Which Outdoor Party Games Should I Use?

Games that children can play outside are usually a given for all play dates and birthday parties. If you don’t have access to a backyard (or one that’s large enough for everyone), you could think about trying to find a park close to where the party is, where you could take the children for at least some of the party. If you are doing this, you should ensure that you have adequate adult supervision.

Good for us parents too

Children enjoy outdoor party games, but they are also useful for the adults. They do not only give the children an opportunity to use some of their energy, they allow the children to exercise and enable you to concentrate on the finishing touches (e.g. setting the table, arranging the food or getting the cake ready).

Don’t let the weather put you off

Bad weather is needn’t be an excuse, provided you’ve asked the children to bring a change of clothes for afterwards.

Hide and seek

Of course, “Hide and Seek” has a lot more possibilities when played outside; though if you are in a park, you should make it crystal clear to the children what the area restrictions are. An excellent addition to any outdoor party are trampolines.

Dodge Ball

"Dodge Ball" is one of my children's favorite games for outdoors. You can play this the traditional way (splitting the children into two teams and letting them throw sponge balls at each other) or by making one person the thrower (and whoever the thrower hits with a sponge ball replaces them as the thrower). You can vary this so that if someone is made a thrower more than twice or however many times you decide, they become a permanent thrower. Try to ensure you have sufficient balls made of sponge (about the size of a soccer ball); five should be enough.

Scavangers

Another great game is "Scavenger Hunt". Setting this up in your own backyard is straightforward; if you do so in a public place, you could find (as I have done before!) that a fair portion of the sweets have been eaten by others!

Mr Jelly!!

"What's the time Mr Jelly?" is a game my daughters simply love playing. We usually have an adult playing the part of Mr Jelly (who can only run after the children with jellylike legs!).

Balloons

Games with balloons are also great fun. You could play "Tag" or "Dodge Ball" with water balloons (this game is better in warmer months); or you could hold a competition to see who can burst the largest number of balloons.

Hula

Hula hoop games are always great fun. Games include “Hula Marathon” where the winner is the person who can keep the hula hoop spinning on their hips the longest and “Hula’s Got Ya” where you have to 'hula' people using the hula hoop; the party goers will almost certainly have their own entertaining ideas too.

Swimming

If you are able to get access to a swimming pool, swimming games are fun. “Mermaid Girl” is where the children have to pretend to be mermaids (or perhaps fish...) and “Dry Hand” is where everyone swims but tries to keep one of their hands out of the water. Obviously, these games depend on whether the group can swim.

Final thoughts

Each of these outdoor games can be played in teams or by individuals, but it’s a good idea to incorporate a mix to ensure that everyone can be involved and enjoys themselves. Go plan!

For more information ideas, check out my Party Games For Girls blog and outdoor party games posts.