Playing outside can be fun without bats and balls, volleyball nets or rackets. These are running, chasing, skipping, rowdy games kids will want to play time and again.
Looking back it seems that my siblings and I spent most of our time running and playing out-of-doors. What did we play? Well, we had a host of great active games and never stopped to go hunt up equipment. Any backyard had enough room for a game or two. Some we played as groups at school and with neighborhood children, back before television lured everyone inside after noons and after supper. We ran and played until parents made us come in for baths and bedtime. What did we play?
Here are a few of our favorite no equipment required favorites:
Tag or Chase : A simple game like this we never thought would go out of style. Appont one player to be "it." Assign a home base-a tree or fence post or such. Now yell go and start running. "It " chases about and when he tags someone that tagged person is out. If the chased person needs rest, he can resort to the base for a breather. He is safe on base.
Hide and Seek: "It" hides his eyes and while he counts to 100 by fives the rest of the players run off to hide. The searcher then yells, "Here I come ready or not!" and runs off in search of the hiders. If he finds a hider he must call out and then the hider has one chance to run back to the safe base without getting tagged.
Swinging Statue You only need two players for this game, but any number can be included. One player grasps the other by his wrist and swings him slowly around him before letting go. The swung player must then balance himself in a statue stance as he was swung. He has to then stand as still as a statue until all other players are swung.This game is fine for small children and doesn't have winners or losers. It is just fun to see the staues made.
Duck, Duck, Goose: The players all sit on the ground in a circle. The player who is It, walks around the perimeter of the circle behind the players. As he passes each he pats each head and says "duck." He says duck as he pats each child until he has touched several or all the heads several times. Finally, he pats a head and say "goose" instead. The player called goose must jump up and chase the first child around the circle. "It" must make it all the way around the circle and sit in the chaser's place before he is tagged. If he loses and gets tagged, he must "duck, duck, duck, goose "again and run again until he makes it to the vacated spot in the circle.
Red Rover: The children divide into two teams. They stand in lines facing each other with a wide space between the lines. The players must hold ands or wrists and then the players on one team call out: " Red Rover - red rover - let "Suzie" come over. Then the child who was called must run toward the opposing line and try to break the handhold between two of the children. If she fails she joins the strong side. If she breaks the ranks ,she can take one of the players captive back to her original line. The team that gets the most players wins.
Mother May I? All the children line up side by side except the player who is the caller. The caller stands at a distance from the lined up players. He calls on each player in turn to take a number of steps toward him. The steps allowed are these baby steps, giant steps, and scissor steps( like forward jumping jacks.) The player answers "Mother, may I?" The mother answers "Yes, you may." The player takes the prescribed number of steps toward the caller. If the player forgets to ask permission after he gets his his directions and takes steps toward the caller he gets sent back to the starting line. The first player to reach the caller is the winner and new caller.
Following the Leader: One player is appointed the leader and he heads out across the yard. The other children follow in a line. The players sing as they go "We're following the leader, the leader, the leader, we're following the leader wherever he may go." The leader takes the followers around trees, under swings,over logs, under lawn furniture, through bushes or just in circles around the open lawn. He can walk, skip, hop, or crawl. The followers must imitate the leader. Change leaders frequently to give everyone a chance to be out front.
Fox and Geese : This is a snow day game. The players mark off a large circle. They tramp down the center of the circle and eight spokes to the outer rim, forming an eight-slice pie. The fox stays in the center and the geese pass around the perimeter of the circle. When a player thinks he has a chance he can run up a spoke and try to tease the fox into chasing him. The fox chases anyone and everyone. If he tags someone, he takes that goose back to the center (his den). The players are safe only on the circle's rim. The fox must not go beyond the spokes. Stepping or falling outside the tramped down paths will disquailify fox or geese.
Red Light Green Light: The leader stands opposite the other players who line up facing him. When the leader yells "green light" all the players run toward him. Yelling "yellow light " means the players must walk. "Red light "stops them. If the leader sees any movements on red light, running on yellow, or false starts he can send the law breaker back to the starting line. The first player to reach the leader or pass his marked line will be the next leader.
Maybe you remember some of the great schoolyard games kids used to play. If you do, please remind me of those on the discussion for Backyard Games.
