play in the park. They can be great fun and wonderful ways to spend quality time together with family and friends.
