Outdoor Party Games for Kids

Planning a kids' birthday party or other fun celebration? The next time you have a party, try these fun outdoor party game ideas that include healthy physical activity. Children need 60 minutes or more of physical activity each day, and what better way to get it?

Whether your party is in your backyard, a local park, or the beach, these timeless and fun outdoor party games will be a hit with kids. Everyone will have a great time running around as they compete, get silly, and just have a ball. If the weather doesn't cooperate, many of these games, such as the dress-up relay race, can be easily transferred indoors to a basement or a large living room. Party on!

1

Dress Up Relay Race

outdoor party games for kids - dress up relay race

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Relay races make great outdoor party games for many reasons. They get kids moving and active, they inspire teamwork, and they satisfy kids' love of competition.

The dress-up relay race is a fun outdoor party game and can easily be tailored to fit the theme of a party by having kids dress up in pirate, sports, princess, or other outfits and accessories.

You set up an obstacle course with items from the dress-up theme. Divide the kids into teams and have them race through the course and put on an item at each marker. Then they go in reverse and replace items at each marker.

2

Water Balloon Toss

water balloons outdoor party games

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Here's an awesome outdoor party game for any gathering. Because it involves water balloons, you may want to dress kids in their swimsuits. It's the perfect way to have fun on a hot summer's day!

You can use different variations of games with water balloons that don't involve combat. These include tossing and catching in pairs, and tossing balloons at a target rather than each other. These games help develop motor skills and coordination.

3

Nature Photo Scavenger Hunt

outdoor party games

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Scavenger hunts can be great fun at parties. You can take your hunt outside and look for items in nature to set up a great outdoor party game for kids.

By focusing on nature, you’ll make this outdoor party game a great green game that's perfect for kids today. They will be developing their cognitive skills while having fun.

4

Steal the Bacon

Racing children

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Steal the Bacon is a fun outdoor party game that's perfect for grade-school age kids. This classic outdoor party game will encourage kids to listen and pay attention, sharpen kids' reflexes, and even get 'em to exercise their brains and do a little math while having fun!

5

Balloon Stomp

Kids will have a stompin' good time with this favorite outdoor party game.

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Balloon Stomp is a raucous game that will get kids moving as they try to stomp their way to victory. Each child has two balloons attached to her feet with a string and, as in musical chairs, they walk around a circle until the music stops and they try to stomp each others' balloons.

Between the laughing, screaming, and popping of balloons, this outdoor game will be one loud and happy party event.

6

Fun Beach Games for Kids

Beach games are super fun outdoor party games.

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If the party is going to be on the beach, try these great beach games for kids. While children can have lots of fun at the beach just splashing in the waves or digging holes in the sand or burying dad or mom, these games can be perfect for when the kids are looking for something else to do. They're loads of fun for parents, too!

Games you can play include a bucket relay race where you can only use your hands to transfer water from the waves to your bucket. Beach volleyball is a blast.

You can fly kites and compete to see who can send their's aloft the fastest or highest. You can have a sand sculpture competition. You can also give them a beach-themed scavenger hunt to collect shells and pebbles.

7

Modify Outdoor Games for Parties

Great outdoor games can give kids hours of fun, exercise, and friendship!

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Remember playing classic games like Spud; Red light, Green light; and Freeze Tag when you were a kid? With a little modification, any of these classic kids' outdoor games can be perfect for outdoor party games. Try one at your next party and feel the nostalgia set in!

4 Sources
Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Piercy KL, Troiano RP, Ballard RM, et al. The Physical Activity Guidelines for AmericansJAMA. 2018;320(19):2020–2028. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.14854

  2. Staiano AE, Calvert SL. Exergames for Physical Education Courses: Physical, Social, and Cognitive Benefits. Child Dev Perspect. 2011;5(2):93-98.

  3. O'Connor L. Implications for Learners-Dyspraxia.

  4. Yıldırım G, Akamca GÖ. The effect of outdoor learning activities on the development of preschool children. S Afr J Educ. 2017;37(2). doi:10.15700/saje.v37n2a1378

By Katherine Lee
Katherine Lee is a parenting writer and a former editor at Parenting and Working Mother magazines.