![[For Kids] Outdoor Recreation Games: Fun Outdoor Play](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/UF81uXjhHjU/maxresdefault.webp)
Introducing outdoor activities and recreational games that kids will love!
When they’re little, children are happy just riding swings or sliding down slides at the park.
But as they grow, they start wanting games with rules and activities that let them run, jump, and move their bodies to the fullest!
Wondering, “What outdoor play do kids enjoy?” In that case, be sure to check out this article.
You’ll find nostalgic games that moms and dads used to play when they were kids, too!
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[For Kids] Outdoor Recreation Games: Fun Outdoor Play (1–10)
Cat and Mouse
“Cats and Mice” is a game all the kids can enjoy.
It’s best played in a large open space.
First, divide into a Cat team and a Mouse team.
The Cat team forms a circle and places the Mouse team inside it.
When the game starts, the Mouse team tries to escape from the circle, while the Cat team works together to stop them.
If you switch roles, everyone gets a fair chance to have fun.
It not only develops children’s physical abilities but also helps them use their heads to plan strategies.
Breathing in the fresh air outdoors, they’re sure to make lasting memories.
Tail tag
As the name suggests, “Tail Tag” is a game where you compete to grab each other’s tails.
Everyone attaches a tail to their waist using paper tape or string.
Prepare plenty of spare tails and place them in the center of the play area.
At the starting signal, everyone runs and tries to take other people’s tails.
Anyone who loses their tail attaches a spare one from the center and jumps back in.
The winner is the person who collects the most tails by the end.
Be careful: if you focus too much on taking others’ tails, someone might snatch yours—so aim for tails while protecting your own!
tag
Tag is the classic of all classics when it comes to outdoor play.
It’s a timeless game that just about everyone has experienced.
While all the special rule variations are fun, the standard version is hard to beat.
Choose the tagger (the “oni”) with rock-paper-scissors or similar, and the tagger chases the other players; when the tagger touches someone, they switch roles.
If you’re playing in a park, you might climb on the playground equipment or hide in the shade of trees—how you use the space to outsmart the tagger is the key.
Dive in and enjoy it to the fullest with your wits, stamina, and a bit of animal instinct!
Cops and Robbers
Another classic game to play during recess or after school in the park is dorokei.
Dorokei is short for “dorobō” (thief) and “keisatsu” (police).
As the name suggests, the rules split players into two teams—thieves and police—and the fun comes from those two roles.
The police chase the thieves like in a regular game of tag, and any thief who gets tagged is put in “jail.” The key rule—and the highlight of the game—is that a thief who hasn’t been caught yet can free a jailed teammate by touching them.
That’s why both the police and the thieves get to enjoy the game through teamwork and dividing up roles.
triangular base
Many of you may have played “Triangle Base” after school on the playground or at a park.
The basic rules are like baseball, but as the name suggests, the field isn’t a diamond—it’s a triangle with only second base and home plate.
You don’t use a bat; you hit the ball with your hand, so it doesn’t fly as far as in baseball, making it easy to enjoy in a small field.
People of all ages and genders can play together, and for young children in particular, it can be a great way to get familiar with baseball.
freeze tag
One of the special rules for tag is called “Ice Tag” (Ko-ori Oni).
It’s a classic game, and it’s perfect for kids who find regular tag a bit too easy.
The basic rules are the same as normal tag, but anyone who gets tagged must freeze in place as if turned to ice.
The tagger wins by tagging everyone and freezing them all.
However, there’s also a version where frozen players can be revived if another player touches them, which makes the game fun by requiring focus and wide awareness.
Hula hoop play
The hula hoop, which sold 100 million units in just two years in the 1950s, is a craze that anyone from that generation would remember.
While it’s strongly associated with the simple image of rotating a hoop by moving your hips, did you know that its uses have actually evolved over its long history? You can enjoy deceptively challenging games, such as lining up while holding hands and passing a hula hoop along without letting go, or using people as “cones” and playing a ring toss-style game.
Of course, inventing new ways to play is also great fun—so give it a try!
