Outdoor games are a must for every camp experience for kids. They give kids the chance to get some fresh air, meet new people, and burn off some energy. These games encourage creativity, cooperation, and physical exercise in addition to being entertaining.
Through traditional games like tag and capture the flag, as well as more structured team activities, outdoor play fosters the development of critical social and problem-solving abilities in kids. Kids develop their confidence and teamwork skills whether they’re running, jumping, or planning with their friends.
This post will discuss some of the top outdoor games for kids’ camps, emphasizing enjoyable and interesting activities. These games are easily adaptable to a variety of age groups, guaranteeing that everyone will have a blast while remaining active and involved.
- Goals, objectives of active children"s games
- Activity in the game of children 6-8 years old
- What to do with a child aged 9-11
- Outdoor games for teenagers 12-14 years old
- Video on the topic
- Outdoor children"s outdoor games. TOP 6 from Questiks
- Outdoor games in the camp – 5 ideas!
- Outdoor games
- Top 5 outdoor games BEST
Goals, objectives of active children"s games
The major objective of outdoor games for kids is to encourage movement and establish the right environment for a child’s normal physical development. Teachers assign the following assignments in order to help students develop their skills (jump, run, crawl, throw, toss, catch a ball, etc.). p.), acquire the capacity to hold tension for extended periods of time (endurance), and execute precise, clean movements (dexterity).
Active games also help children develop strong moral character, perseverance, peer-interaction skills, a healthy sense of self-worth, the ability to empathize and celebrate their friends’ victories, the ability to lose with grace and, in the event of a victory, share that success with others, and the ability to listen to others. Because it has rules, the game can be easily and discreetly disciplined.
Outdoor games can be classified as active, with medium mobility, or with low mobility based on their objectives and dynamics.
There are enjoyable narrative games as well as sports and rule-based games.
You should choose imaginative and enjoyable games for younger kids. For younger kids, these could be games like "Geese-Swans" or "Golden Gate," while volleyball, basketball, tournaments, and quests are suitable for older kids. With a synopsis of the games, let’s examine in more detail.
In order to encourage children’s cooperation, imagination, and physical exercise, outdoor games are essential in a children’s camp. Not only do these games keep kids entertained and active, but they also foster the development of important social skills and enduring friendships. Through the integration of an array of enjoyable and engaging activities, camps have the capacity to produce enduring experiences that foster personal development and communal harmony.
Activity in the game of children 6-8 years old
Children of six to eight years old are so arranged that they still have faith in a fairy tale, in characters, they continue to get acquainted with the world of objects, therefore, games with specific, not so binding and picky rules, games with a plot or fun according to a given algorithm, this is exactly what develops them and brings them pleasure. Team games (for example, football, basketball, competitions between teams), games that require planning and logical operations of thinking (like in quests), are not so accessible and enjoyable for them yet: having lost, children get very upset, they are able to blame each other, not understanding the task, they get very angry. They need to be prepared for this kind of games gradually: they need to develop a team spirit, the ability to empathize, be strong in transforming their feelings from negative to positive.
The purpose of the ensuing active games for kids between the ages of 6 and 8 is precisely this.
"Golden Gate"
Two people are chosen to form a gate by raising their hands and holding them together. These people are in charge.
The remaining players go through these "gates." "Golden Gate, come in, gentlemen," they respond. The first time, you’re out of here; the second, you’re free; and the third, you’re out of here!"
The leaders’ hands abruptly drop when the line is finished, catching the kids who were unable to escape the "gate." The "gate" widens as they increase the number of leaders. Thus, the game goes on until there are two "free" players remaining in front of the gate. They are pronounced the winners. The game now follows the same pattern, with these miracle participants serving as the "gates."
"Mouse and Cat"
This game is very popular with kids this age because it allows them to switch between being a mouse and a cat and run around catching up to each other. All you’ll need is perseverance, agility, and the capacity to celebrate your allies.
Children, holding hands, form a circle – a "hole". 1 "mouse" and 1 "cat" are determined. "Mouse"s" starting place is in the center of the circle. She is "sleeping". "Cat" – outside the circle and asks questions to the other participants: "Mouse, mouse is at home?", they: "At home", "Cat": "And what is she doing?", children: "Sleeping", "Can I wake her up?" – the "Cat" asks, children: "You can!". And, having received the green light, the participants who form the circle raise their hands, making windows in the house, through which the "Cat" gets inside the hole, trying catch up with the "Mouse", and it, in turn, runs away from him. Players that form a circle, then raise and then lower their hands, preventing the "Cat" from catching the "Mouse". At the moment when the "Mouse" is in the "paws of the Cat", the new "Cat" and "Mouse" are recognized, and the previous ones join the circle with the other participants.
"The equines were in motion."
Additionally, the horses were ambling along the road. What have they got caught up in? The golden route beneath the hoof. The bunny is moving, picking at the grass. Which bunch will he pick first?
For those who didn’t notice at the end of the poem, "Kvach-belmach, black eyes"
The games that are meant to be played by older kids come next, though these kids can start playing them earlier if they’re ready.
What to do with a child aged 9-11
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These are good games for kids because they let them show off their strength, dexterity, and inventiveness. This age group of kids is prepared for social interaction. These games will be cooperative, rule-based games. Children ages 9 to 11 are, however, not opposed to engaging in the enjoyable games listed above.
Let’s now examine the games themselves.
"Destroyers"
In pairs, participants form a line. The person who will catch (become "burning") is located two steps ahead. He just hears the conclusion of the next song that the participants are performing, without turning around:
Burn brightly, but don’t let it go out. Stay motionless and gaze into the field. There are Trumpeters riding and eating kalachi. Gaze up at the sky; the stars are blazing, and cranes are yelling, "Gu, gu, gu, I’ll flee." One, two, run like a horse, don’t be a crow!
When it comes to an end, the "Burning" looks up quickly and sprints to catch up with the initial participants, who at that precise moment disperse across both sides of the line before reuniting behind them. Once the pair has accomplished this, the "burning" one takes the lead once more; however, if he manages to catch one of the pair, the final member becomes the "burning" one.
The game goes on, with the former "burning" who has finished his task becoming a new pair.
"Receivers"
View the video instructions.
"Adventurer and advisor"
For the game, you need two teams with the same number of participants. They go to different sides of the area for outdoor games, stand in a line, hold hands. It turns out to be an obstacle. One team asks the other: "Pioneer, pioneer, give me a counselor", the opponents answer: "Who?", they name one of the children from the opposing team, and the specified child runs to the "obstacle" with the goal of breaking the barrier of the other team. If the attempt is crowned with the separation of the opponent"s hands, he chooses for his team one of the children who did not hold back the "pile" of the enemy and separated the hand. In the case where the chain is strong and remains intact, the participant joins the opposing team. Until one of the teams has all the opposing players, the game continues.
Kids adore this game because it brings them together and makes them excited. Furthermore, if the teams are equal, it can go on forever. It is against the game rules to call the same player more than three times in a row.
"Pantomime"
You will need two presenters: one who will say the word quietly so the players won’t hear it, and another who will perceive it and then mimic it with gestures and facial expressions. The player who correctly guesses the word gets to choose who takes the place of one of the presenters. So they carry on with their game.
Outdoor games for teenagers 12-14 years old
These kids can play the games listed below as well as the ones from the prior age group. intended to demonstrate their creativity and agility.
"Typewriter"
Kids are arranged in a row. They serve as the typewriter’s keyboard. When the word is spoken by the presenter, "the typewriter starts to knock letters"—that is, each player takes turns slapping his knee with his palm to summon the letter needed to write the given word. If there are soft or hard signs in the word meet, the letters are pronounced exactly as they are called in the alphabet.
"Refunds"
Participants receive three to five pieces of paper as forfeits. each), and this is the "money" they are trying to use to make up for their neglect. Someone calls the host. He says the following out loud:
We got a hundred rubles from them. Purchase anything you desire; don’t accept black or white; don’t say yes or no!
The terms "yes," "no," "black," and "white" are deemed inappropriate. By asking pointed questions, the host attempts to coerce the participants into providing a response that includes at least one of these terms. The kids’ job is to respond without using these terms. A participant forfeits one to the host if they were not paying attention and answered with an inappropriate word.
For instance, "Do you enjoy drawing?" "It’s enough to love" … "You use paints?" "Pencils" "What kind of paint do you use for nighttime drawings?" "Dark"
The game’s rules state that responses must be provided promptly and that asking multiple kids at once is acceptable but asking the same player repeatedly is not. The players assign a task to 1-2 participants who have no more forfeits: they can dance, guess riddles, recite poems, sing, etc.
"Bewilderment"
One child is designated as the "needle" among the group; the other kids hold hands to form a thread. Without unplugging their hands, the kids become confused with one another as the "needle" moves away and the "thread" becomes disoriented. The players call out to the host, "A needle, needle, throw a ball," after the "ball" has been thrown. "Needle": "Netka-nepomeds, whirling around, bewildered." "I’m heading, I’ll assist." The "thread" becomes unraveled by more "needle."
"Shoes"
It takes two teams. The competition type determines the game. Children from each team are asked to remove their shoes and place them in the designated spot. Everyone retreats equally from the "heaps" of command shoes. At each team’s signal, they run in pairs, locate their shoes, get dressed, and run back, passing the baton to the following member of their team. Those whose team will be shod first will win.
This video demonstrates another game very well.
The games that we have provided below will also pique the interest of children this age.
Game | Description |
Capture the Flag | Teams try to capture the other team"s flag and bring it back to their own base without being tagged. |
Sack Race | Participants hop to the finish line while inside a sack. The first to cross wins. |
Relay Race | Teams race in stages, passing a baton to the next runner. The team that finishes first wins. |
Treasure Hunt | Kids search for hidden items or clues based on given instructions. The one who finds the most or the final treasure wins. |
Tug of War | Two teams pull on opposite ends of a rope. The team that pulls the other team across a marker wins. |
At a children’s camp, outdoor games provide the ideal balance of enjoyment, education, and exercise. They support children’s physical activity levels, foster teamwork, and help them make lifelong friendships. Along with encouraging collaboration and problem-solving skills, these activities help kids come up with inventive ways to spend time outside while having fun.
Outdoor games encourage kids to get outside and interact with nature, which has benefits beyond just the health benefits. Their relationship with the outdoors encourages curiosity and adventure, which makes them more appreciative of the surrounding natural environment.
Above all, these games foster an atmosphere in which kids can laugh, express themselves, and just have fun being kids. The experiences children have at camp, whether they are engaged in competitive sports or creative play, can positively influence their development and well-being for a long time.