Outdoor Games for Large Groups of Kids

Summer is the best month for all of us when we are still younger. Aside from it is our vacation month. This is also the best time that we can play with our neighbor’s friends. 

Nothing can beat how we will play all day until we used up all our energy. 

However, nowadays many kids are stuck on their PSP, iPad, computers, laptops, cellphones and tablets.  

In this article, we will bring you back the few outdoor games for large group of kids. That will give you the kind feeling of nostalgia. You can also teach these outdoor games to your nephews, nieces, and of course your kids to pass on the fun. 

7 Outdoor Games for Large Groups of Kids 

Outdoor games are one of the best experiences that every kid will really enjoy. There are lots of outdoor games that they can choose from. We compiled some of the outdoor games for large groups of kids below;

Hide and Seek

Hide and Seek is one of the most popular classic kids’ games that can last few hours a day. You can try playing a version with multiple player seekers or play it on the traditional way. What makes the game unique is that it is usually play during sunset or at night. To make it more exciting and challenging for the player who is the ‘’it’’ or the person who is finding the other players. Before the game will start the other players will hide. They need to be creative with their hiding spots to win the game. 

Number of players: 10 to 20 a large group of kids. 

You will need: 

• A wide outdoor place to play with hiding spots. 
• Someone to hide. 
• Someone to be ‘’it’’ or the person who will find other players. 

How to play the game: 

1. Designate the playing area, you will need to limit the areas to your property.  Do not let your kids or small children to play hide near a water or other potentially dangerous spots. 

2. Select someone to be it or the person who will find the people who are hiding. You can do this by asking the kids to stands a round of ‘’change bet’’ or a quick show of hands facing up and down. The odd one is out or the ‘’it’’ of the game. 

3. The ‘’it’’ will choose the post or a corner to be the base. He or she will face on it and close his or her eyes and counts one to ten. This is the signal that everyone will run and find their hiding spots. 

4. After the count the ‘’it’’ will start to try finding all the players. After all the players are found they will need to run back to the post or corner that is their base.  

5.  The next person who will be ‘’it’’ can be the first person who found or the last person who reach the base. 

Musical Chairs 

Musical chairs or also known as the “Trip to Jerusalem” game is one of the funniest games that your kids will enjoy. In this game their talent in dancing and skills in being active will be seen. This game is very easy to learn. So, your kids will really enjoy this game. 

Number of players: 10 to 20 a large group of kids. 

You will need: 

• Chairs 
• Music Player, Speaker or Sound System 

• The players. 

How to play the game: 

1. Form a circle with set of chairs that is less than the total amount of players. 

2. Set a leader who will turn on and off or ‘’stops’’ the music player. This should be assigned in an adult as the music player should be control by the leader. 

3. The kids will walk around the chair while dancing. Once the music will stop, each kid must sit in a chair. Whoever player fails to sit on the chair will be eliminated. As players will bow out, one chair will be removed. 

4. Repeat the process until only one player remains. The last standing player that remains the game will win! 

Catch the Dragon’s Tail 

Catch the dragon’s tail is a very fun game that is ideal game for the middle and high school kids. As well as on adults too. This game is a simple to play. It only requires the kids to form a long chain and they should need not to break it. This game will help your kids develop swiftness and agility. As well as fast thinking about strategy. 

Number of players: 12 to 20 and up. 

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You will need: 

• A wide or bigger space or ground where the game can be played. 
• Handkerchief for each dragon. 
• Players. 

How to play the game: 

1. Ask the kids to split into two teams and have their teams get into a single line. Form two teams with equal numbers for members. 

2. Form a long human chain by putting arms around the waist of the person in front of them. It is like you are forming a train. 

3. Line up the players with two teams facing each other. 

4. The main objective is to get the ‘’tail’’ of the dragon. Which is the handkerchief inserted in the pocket or at the back of the last player. 

5.  The head will try to catch the tail, while the other players in the middle will try to stop the head without breaking the chain. 

6. The team that can get the ‘’tail’’ of the other team will win the game. 

Tip: 

Holding hands will make it easier than putting arms around the waist. 

Note: 

Make a rule that they can’t try to break another person’s chain. If they do their group will be disqualified. Have a bigger or huge area to play the game. A great warmup is trying each dragon to capture their own tail. 

Kick the Can 

One of the favorite classic games of many kids that wants to play is the ‘’kick the can’’ game. It is an urban version of hide and seek game which is practically a rite of childhood. So, you find a can and get kicking. The main objective of these game is to put all of the players in the “jail” and captures them in their hiding spots. 

You will need: 

• Empty paint can or bucket. 
• Players 

• Large outdoor space with hiding spots. 

How to play the game: 

1. Select the spot for the can. The “can” should need to be an actual can, bucket or anything that can be kicked in a distance.  The can’s spot should also be near something that can be a jail such as a bench, front porch, etc. 

2. Ask the kids to choose the player to be the ‘’it’’. The it is the player who will find everyone. To determine who will be the ‘’it’’ to begin the game, the kids can do stands a round of ‘’change bet’’ or a quick show of hands facing up and down. The odd one is out or the ‘’it’’ of the game. 

3. It kicks the and the other players will start to run and hide. 

4. He or she will retrieve the can, closes his or her eyes and counts one to 100. 

5. After counting 100 she or he will call ‘’Ready or not? Here I come!’’. Then she or he will look for other players. 

6. When the ‘’it’’ finds the other players, their name is called out. The it and the found player will run and race to kick the can. 

7. If the hider will kick the can first, the game will start again. However, if the ‘’it’’ kick the can first the hiders goes to the ‘’jail’’ and will stands near the can. Alternatively, the ‘’it’’ can call out the hider’s name and the place they are hiding rather than physically tagging them.  

8. To set the jailed players free, kick the can without being spotted by the ‘’it’’. But if the hinder is spotted by the ‘’it’’ they will go to jail too. The jail players can ask the other players to free them when they see opportunities. 

9. Continue playing until all of the players are found and put in jail. The first person caught will become the ‘’it’’ in the next round of play. 

Tip: 

Shorten a game that has gone on too long declaring that the first person who is caught three times is the new ‘’it’’ and begin the new game. 

Note: 

The players are not allowed to stay in just one spot if all the players are in jail. 

Tug of War 

Many kids love playing this game in the backyard or in the school with their friends or classmates. Although this game is fun but it can be also be dangerous. That’s why supervision is advised when kids will play this game. This classic game is usually play at birthday party games. It helps the kids to keep laughing and active while on the party. So, why not let the craziness begin; and start lining up the kids as they will compete to be on their strongest side? 

Number of players: 10 to 20 

You will need: 

• Rope the longer the better. 
• Players 

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How to play the game: 

1. Split the kids into two groups with the same member of player. Like 10 members to either side of the rope. 

2. Select a spot on the ground to mark it as the middle. The main objective is to pull the other team over the mark as middle on the ground. 

3. Someone will yell the ‘’go’’ to start the game. 

4. Everyone will try to start pulling the rope as hard as they can until one team will crumbles and will be pull across the line. 

5. The team that pull the other team across the line will win the game. 

Freeze Tag 

The freeze tag is one of the coolest games that every kid wants to play. This game is almost similar to normal tag game. The only difference is that, whoever was tagged by the “It” should need to stop right in their place or tracks and freeze. They can only be unfrozen if the other players will simply tap them on their shoulder and say ‘’unfreeze’’. 

Number of players: 10 to 20 and up. 

You will need: 

• Players. 
• Large outdoor space with hiding spots. 

How to play the game: 

1. Select someone to be the ‘’it’’. That person can go around, try to chase and tag as many people on the game as possible. 

2. When the ‘’it’’ successfully tags a player, the player will be freeze and he or she will remain frozen until another player who was not yet tagged, tap them on the shoulder and unfreeze them. 

3. Continue the game until all the remaining runners have been frozen and then someone becomes the new ‘’it’’. 

Note: 

In this game once the ‘’it’’ freezes all the players before the time runs out the game will be over and the ”it” will win. However, if the players can wind down the clock and unfrozen the other players, they will win the game. 

Capture the Flag 

One of the best outdoor game that is played by larger group of kids is the capture the flag game. The main goal in this game is to capture each other’s team flags without being caught on the on the territory of the other teams. In this game your kids will be train to be more active and sociable. Their skills will be more enhance when it comes to observation strategy, endurance and speed stealth. 

Number of players: 10 to 20 and up. 

You will need: 

• Large outdoor space. 
• 2 Flags with different colors 
• Large sticks or stones. 
• String. 

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How to play the game: 

1. Divide the players into two teams of equal size. 

2. Find a large outdoor playing field that includes both wooden and open areas. 

3. Divide the playing field in half and mark the boundaries with rocks or large sticks. Choose a part of landscape like a fence, stream or street as the border. Each team’s territory should both need to have similar terrain. One side should be wooden and other side should be open. 

4.  Tie the flag to the sticks using the string. Each of the team need to plant their tag near back of their territory or out of the others team sight. It should be at the eye level and plainly visible at 20 yards from at least one angle.  

5. By using the string, rocks or sticks as markers. Each of the team marks a space of its jail. 

6. Divide your team into defense and offense. To keep the game more interesting, swift roles occasionally. 

7. The team on the offense will steal the other team’s flag.  They will transport it back across the border into their own territory without getting captured by the other team. 

8. The defense team will try to capture players from the other team by tagging them while they are in their defensive territory and put them in the jail. To free captured teammates, the offense team will tag them inside the enemy jail and runs back across the border with them. Hide the players near the border around your flag to catch your enemy as they will try to sneak into your territory to save their team from the jail. 

9. Once one team captures the other’s flag, switch team, and play the game again. 

Note:

 If you don’t want your prisoners to know where your flag is. Don’t place the jail within the sight of the flags.   

Conclusion

When we are younger, we used to play outside with our friends. One of the most important life lessons that teach us playing with a large group of kids is teamwork.

This group game teaches us how to be a part of a team and work out together. It will also help us in many ways when it comes to our skills and abilities. Most especially on having a healthy body. 

So, what’s your favorite outdoor games with your childhood friends? Tell us and leave us a comment below. 

Check Out: List of Outdoor Games for Adults.