Looking for something fun to keep the kids entertained without breaking the bank? Round up some friends and get the family outside to enjoy the gorgeous summer weather and burn off some energy with these fun outdoor games.
Capture the flag
This is a great game to play with larger groups. Divide into two teams, each team has a flag or object at their team’s base that the opposing team must try to capture and take back to their own base. If you tag opposing players who are trying to capture your flag they are sent to ‘jail’ and can only be released by being tagged by a team mate. The first team to capture the opposing team’s flag or to send all of them to ‘jail’ wins.
Dance freeze
Grab a radio or portable speaker and choose one person who is in charge of playing the music. The other players dance along to the music with their most silly dance moves. When the music is stopped everyone must freeze in position. If they move while the music is off then they are out. Continue playing until there is only one winner remaining.
Shadow tag
Perfect for a sunny day, for this unique spin on tag you must tag each other’s shadow on the ground with your feet. It will be harder at noon as the shadows will be smaller.
Stuck in the mud
The person who is ‘it’ must run around and try to tag the other players. When a player is tagged they become ‘stuck in the mud’ and must stand still with their feet wide apart. To release a stuck player, another player must crawl through their legs.
Marco polo
Marco Polo is a fun game to play in the swimming pool, making it a summer favourite. The person who is ‘it’ closes their eyes and yells out ‘Marco!’ and the other players must call back ‘Polo!’. Using the sound of the replies, they try to tag the other players (remember to keep those eyes closed). If they catch someone then they are ‘it’. And additional variation is to include ‘fish out of water’ where players can get out of the pool, but if the person who is ‘it’ calls ‘fish out of water’ before they get back in then they get tagged.
Wink murder
One player is chosen as the detective. While the detective is out of ear shot the group of players form a circle and choose someone to be the murderer. When the detective returns they must stand in the middle of the circle and try to discover the murderer. When the murderer winks at another player they must fall down dead (the more dramatically the better).
Telephone
Players sit in a circle and one person thinks of a phrase or sentence and whispers it to the person next to them. This is repeated by each person until the message gets passed to the last person who must say it out loud. It is often rather hilarious how much the message can change along the way.
Untangle the octopus
This works best with about five to eight people. Stand in a circle and get everyone to hold a hand of two different people across from them. Then you need to try and untangle the knot of arms without letting go.
Stunned ants
Mark out a boundary for the play area and choose one person to be ‘it’. The players all run around inside the play area and the person who is ‘it’ tries to tag them. Players who are tagged must lay on their back and kick their arms and legs like a stunned ant. To be revived, other players must carry them by their hands and feet to outside the boundary of the play area. Be careful not to get tagged while mounting a rescue or you will also become a stunned ant.
Bull rush
Choose two boundaries, such as fence lines or the width of a sporting field. One person is ‘it’ and stands in the centre of the play area while the rest of the group lines up on one of the boundaries. When the person in the centre yells out ‘bull rush’ the other players must run to the other side and try to avoid getting tagged by the person who is ‘it’. Any players who get tagged then stay in the middle and help to tag the other players until there is one person remaining who is the winner.
Try out these fun and energetic games in your backyard or enjoy the open spaces and grassy areas at an Ingenia Holidays Park. We offer a range of cabin, caravan and camping accommodation to suit any style of traveller.