Outdoor games and recreational activities recommended for children
Kids just love playing outside, don’t they?
Even though we think “Nothing beats being active!”, many parents run out of ideas and end up struggling on weekends and during long breaks.
If that sounds like you, this is a must-see!
Here are some games and recreational activities you can do outdoors.
Try them for camping trips, outdoor events, or game time at kids’ clubs.
Traditional games can feel fresh to kids today, so it’s also a great idea for parents to enjoy the games they used to play, together with their children.
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Outdoor games and recreational activities recommended for children (11–20)
kite flying
The kanji for kite really does look like an octopus flying up into the sky, doesn’t it? Originally, it was a game played only around New Year’s.
There are various theories about its origins—some say looking up at the sky is good for your health, others say it’s to wish for children’s growth.
If you’re in a wide open area without power lines, try flying a kite and have a good time.
Simple kites can be bought at 100-yen shops, and larger ones at toy stores.
These days, there are also kites shaped like butterflies and airplanes.
If you have time, it’s fun to make one yourself.
A bit of wind is just right, so going camping near the sea is the perfect chance to enjoy it to the fullest!
flowing somen (nagashi-somen)
When it comes to summer traditions, you can’t beat somen noodles.
They’re cool and delicious.
If you’re enjoying them outdoors, why not go all out and make your own nagashi-somen setup? It’ll definitely be more exciting than just buying a kit and assembling it.
Some home improvement stores carry bamboo for the water slide, and if you can’t find bamboo, you can use a rain gutter instead.
Just wash everything thoroughly and connect the sections so the noodles don’t get stuck at the joints.
If you’re doing it outside, trying an extra-long course is a great idea! And it could be tasty to send things other than somen down the slide, too!
oshikura manju (a children’s pushing game)
The traditional game “Oshikura Manju” is something many people probably played in winter as children to keep warm.
Everyone stands back-to-back in a circle inside a ring and pushes each other while chanting, “Oshikura manju, don’t get pushed away.” If you’re pushed out of the circle or step on the line, you lose.
There’s also a variation called “Oshikura Manju Oni,” where you play Oshikura Manju inside the circle while escaping from the tagger.
Neither game requires any equipment, so you can enjoy them easily anywhere.
Watermelon splitting
Shiki Masaoka wrote many haiku about watermelons, such as “Discarded watermelon rinds in front of the temple hall” and “A peach seller sits in the shade eating a watermelon.” At home you’d just cut and eat a watermelon as usual, but if you’re outdoors, why not enjoy a round of suikawari (watermelon splitting) before you eat? All you need are a towel for a blindfold and a bamboo stick to split the watermelon, so it’s easy to have fun.
Make sure everyone gets a turn, so let the little kids try first! And don’t forget to check that no one is standing nearby.
plastic bottle rocket
If you’re going to play outside, you want to get excited with activities you can only enjoy outdoors, right? How about trying this PET bottle rocket that’s perfect for that mood? You put a small amount of water in a plastic bottle and pump in air with a bicycle pump to launch it powerfully.
Since it shoots off with force and sprays water, it’s best to play in a wide, open area and wear clothes that can get wet.
There are kits for PET bottle rockets you can buy, but you can also make one yourself!
Playing on the sandy beach
If you’re camping by the sea, playing in the sand is incredibly fun.
Who knew just digging a hole in the beach could be so entertaining? It’s like “beach magic,” a seaside version of slope magic.
Drawing a big circle in the sand and having a sumo match is great too.
Even if you fall, the sand makes a perfect cushion.
You can also enjoy beach flags—plant a small flag, run, and race to grab it.
The best part about sand play is the freedom to be creative.
And if it’s a beach where swimming is allowed, you can jump straight into the water to wash the sand off your body!
playing on the rocky shore
When you think of summer, you think of the sea—and the sea is fun even when it’s not summer.
Getting together at the shore to explore the tide pools sounds great, too.
Boys can go fishing, girls can collect shells—one of the best things about tide pooling is that everyone can find their own way to have fun.
If you’re at a place where barbecues are allowed, it’d be nice to enjoy a barbecue lunch together! Beautiful creatures make you want to touch them, but even those with pretty colors can be dangerous—the smooth sand crab (Atergatis floridus) is poisonous.
There are other hazardous creatures like sea urchins and jellyfish as well, so be sure to check in advance!
hopping
Do you know what a “hopping” toy is? It’s a toy where you stand on a board mounted on a powerful spring, hold onto a handle attached to a pole that extends upward from the board, and keep your balance while bouncing.
All you do is hop up and down, but once you try it, it’s so much fun you’ll want to keep doing it over and over! When playing outdoors, you can even use the hopping toy in place of a bicycle to go for a little stroll, and it’s also fun to set up a course with obstacles and enjoy jumping over or dodging them with the hopping toy!
Insect collecting
When you live in a big city, you don’t often get the chance to encounter insects.
If you’re heading out to the suburbs, how about trying your hand at insect collecting? You might catch dragonflies, butterflies, cicadas—and if you’re lucky, even rhinoceros beetles or stag beetles! If you’re going back to your hometown for summer break, your chances go up too.
Be sure to bring a larger container for the insects; that way they won’t get weakened while you’re holding them.
After you’ve observed the insects you caught, release them back where you found them!
fishing
When it comes to the outdoors, camping and fishing are the classics.
On a nice day, it’s great to enjoy nature while doing a bit of fishing.
The fun of fishing is that it’s enjoyable whether you catch something or not.
If you don’t catch anything, you start wondering, “Why isn’t anything biting?” Should we change spots, switch bait, or is the current just not right? That kind of time and thinking can be valuable for kids, too.
And if you do catch fish to eat, you’ll look up whether they’re edible or not—fishing really can be called a school of the great outdoors! At fishing parks, there are restrooms and shops as well.
If you’re unsure what to do, fishing is highly recommended!