Old School Outdoor Games

Remember these games?  They are great for childhood development - language, sensory & motor. Also learning about taking turns, playing with others, and how to win/lose well.


Mother May I?  
One person is the designated "mother".
All the other children line up across the yard or sidewalk a distance away from "mother".
 Each child takes turns asking "mother" if they can take one, two or three steps of varying types - i.e. "Mother may I take one baby step and one giant step?"
"mother' can then say "yes you may" or "no you may not".
The first one to reach "mother" and tag her then becomes "it" or the next "mother".

Make up silly steps and movements.

Hop Scotch

For younger children draw lots of 2 footed squares and just hop through any way you can.
For older children, work on letter and number recognition by writing a letter or number in each square.


Motorboat, Motorboat
"motor boat, motor boar go real slow... motorboat, motorboat go real fast...  motorboat, motorboat, turn on the gas".
You can play this with several children in a circle, going faster until you turn on the gas and fall down.
Play with one child by rocking back and forth while sitting on the floor or by going around in a circle and then picking them up at the end and spinning the around.

This helps children learn the concepts of fast and slow.

Red Light/Green light
The person who is "it" or the "traffic cop" closes their eyes and says "green light" as the rest of the group advances until suddenly the "traffic cop" opens their eyes and says "red light".
Everyone should freeze and if the "traffic cop" catches someone moving after saying "red light", that person must go back to the beginning or starting line.
The first person to reach the "traffic cop" is the winner and becomes the next "traffic cop".

Hide and Seek
This doesn't need any explanation.

Flashlight Tag: 
Just like Hide and Seek but in the dark with a flashlight.



SPUD! 
All participants are given a name or number.
A player is chosen as "It" and the others stand in a circle around them. 
"It" throws the ball straight into the air, calling out the name or number of another player. 
That player who's name or number was called player must run and catch the ball, becoming "It", while the other players run away from them. As they catch the ball they shout "Spud", and the other players must stop running. 
"It" throws or rolls the ball at another player or at their feet, after taking four giant steps towards them, spelling S-P-U-D with each step.  
The target player may not dodge (the player may dodge by ducking or swaying, but can not move his feet) and if it hits them, they get a letter (or a "spud") and become "It". 
If the ball misses the target, "It" gets a letter.  
The player who gets four letters (spelling out "Spud") is out. 


variations:  the 'non it' players first huddle prior to each round choosing a topic i.e. birds, states, foods etc. Then each player chooses an item from the topic and the topic is revealed to the 'it' person. The 'it' player throws up the ball and calls out items from the topic until he gets one of the players identities; acknowledged as they head to recover the ball.