Outdoor Games
Outdoor Games for Preschoolers
Outdoor Games for Preschoolers are a great way to keep them busy for a few hours outdoors! You can teach them a few new games and they'll play all day.
Heads up / Seven's up
A lot of these games can be played indoors or outdoors. This one can be played in a classroom too. Just have all the kids sit at a table, picnic table or in a circle outdoors. This outdoor game is for large groups only, similar to Simon Says. Pick seven preschoolers and have them stand in a line facing the group. All the other preschoolers must put their heads down, close their eyes and stick their thumb out. Then the seven standing will choose one preschooler and touch their thumb very quietly. Once the seven choose someone, they head back to the front and get back in line. All the preschoolers who had their thumb touched must stand up, and one by one choose who they think touched their thumb. If they get it right they get to switch places with that person. This game continues as long as you'd like it to, or as long as it doesn't rain if you're outdoors!
Outdoor Games for Preschoolers
Simon Says
Simon says is a simple game for preschoolers to play that can also be played indoors, but if you play outdoors you can do some more tricky moves. One of the preschoolers has to be IT. That person will be giving all the commands. The person IT must command by saying "Simon Says" touch your feet. Everyone must follow the command as long as the person IT says "Simon says" in front of it. The person IT wants to knock everyone out by tricking them into doing a command that doesn't have "Simon says" before it such as: Jump up and down twice (this is why its better to play outdoors!). The object of the game is to knock all of the preschoolers out, or for the group to be the last one standing. It's a fun game if you're throwing a party!
Sardines
Sardines is strictly an outdoor game. There isn't enough room indoors to play this game. It's very similar to Hide 'N Seek where there is a preschooler designated as IT. Everyone will count to 10 or 20 while the person IT hides. The variation to Hide 'N Seek is that when someone finds the hidden person they will sit with them instead of telling everyone that they found them. The last preschooler to find the group is IT for the next round.
Duck, Duck Goose
This is a great outdoor game for kids! Everyone has to sit in a circle and someone starts off as the goose. The goose walks calmly around the circle touching each persons head and saying Duck, duck, duck, and when the choose to say goose on someones head, they run! The person in the circle must jump up and chase the goose around the circle trying to tag them. The object of the game for the goose is trying to get all the way around the circle and sit down in the other persons spot before they get tagged. If they make it then they take the seat and the other person is now the goose. There isn't really a winner or loser of this game, it just continues as long as you like.
