In most parts of the country spring provides us the type of weather we dream about during the rest of the year. Lawns start growing, gardens bloom and the sound of children playing fills the air. In my opinion there are few outdoor games that are timeless classics. They are sure to please children of all ages and help make spring time even more fun.
Hopscotch requires little set up and materials to play and children love it. All you need to play hopscotch with your children is a piece of chalk and a stone. This game is great because it can be played with several children or kids can also play it solo. On their turn a player tosses the stone into the first box and then hops the board by hopping on one foot through single squares and straddling double squares. After they have completed the board the player reverses and comes back to the beginning. Players can only hop the board if the stone lands inside the first box, otherwise their turn is skipped.
Red Light Green Light is another timeless classic. One child acts as the traffic light and the other children line up about 10 to 20 feet away. The traffic light faces towards the other children when he or she wants them to stop and turns their back to them when the other children can run. If the traffic light catches someone running when they should be stopped, they are out. Whoever reaches the traffic light first wins. If everyone is out before anyone reaches the traffic light then the traffic light wins.
Colored Eggs is another fun game kids love. You pick two trees on opposite sides of the yard. One child is the wolf and the others are the eggs. The eggs all decide on their individual colors and then line up in front of the tree. The wolf stands in the middle of the two trees and then calls a color. The wolf calls the color by saying ” Knock Knock” and the eggs reply ” who’s there?”, the wolf answers ” the big bad wolf ” the eggs say ” what do you want?”, then the wolf says “colored eggs” finally the eggs say ” what color?” and the wolf shouts out a color. The egg with the assigned color then attempts to run to the tree on the opposite side of the wolf without getting caught. If the egg makes it he is safe until all the eggs are called over and the next round starts. If he or she gets caught by the wolf then they become the wolf and all the eggs select new colors.
We have all played Simon Says at one point in our lives and this game is still a hit with kids. In this game one child acts as Simon and instructs the other children what to do by saying something like ” Simon says touch your nose” and all the children follow suit and do what Simon says. Simon’s job is to throw off the participants by calling out instructions without saying ” Simon Says”, when Simon does this whoever followed the instruction is out. Everyone keeps playing and following Simon’s instructions as they get faster and faster until only one player is left standing.
Kids love playing outside and once the sun is shinning and the birds are chirping they flock to the backyard in search of fun. Most of these games are easy enough for them to set-up and play on their own. Plus, getting children organized into games can save argument, injury and chaos.
