Outdoor Play Ideas

Spray Painting

  • Hang an old sheet on a fence or a clothesline at children's eye level.
  • Fill spray bottles with half water and half tempera paint for children to use.
  • Children can create designs and talk about the different colors and color combinations as they paint.

Hoops

  • Place five different-colored Hula Hoops two feet apart.
  • Show children how to walk, march, jump, dance, walk sideways, or walk backwards around the hoops without bumping into them.
  • Ask children to line up. Say and repeat the movement you demonstrated, asking children to move that way around the hoops.
  • Call out Stop blank! Jump into a hoop! All children stop moving and jump into a nearby hoop.
  • Ask each group What color is your hoop? Then call Jump out! and begin the game again, announcing a new movement.

Red Rover

  • Create two teams. Appoint a captain for each one.
  • Have teams face each other, about 10–15 feet apart, holding hands at arm's length. Explain that children should try not to let anyone break through the line.
  • Team A's captain calls out, “Red Rover, Red Rover, send blank right over.” Team B child tries to run through Team A's line.
  • If the child breaks the line, he/she returns to Team B. If not, the child joins Team A.
  • Continue until everyone is on one team or children tire of the game.