Playgrounds are more than just places where kids can get some healthy exercise: They're also important environments to help spark children's creativity. When kids play on the playground, they can tap into their creative potential, turning a simple game into a role-playing adventure or a piece of playground equipment into a setting where their imagination can run wild. No matter what kids are interested in or how old they are, there's sure to be a playground game that engages them both mentally and physically.
Mark playground items, like rocks or trees, to match the number of players. A DJ controls the music, and kids move between the "chairs" while it plays. When the music stops, they must find a spot to avoid being tagged by the DJ. Those who are tagged either wait for the next round or help with tagging. This game is fast-paced and keeps everyone on their toes.
In this game, each team has a designated territory, separated by a marker like cones or streamers, and hides a flag within their zone. The goal is to capture the opposing team's flag and return it to your zone without being tagged. If caught, a player is sent to the opposing team's jail, where they must be freed by a teammate. Any lightweight object can replace the flag.
To play this game, the "police officer" plays music while the other kids play on the playground equipment. When the music stops, everyone must freeze; anyone caught moving has to join the "police." It can be pretty tricky to freeze when you're on the swings, halfway down the slide, or dangling from the monkey bars!
A treasure hunt is a fun way for kids to tap into their detective skills. You're free to create rewards and challenges that suit the kids' ages and interests. Playgrounds have lots of great hiding spots, like inside of play structures or underneath slides. You can give clues to guide the treasure hunters or let them explore freely.
In this game, a large circle is drawn with rope or chalk, and players take turns rolling a heavy ball, like a basketball, from 10 feet away to knock other balls out of the circle. Any ball knocked out is claimed by the player, and the winner is the one with the most balls when the circle is empty.
For this game, you need at least three players. Two players swing jump ropes in opposite directions, while the third jumps between them. Players often recite rhymes to help time their jumps, and they can make up their own rhymes for more creative fun.
Two equal teams line up at opposite ends of the court with balls in the center to start a game of dodgeball. At the signal, they race to grab a ball, then try to hit their opponents to knock them out. The team that eliminates all players from the opposing side wins. Just about any scenario involving a battle could be added to a dodgeball game; kids might imagine that they're defending/invading a castle or having a snowball fight.
In this game that celebrates the creativity of children, the ground is declared "lava" and can't be touched. Players must find a way from a set starting point to the end using only playground equipment. The game encourages creativity and teamwork as kids navigate obstacles like the slide or monkey bars, picking their way from one piece to the next as nimbly as possible. Mats can be used for added safety, and adult supervision is important.
Hopscotch is a game where kids toss an object onto a grid of numbered squares on the ground and hop across the squares to retrieve it, avoiding the lines. It helps improve balance and hand-eye coordination.
Seven individuals (choosers) circle the rest of the players, who put their heads down, close their eyes, and raise one thumb. Each chooser taps one player's raised thumb. Then, everyone opens their eyes, and the players have to guess who touched their thumb. If their guess is correct, they switch places with their chooser.
The goal of jacks is to bounce a ball, then pick up a specific number of jacks while the ball is in the air, then catch the ball with their other hand. Players take turns, and the winner is the first to complete the series of throws and catches.
Kids could pretend to be spies or detectives while playing I Spy, in which one player picks an object and then says, "I spy with my little eye something… ," completing the sentence with a color or other trait of the object. Then, the other players have to guess what it is.
Tag offers many fast-paced variations. Blob tag starts with one "it" player, and as others are tagged, they join hands to form a big blob. The last runner remaining wins. In zombie tag, the "it" player acts like a zombie, tagging others to turn them into zombies, with the last human standing as the winner. Tag's versatility makes it a fun mix of creativity and exercise.
In this enjoyable game, kids form a long line by holding each other's shoulders, with the "dragon" having a head at the front and a tail at the end. The goal is for the head to tag the tail while the rest of the line tries to prevent it.
Two teams form opposing lines and join arms. Then, one team yells, "Red Rover, Red Rover, let [name] come over!" The named player on the other team has to run over and try to break through the chain of linked players. If they can break through, they can capture a player and go back to their side. If they can't break through, they join the other team.
Here, one player acts as Mother and stands facing the others. The other players ask permission to move in various ways, like crabwalking or hopping, toward Mother. Mother either grants or denies permission, and players continue until someone reaches Mother.
To play this game, kids form a circle, holding hands, with a hoop over one player's arm. The goal is to move the hoop all the way around the circle without breaking the chain: Players have to shimmy their arms, legs, heads, and bodies through the hoop as they move it around the circle.
Mandy has been a playground salesperson and CPSI-certified playground inspector for 12 years. Her passion for play shines through her work, and with years of experience in the playground world, her knowledge of playground safety is unparalleled. In her free time, Mandy enjoys watching her kids play baseball.
