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Kids Outdoor Games to Rock the Party


Fun kids outdoor games perfect for birthday parties and sunny days. Tons of easy D.I.Y game ideas, plus popular kid tested games that are sure to be the hit of the party. Browse through our outdoor party game suggestions to find fun activities to play at your child’s upcoming birthday party. For even more party game ideas make sure to check out our pages on:

Kids Outdoor Games for Parties
Human Pinata

No need to buy a piñata for this fun piñata alternative, but you will need a fun spirited adult to play the candy keeper. The candy keeper holds the big bag of candy and treats, the kids job is to tag the candy keeper. If the candy keeper is tagged they must freeze and the only way they can become unfrozen is to throw out some of their candy and escape while the children are racing to pick it up. Designate a place for the Candy Keeper to call base. The children cannot come onto the Candy Keepers base or tag him while he’s on it. Keep playing until all the candy is gone.

Kids Outdoor Games for Parties
DIY Backyard Obstacle Course

Obstacle courses are always a big hit. It is not as complicated to build your own backyard obstacle course as many imagine. An obstacle course is simply a series of fun task, challenges, or mini games that the children try and rush through as fast as they can. They are usually set up so that as soon as you finish one task you move directly to the next until you reach the finish line.

You’ll need to come up with some creative obstacles for the kids, you can get as simple or as complicated as you want with these course ideas. You can use objects that you already have around your house for many obstacles. Here are some examples: 

  • Set up old tires on their side for them to crawl through, or lay them on the ground for the kids to run through. Don’t have old tires, check out these inflatable Tires 
    • , made for obstacle course fun.
  • Hang a hula hoop from a tree and the kids must throw a football through it before they can move on.
  • Have a pile of balloons ready, the children must pop one by sitting on it to move on.
  • Set up a table and hang streamers, balloons, even pool noodles from underneath. The children must crawl under it to get to the other side.
  • Lay out a 2x4 piece of plywood on the ground. Have the children walk across it without touching the ground, for older children they must walk across it backwards.
  • Have the kids crabwalk from one section to another.
  • Have the kids jump in a potato sack from one section of the course to another.
  • For ideas to create an obstacle course that includes water and other messy obstacles check out my messy party games. Ideas for a messy obstacle course can be found near the end of the page.

Kids Outdoor Games for Parties
Water Pipe

The kids have a chance of getting wet in this fun outdoor water game. Teams race to fill their bucket of water before the other team does!

To PLAY: Divide players into two teams, and provide each player a plastic cup. On one side of the yard or playing area you will need to have a large container of water such as a kiddie pool or large cooler full. On the other side of the yard you will need to set up two identical buckets or pails.

The teams create a line from the large container of water to their bucket. On the start of go the child closest to the starting container of water fills his or her cups and go and pours it into the next person’s cup as fast as possible. That person pours it into the next person’s cup, and so on until the water reaches the last player who pours it into the teams bucket. This assembly line style race continues until one team fills up their bucket to claim victory.

Kids Outdoor Games for Parties
Bean Bag Attack

Bean bag toss games are nothing new, but they never get old! Create your own bean bags using kid’s socks and dry beans. Simply fill the sock halfway up with dry beans, tie a knot in the sock, and then fold the part hanging off back over onto the bean bag sock. Set up objects for kids to throw them at. This can be a stack full of cups, buckets, or even a card board box with a hole cut in the side.

If you are looking for to purchase games, check out these fun bean bag toss games:

Kids Outdoor Games for Parties
Balloon Stomp

In this outdoor party game you will need string, rope, or ribbon to tie a balloon around every child’s ankle. Leave about a foot of string between the ankle and the balloon. TO PLAY: The object of this game is for the children to stomp and pop as many of their friends balloons as they can without getting theirs popped. They are not allowed to touch any balloons (including their own) with their hands. The person with the last balloon intact WINS! This game is a blast and kids LOVE it, have enough balloons to play a couple of rounds if you can.

Kids Outdoor Games for Parties
Orange Race

The kids race to roll the orange past the finish line, but wait there’s one catch; The children cannot use their hands or feet. Instead they must use their nose to roll the orange. TO PLAY: provide Each child starts on their hands and knees at the starting line. Place an orange in front of each player. On the start of go they all rush their oranges to the finish line using only their nose.

Kids Outdoor Games for Parties
Sack Game Race

This is THE classic outdoor game. Everyone lines up at the starting line and steps inside their sack. When the whistle blows they hop in their sack as fast as they can to the finish line to claim VICTORY!

Perfect game for outdoor fun! If you don’t have your own sacks (many people use old fashioned potato sacks) then check out this affordable set of 6 from Amazon.

Kids Outdoor Games for Parties
Treasure Scramble

In this outdoor game the kids must try to collect as treasure rocks as they can and race them back to their base. The treasure rocks can be created by wrapping candy and small prizes in aluminum foil. Beware though; when collecting treasure rocks the children must watch out for the Dragon who guard the treasure. If the dragon tags a child they must drop any treasure rocks they have and run back to their base. When all the rocks have been collected the children can open them up and share the prizes inside.

SET UP & PLAY: You’ll need an adult volunteer to play the dragon, a bag of candy, and aluminum foil to create the treasure rocks. Create enough treasure rocks so that all children will get some, usually about 5-10 for each child.

Have the Dragon stand in the middle of the yard surrounded by the treasure rocks. The little explorers wait on either side until the word GO. Have a basket or bucket on each side to represent their base.

Kids Outdoor Games for Parties
ABC Scavenger Hunt

This game is simple and fun. Divide kids into teams. Provide each team a bag to collect their items in. Put 20 minutes on the clock and let the teams race to find items that begin with each letter of the alphabet.

RULES: Only one item for each letter counts, for example only one item found for the letter A counts as a point. The other rule is that an item can only be used to represent one letter, for example a spoon can either count for the letter S, or for the letter U for utensil – not both.

Another option for older children is to provide the team with a digital camera so that they can take pictures of items that they can’t fit in their bag or would be inappropriate to take. The team that collects the most items wins.

Kids Outdoor Games for Parties
Relay Races

Relay races are a classic outdoor party game. For a relay race players are divided into at least two teams. They line up in their team at the starting line. Then, on the start of go one person from each team races to the finish line and back, they tag the next person on their team. Then that person also races to and back and again tags the next person in their teams line. 

This continues until the entire team has completed the race. The first team who finishes wins! The great thing about relay races is that you can come up with all kinds of creative ways to race. Here are some fun examples:

  • Crabwalk
  • Balancing an egg on a spoon
    		•
  • Racing with a balloon between your knees
  • Blindfolded and led only by your teams voices

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