Recommended outdoor games and recreational activities for lower elementary school children
Here are some recommended outdoor recreation activities for lower elementary school children.
We’ve gathered popular games ranging from easy activities you can play casually in parks and open spaces to group recreation everyone can enjoy during campfires and camping trips.
Some games have more elaborate rules, so if you’re thinking, “I’m getting bored of simple games,” feel free to use these as a reference.
Each game has standard rules, but it’s totally fine to tweak them to suit your own style!
Play plenty outside to not only build physical strength but also strengthen bonds with your friends!
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Recommended Outdoor Games and Recreational Activities for Lower Elementary School Children (1–10)
long rope jumping
It’s a sport that uses a large rope to build teamwork in a group.
There are various ways to enjoy it—such as having people enter the turning rope one by one or starting with everyone lined up from the beginning—so it’s important to set rules that fit the participants.
Whatever the rules, the goal is to jump as many times as possible, so if someone notices tips for jumping or turning the rope, it might be good to share them with others.
Set a target number of jumps and work on improving teamwork to reach it.
Badminton
Badminton doesn’t require much strength, and it’s a fun sport because the shuttlecock seems to float lightly.
For beginners, it’s easy to start by hitting the shuttlecock upward and seeing how long you can keep a rally going.
Using wider rackets or larger shuttlecocks to make hitting easier can make the sport feel more approachable.
It might be best to first focus on just making contact with the racket, and once you get used to it, set some rules and turn it into a proper game.
Once you get the hang of it, the shuttlecock’s speed will increase, so it seems like a sport that can also sharpen your reflexes.
Loud Voice Showdown
It’s a simple game where you face each other, shout, and compete to see who was louder.
You can make it more exciting by choosing the right situation—like starting with a campfire between you or playing at the end of the day—and encouraging everyone to express how fun the day was with all their energy.
The words you shout also matter: you can simply say how you feel, or set a common phrase so it’s easier to judge the winner.
To boost the mood even more, it might be fun to run the game in rhythm.
Outdoor games and recreational activities recommended for lower elementary school children (11–20)
Gatekeeper Rock-Paper-Scissors
When you get bored of regular tag, try playing Gatekeeper Janken.
Gatekeeper Janken is a game that combines tag with rock-paper-scissors.
First, decide on an area to play in.
Then choose a few taggers (oni), and the taggers set up a jail within the area.
Pick one of the taggers to be the gatekeeper, and the gatekeeper stands in front of the jail.
After that, play tag within the area.
If you’re caught by a tagger, you have to go into the jail.
If a player who hasn’t been caught says “Gatekeeper Janken,” that player plays rock-paper-scissors with the gatekeeper.
If they win, everyone in the jail is allowed to escape.
It’s a fun outdoor game that adds extra thrill to regular tag.
Cops and Robbers
A tag game played in groups as Thieves vs.
Police, with a hide-and-seek element.
First, choose the jail location.
While the Police team counts to ten, the Thieves team should run away or hide.
When the counting ends, the police set out.
Thieves who are caught are put in jail, but their teammates can rescue them.
If a thief who hasn’t been caught touches a teammate inside the jail, the jailbreak succeeds.
Tag
Tag is a classic game that just about everyone played at least once as a child.
Whether you’re running away or playing It and giving chase, not knowing where the others are hiding makes your heart race and amps up the excitement! And when you play in a large area, it gets even more thrilling if you add a rule where the runners set off a personal safety alarm once every few minutes, deliberately revealing their location to the chaser.
Give it a try!
Treeing
Treeing is an outdoor activity where you enjoy climbing trees using special ropes.
Because your body is securely supported by the rope as you climb, you can let go with your hands without worrying about falling and reach scenic spots you would never normally be able to climb to.