Outdoor Games for Preschoolers

Outdoor Games for Preschoolers engage young ones needs for adventure, exploration, discovery and more. While the outdoor games we've selected here are fabulous with preschoolers, modified versions of these same games are great with older kids, teens and adults as well. Tree Tag Who would like to play a game of tag? Alright, are you sure? Okay...I'm warning you, for this game you better know a little bit about the trees around here. But don't worry, if you don't, you'll learn quickly! Ready? How-To Set-up the playing field. You'll need a place with open running room and a nice variety of shrubs and trees on the border or spaced throughout like an orchard, open forest, or meadow with trees and shrubs growing at the edge. Set up some outside boundaries. Call Out Tree Descriptions. Gather up and choose a volunteer to be the starting Chaser. The Caller (you) begins the game by shouting, "You're safe if you're touching a (insert tree name or identification clue...such as "an evergreen tree!" or "an oak-tree" or "a tree that makes fruit you can eat!") This kind of tree (or trees) become the "base" where people must touch to be safe. Once a runner has tagged the wrong tree, they're fair game for the Chaser. The Caller can give out additional clues during the round if needed. Play On. Anyone who gets tagged becomes a Chaser for the next round. Chasers must re-form near the center of the playing field after each round. For each new round, call out a new kind of tree. The game ends when everyone has been caught and turned into a Chaser. This outdoor game for preschoolers can be used in many different ways that are able to be tailored to the experience of the group. You could make it about things of a certain color, things that have a certain texture, etc. The possibilities are endless. Meet-A-Tree For many cultures, there comes a time when teenage boys and girls anticipate going through special experiences which cause them to grow up into responsible men and women. These experiences often involve a high degree of challenge, putting their skills and character through intense testing. We have been told of one such challenge put to young people as part of their coming-of-age rite of passage. Each young person gets blindfolded and led out of their village, miles into the wilderness, into regions where they never spent time before. When they arrive, they were taken to a tree and asked to sit with that tree and get to know it very well. So each youth would sit at their own tree blindfolded, day and night for three or four days. Then they were led back to the village, blindfolded the whole way. Once they returned, they could remove their blindfold. The they receive their challenge: walk out into the hundreds of square miles of wilderness surrounding their village, and from the hundreds of thousands of trees, walk to their specific tree. Remarkably, year after year young people could do this! When a young person succeeded, the elders and the teachers knew they were ready to be a mature member of the people. However, they weren't able to do this without practice, that started when they were very young. The following is a version meant for young children, and is very loved outdoor game for preschoolers. How-To. Partner Up. People team up with partners, and decide who will be blindfolded first. Guide. Then guide the blindfolded person by hand or body direction in a confusing or circuitous pattern to a tree in the area. Even though you want to disorient them, still be a compassionate and gentle leader: consider what it will be like when your turn comes. The tree becomes "their tree". Get to Know Your Tree! The blindfolded person then gets to know the tree as well as they can using all of their senses - other than their eyes. They get as much time as they want. Remind the person when they are first led to their tree, to circle the tree, hug it low and high, rub their skin against its textures, and smell it. Encourage them to be creative in the use of their senses to get to know the tree. When finished, they lead them back to the starting

point, again in a confusing or circuitous pattern. Then take off their blindfold and put the challenge before them: find your tree! Switch it up. After the first person successfully finds their tree, switch partners and let them have a go. Story of the day. Follow-up with a group Sharing Circle, and seize the opportunity to work the Art of Questioning. Remember to teach everyone about particular trees that the participants have now met! This game activates the sense of touch beautifully. This can be such a peaceful activity for some. I've seen young folks and adults alike just linger on their tree for minutes, exploring all the details of the branching, bark, root, and moss growth. It really does feel great to spend some time alone with trees... We'll be bringing you more outdoor games for preschoolers soon! For more great outdoor games like this, check out

Nature Scavenger Hunt

A nature scavenger hunt is amazing at leading children into discovery of the natural world. No matter what items are officially part of the 'hunt" - mysteries abound... Discoveries lead to questions about nature that had nothing to do with the items on the hunt - or frequently to a greater level of depth than anyone present knows the answers to! Stories by children about their time in nature acting as detectives are precious and act as springboards to future hunts and further exploration. Some helpful hints to facilitate a scavenger hunt: - Make sure to investigate your potential site before the hunt to gauge how challenging the list of items you've created is, and how much time will be needed based on the terrain. Also, you want to make sure to identify any major safety hazards that children may encounter so you can let them know about these before they start. - Create a list of items to search for, and give copies to each child. Some items commonly included on scavenger hunts include the following, and we encourage you to add your own ideas: animal tracks, feathers, objects of certain colors, animal burrows or dens, nuts, seeds or cones (whole or chewed), frogs and lizards, leaves or flowers from plants, animal bones, insects, animal scat (poop), snakes/snakeskin - Based on the number of children participating, determine whether everyone will be together in one group, or whether smaller sub-groups are doable. Remember, the smaller the group size the more chance the everyone will be able to make individual discoveries and have more attention from the group leaders. - Decide up front whether children will be simply checking the items off on a list, drawing pictures of what they observed (great for work with nature journals and extending this activity in the future), or actually bringing the items back - Have each group (with an adult) go on their hunt for anywhere from 15 minutes (younger students) to several hours (older students). Gauge the interest level of the group and what you think they (and you) can handle. - Have everyone return to a common area, and share stories about their adventures - what items they found, what questions they have about them, and what they found or experienced along the way. Sometimes skits or acting out parts of the adventure can succeed where a simply retelling will not. - If there are safety hazards that came up along the way, this is a great time to make sure everyone recognizes them and knows what to do if they encounter them along the way.

- If the items were brought back, this is great way to establish a "Nature Museum". This can be something that each child has at their home, or that is collectively held by a group that meets ongoing like schools, scouts or other groups. The museum in turn inspires future discoveries and new stories. Nature scavenger hunts give permission to get muddy; to go places that children (or adults) might not ordinarily go; as well as having more of a sense of wonder and curiosity without knowing for sure what will happen next! Adventure is part of the game, and you can tailor the difficulty of the object list to match the experience/skill level of the participants. The sense of wonder evoked, as well as the opportunities for learning for both children and adults from a Nature Scavenger Hunt makes it a top choice for getting to know more about whatever natural area you are spending time in. Good luck on your nature hunt!

Capture the Flag

Let's all Play Capture the Flag! How-To: Capture the Flag, in one form or another, has grown to be a familiar and famous game loved by children of all ages worldwide. We have added twists to incorporate nature connection, build teamwork, and still let everyone have tons of fun. Create the Playing Field: In the basic version, divide a large group into two teams. Each team has one side of a playing field for their territory. A neutral line divides the middle of the field, and if crossed, puts you in your opponent's territory. Each team also has a flag either hidden or visible (you choose) at the far edge of their territory. The Game: When in your own team's territory, you are safe. If you get tagged on your opponent's territory, you must go to Jail at the back of your opponent's territory. The goal is to get into the opponent's territory and move their flag back to your side. If you accomplish this and don't get tagged, your team wins. Jail: If you get captured and put in jail, you can be freed if a member of your own team makes it all the way to the opponents jail and tags you. Then the two of you have "free walk-backs" to your own territory. Variations: Capture the Flag emphasizes speed and teamwork. Since some participants can feel a little left out if they are not good runners, we've added a few twists to make this more of a Nature Awareness game. Play the game in a forested area. Players consider themselves automatically captured at the moment they get spotted on their opponent's side! This encourages silence, sneaking, and strategy. Have the players use "Animal Forms". Instead of just plain running - this adds a bit of Simon Says to the play and requires a Referee. Examples include: Stalking on all Fours like a Cougar, Running like a Coyote, or Bounding like a Deer. To really keep them on their toes, switch the Animal Forms several times in the middle of the game. A version especially for groups of kids. Have the participants play as normal, but with lots of kids against fewer instructors or a group of parents. See if they can use superior numbers to make up for the speed and intelligence of the smaller number of adults. This really builds unity. And if they win - which they just might (darn those rascals are quick!) - they will never forget the time they used teamwork to beat their instructors.

Have people pair-up and tie their wrists together with bandannas. Then blindfold one of the pair. Now, everyone has to work with their partner to play the game. Keep it simple and make sure the participants have fun. This is an active game that can be great for the participants, particularly if they are in a high energy state. We use it often when instructors feel burned out or overwhelmed by a group. Be sure and watch for kids who try to get out of playing or who fake injuries. Work the game out so that everybody participates!

Eagle Eye Outdoor Game

Primer Eagles have incredibly keen vision. From hundreds of yards above a field, or sitting high in a nest overlooking a river, they can spot a small rodent or splashing fish. When they do, they lift and swoop right down to grab that little morsel of delicious food! Humans have good vision too, but we can learn a lot by watching eagles and hawks. Eagles and hawks don't even have to move to spot something because they use their keen vision. If you practice using Owl Eyes - or Eagle Eyes - you'll be able to see more animals hiding from you. Do you think if we all went out and hid, that you could stand still and spot us without moving or walking around? How To: Directions for the Eagle. This outdoor game is a sedentary variation on hide-and-seek. Play it in an area with some decent cover for hiding: bushes, ferns, tall grass. One person will be chosen as the Eagle who must stand in his "Eagle Nest" that consists of about the range of his/her pivot-step. I usually start by having an instructor stay with the Eagle during the game as a facilitator. The Eagle closes his/her eyes and counts to 60 while everyone else hides in a broad circle around the Eagle Nest (define the boundaries). Directions for hiders. All hiders or "voles/mice/rabbits" must hide themselves in such a way that they can see the Eagle with at least one eye at all times. This means no hiding completely behind trees, etc. They must also hide within the boundaries. The game goal - people want to get as close to the Eagle as possible and not be seen. this is the true test of invisibility. Eyes Open. The Eagle opens his eyes and looks (and listens) all around for everyone hiding, but she cannot leave the nest. When the Eagle sees something that might be a person hiding, he must describe the colors of the clothes or hair he sees and point to the exact location, it will be clear that the person has been seen. That person comes to the Eagle Nest and sits down, remaining silent not giving anyone else away. Again, the Eagle listens in the silence for any movement of other people hiding. Sustain Pace. After a while, when the Eagle cannot see any more people, have her close her eyes and count to 30 while everyone quickly hides again, moving at least 5 steps closer to the Eagle this time. Keep playing like this until Eagle finds everyone or until one person remains. Ask the last person hiding to give a bird call so everyone can locate their number one hiding spot. In this way, the game stays interesting and fun for everyone involved, without lagging or becoming boring.