Break times at school are really important for many reasons such as giving children the opportunity to play and create while forming vital social bonds. We’ve put together a list of great playground games that you can learn together at home for the kids to take back to the school playground after Half Term.
Tug-of-War
A classic outdoor activity, tug-of-war has been around for decades and is great for developing cooperative skills. Opposing teams stand in lines either side of a rope and pull against the other team until a ribbon (marking the middle point of the rope) has been pulled over a marked point.
Michael’s Madhouse
This game has quite a simple concept. Whoever plays as ‘Michael’ takes each of the other players by the hands and spins them around several times before letting them go. The rules are that each player has to freeze in the position they land in. After everyone has frozen like statues in their positions, ‘Michael’ walks around trying to make the players laugh without touching them. The last person to burst out laughing earns the honour of playing as Michael in the next game!
Duck, Duck, Goose!
One of the most popular games at children’s parties, Duck, Duck, Goose is a fun activity that keeps kids engaged, active, and playing as a team. This game involves children sitting in a large circle facing inwards. One child is chosen to be the ‘tapper’ and their job is to walk around the outside of the circle tapping each child on the head whilst saying, “Duck, duck, duck.”
At a point of their choosing, the tapping child will pat another child on the head and shout “Goose!” The ‘goose’ then jumps up and chases the tapper around the circle before they sit down in the goose’s empty spot. If the tapper catches the goose before they manage to sit down, the goose becomes the tapper. However, if the goose escapes the tapper and sits down without being caught, the tapper has to play another round.
Stuck In The Mud
Stuck In The Mud is a game built off of the simple concept of tag. Any player tagged must “freeze” in position with their legs spread apart. In order to be unstuck, another child must crawl through the tagged child’s feet so that they can rejoin the game.
Wheelbarrow Races
Have two children work as a team and race against other pairs in a human wheelbarrow race. One child in the pair holds the legs of the other child as they walk on their hands to the finish line as fast as they can. The first pair to the finish line wins the race. Play this game on a soft, grassy area in the playground to avoid any unwanted bumps or cuts!
The Hula Hoop Game
The Hula Hoop game helps children get active during their break times and will teach them how to twist, turn, bend, and problem solve. Start by having everyone stand in a circle holding hands. Then, slide a hula hoop onto someone’s arm. The aim of the game is to move the hoop all the way around the circle without letting go of each other’s hands. It’s much harder than it seems!
Spud
The game Spud is played in a large playground. One child is chosen to be the ‘spudder’. This child’s job is to close their eyes and count to ten as the other children run away as fast as they possibly can. Once the leader has reached the number ten, the other children have to freeze on the spot. The ‘spudder’ is then allowed to take four giant steps towards the child nearest to them and tries and hit them with a softball. If the ‘spudder’ is successful at hitting their nearest opponent with the ball, that child becomes the new ‘spudder’ and also receives the letter S. Once a player has received an S, P, U, and D, that player is out. The winner of the game is the last person standing.
Chin Up!
All the players stand in a circle and pass a ball around - they can pass or throw the ball in any direction around the circle. If someone drops the ball or misses a catch, they have to go down on one knee. If they catch the ball on their next go, they are allowed to stand back up again. However, if they miss the ball again they have to go down onto both knees, then one elbow, then two elbows, then chin. After that, they’re out! The last person standing, or kneeling wins!
Sardines
Sardines is a hard version of ‘hide and seek’ as it is played as a team. One person is picked to hide while everybody else counts. Once the countdown is completed, everyone searches for the hidden person at the same time. The first person to find the hider joins them and so on. The last person to find everyone hidden together loses the game.
Oh Captain, My Captain!
For this game, kids will have to use their imaginations and role playing abilities to get ahead. All the players must pretend that they’re on a pirate ship. One child is the captain and shouts out instructions such as “port” (run to the left), “starboard” (run to the right), “climb the rigging” (pretend to climb a ladder), “sweep the decks” (on knees, pretend to scrub the ground) etc. The slowest person to carry out the commands, or any players who don't follow the commands correctly, are out. The last one standing wins the game!