3 Fun Outdoor Games for Kids

Sneak some exercise into their lives with games that include a healthy dose of running.

By Stephanie Cajigal

Ages

3-10

638621110

1. Go the Muddy Distance 

When April showers pour down, dress your child (and yourself!) in old clothes, and let her run, jump, and climb as she dashes along a wet trail, just the way cross-country athletes do in competition.

2. Boxstacle Course

Place cardboard boxes around your yard. Number each box, and put a note inside each with instructions for a different activity. Contestants might have to leap over a box, for instance, run in place, roar like a lion, or sprint to the next station. See who can finish the whole course first! 

3. Chipmunks and Squirrels

Divide kids into two teams and have them stand on opposite sides of a yard. Toss dozens of small balls (“acorns”) onto the grass. On the count of three, everyone runs out and starts gathering acorns for his team. Rules: Only one acorn may be carried at a time, and stealing from the other team’s batch is okay if you take the time to run the distance to the other side. The winning team is the one that collects the most loot! 

Plus:
Fun Weather Activities
Outdoor Exercise Idea: Family Hikes
8 Best Neighborhood Games

Source: Carol Goodrow, author of Kids Running: Have Fun, Get Faster & Go Farther
Photo Credit: © Thinkstock

Books | Individual Titles | Paperback Book
Fly Guy Presents: Dinosaurs (Spanish)
Fly Guy and Buzz are ready for their next field trip! And in FLY GUY PRESENTS: DINOSAURS they visit a natural history museum to learn all about dinosaurs. With straightforward text, humorous asides, and kid-friendly full-bleed photographs throughout, young readers will learn lots of fun facts about these prehistoric creatures. Award-winning author/illustrator Tedd Arnold really brings nonfiction to life in this fun nonfiction reader!

¡Hombre Mosca y Buzz están listos para su próxima excursión! En este libro, Hombre Mosca y Buzz hacen una visita al museo de historia natural para aprender sobre los dinosaurios. Los jóvenes lectores aprenderán muchos datos divertidos sobre estas criaturas prehistóricas a la vez que disfrutarán de un texto sencillo, hermosas fotografías y un poco de humor.
learn more
GRADES
K - 2
$4.99
Spatial Reasoning
Outdoor Activities
Motor Skills
Imagination
Age 10
Age 9
Age 8
Age 7
Age 6
Age 5
Age 4
Age 3
Games and Toys
Outdoor Activities and Recreation