Playground group games

Give them a few seconds to get all the wiggles and laughs out. Allow those that are out to …. Great for a hot day. Played the same as Duck-duck-goose, but instead of touching the heads of those not picked they have a little bit of water from a cup dropped on their head.

The person picked gets the rest of the cup poured on their head. Select a volunteer from the group. Divide the remainder into two teams. Each team then sits on the ground back to back. Set a water …. Work with the people next to you to form animals. Arrange your group into a circle with one person, the caller, in the center. Tell the children to close their eyes. Give each child a card with a picture on it of an animal, color, shape…etc.

When they find their match they run to a designated area. Have everyone count the number of letters in their first name. Now ask them to find someone who has the same number of letters. Those two are now partners. Everyone sits in a circle. Three or four players are chosen to be the ghosts.

The rest of the group needs to scatter across the playing space and choose a spot to stand in. All players need to close their eyes. The ghosts will roam about the playing space.

They will try to eliminate the others by standing close behind the players for 10 seconds …. You need a least 2 people that know the game.

Continue doing this and increase …. Tips for leading cooperative games: Create an interesting storyline. Instead of telling your group to get up on the log and balance, ask them to imagine that they are secret agents who are escaping the evil enemy and that they must wait patiently on the beam suspended feet above the ground while the guards leave, etc.

Make the rules age appropriate. Some children can do a challenge using a "quick as you can" or "world record" approach, while other groups can be challenged with blindfolds, consequences, or a "countdown clock" time challenge.

Introduce activities that are easiest first and make them progressively harder. You want your group to experience success and fun early and be relaxed working with each other. Sometimes games that are too challenging create disinterest and frustration in the group at the start - and that's rarely good! Debrief the activities by discussing the different things participants did to accomplish the different steps of the activity. Call out any lessons to be learned or remembered for future challenges.

Equipment : Two flags or other markers. Fun for kids of all ages, this game involves a large round parachute, preferably with handles, with people holding the parachute all around the edges. It helps if someone is in charge telling people what to do. Players can just ruffle the parachute up and down a little bit, they can go all the way up and all the way down, or all the way up and then run underneath, sitting on the edge of the parachute, which can create a bubble of air with everyone inside.

Players can also place light objects such as wiffle balls or beanbags on top of the parachute, and make them jump by ruffling the parachute. Also, one person can sit in the middle of the parachute and everyone ruffles it near the ground. If there is a smooth floor and a light child, the child can sit in the middle on top of the parachute and everyone else can walk partway around still holding the parachute edge. Then everyone pulls backward, spinning the child.

There are countless variations. Number of Players : Depends on the size of the parachute, but usually eight to ten. Equipment : A play parachute. These aren't as hard to find as you would think. Try here and here. This game works best on a street with little to no traffic, or in a large paved area of some kind.

You need bikes, wagons, pedestrians, scooters or whatever is available. One person directs traffic to make sure kids don't run into each other. It is more fun than it sounds, and helps kids learn about waiting to cross the street and about traffic safety.

Number of Players : A small group. Equipment : Bikes, wagons, scooters, anything on wheels. This ball game is played on a square court further divided into four smaller squares, numbered one through four. One player stands in each of the squares, with the highest ranked player in number one, lowest in number four.

You bounce the ball among the players, bouncing once in the other person's square before that person catches it. When I played this as a kid, we had countless additional rules to choose from. The person in square one got to choose the rules.

Anyone who violates the rules will have to move down in the ranking, or be eliminated with another player rotating in to square four. Number of Players : Four, unless you take turns. Equipment : A four square court or sidewalk chalk, a playground ball. Use some sidewalk chalk and make a hopscotch grid. Number the squares from one to nine.

Pick a rock that is good for tossing. Small ones can bounce too much, and larger ones are hard to throw. Start by tossing the rock onto Square 1. Hop over the rock and hop with a single foot or both feet to follow the hopscotch pattern all the way to the end. Turn around and come back, stopping on Square 2. Balancing on one foot, pick up the rock in Square 1 and hop over Square 1 to the start.

Continue this pattern with Square 2. And so on. If you toss your rock and miss the correct square, your turn is over. This game can be played with any number of people, but only one person can go at a time. If it's raining or dark or too cold, you can get indoor hopscotch mats or foam pieces, or just find a pattern on the floor to follow, perhaps using a beanbag instead of a rock.

Number of Players : One at a time. Equipment : Hopscotch grid, rock or beanbag. One of the biggest ways I spent my recess time as a young girl was jumping rope. I got quite good at it for my age, both in speed and in skill. It was fun to jump by myself, but it was even more fun to have a long rope and jump with a couple of friends.

That's where jump-rope rhymes come in. They turn a simple exercise into a fun game, to compete against yourself and others. Then there's double dutch. I was always in awe of the older girls who could do double dutch. The first time I tried it, I got tripped up almost immediately.

However, once you understand how to do it, it isn't as hard as it looks. Number of Players : One for single jumping, three with a longer rope or for double dutch. Equipment : One or two jump-ropes. This game requires three people, or just one or two people with really good chairs.

It is easily done inside, assuming a sturdy floor. This game resembles regular jump rope in that you jump. A lot. But you jump in a pattern. Two people or chairs put their feet inside the rope and stretch them out, standing far enough apart for the third person to jump between them.

The third person, or jumper, faces one of the people holding the rope and jumps in a pattern of left, right, inside, outside and on the ropes. What pattern you use is up to you, but all the players should use the same one. The game is started with the rope around the ankles. Once the jumper does the jump correctly, the rope is moved up to the calves. Then to the knees, then the thighs. Usually it doesn't get any farther than that.

Once you miss, it is someone else's turn. Number of Players : Preferably three, but it can be done with one or two. Equipment : A stretchy-type rope or 5 to 6 meters of rubber bands tied together in a circle.

This game can be played on any flat surface, indoors or out. The player scatters the jacks on the playing surface, often by just tossing them out of one hand, as if rolling dice. The ball is then tossed up, is allowed to bounce once, and is caught before the second bounce.

The player tries to scoop up jacks and catch the ball with one hand before the ball's second bounce. The number of jacks to be picked up goes in order. First you pick up one "onesies" , then two "twosies" , then three and so on. There are many variations to the rules of this game including things like "pigs in the pen" and "double bounces.

Number of Players : Any, taking turns. Equipment : A set of jacks and a small rubber ball. The general rules specify that you draw a circle in the sand or on the sidewalk, and then take turns trying to knock each other's marbles out of the circle with your one large marble. As with the other games, there are countless variations. I haven't played this game at length, though, because I always seem to hurt myself flicking the large marble into the ring!

You can also use a marble mat which contains different point zones. Number of Players : At least two. Equipment : Chalk, large and small marbles. With enough room, this game can easily be played inside. Race to solve the crime using clues, case files, and logic before the time runs out. Pro-Tip: This murder mystery event is also available for distributed and hybrid teams with a virtual clue murder mystery experience. Learn more: Does your team have what it takes to crack the case?

Bay Area-based comedians Jide and Chloe guide teams virtually or in-person through a series of Jeopardy-inspired questions. Complete with plenty of laughs, this wildly entertaining experience is sure to delight large teams. Why this team building game is great for large groups: Teams are split into groups, so even larger teams can easily connect over shared laughs and a fun dose of competition.

Learn more: Start laughing with this Jeopardy-inspired event. Contribute to charity while growing closer to your team. In this activity, you assemble your dream team to assemble fully operational bicycles that are ready to donate. Creating something with your team will feel good, and donating your products will feel even better. Why this team building game is great for large groups: This activity has a perfectly focused objective: build a bike.

As a result, you avoid the meandering and lack of participation that can sometimes happen in massive groups. Every single person in your large group will easily find a way to contribute. Learn more: Build A Bike. Who can build the best board out of the materials provided? This boat building challenge will get your coworkers to split into teams to build and customize boats to be evaluated based on their design and functionality by a nautical-minded judge. Why this team building game is great for large groups: This large group activity requires a solid blend of creativity, skill, and handiwork to complete the best build possible.

A physical challenge with a final product will have teams racing to finish while bonding together the entire time. Learn more: Find out if this challenge floats your boat here. Bond with your team as you bounce between games that challenge your intellect while making you laugh. Why this team building game is great for large groups: With so many games to choose from, absolutely everyone in your large group will find a little competition they want to dive into.

Learn more: Visit Virtual Mashup. Time to outwit, outlast, and outplay your coworkers in this Survivor-themed activity perfect for large groups. Why this team building game is great for large groups: The reality-show themed game can be structured around any size group making it perfect for a team, department, or an entire office. Learn more: Try out this spin on the classic reality television show Survivor.

No fire-making skills needed! Teamwork, problem-solving, and an unforgettable good time come rolled up in this activity. Why this team building game is great for large groups: This team building company breaks large in-person or teams into small groups to make sure everyone can be involved and included as they complete the challenges. This format allows tons of people to get in on the fun.

Learn more: Check out Team Pursuit. Part game show , part trivia competition, and part blast from the past — Virtual Time Machine Trivia is a large group team building activity played online that will have your teams shuffling through the decades answering trivia questions , buzzing in with their phones, and learning a bit about history in the process.

Why this team building game is great for large groups: The online video call allows large groups to log on at the same time from anywhere to participate in the fun. Whether split up into groups of 4, 8, or somewhere in between — your group will be competing for trivia glory in a virtual hangout. Learn more: No time like the present to learn more about turning on the time machine. The Amazing Chase is a large group outdoor activity that will help your team explore any city and bond as a group — just like on the TV show!

Why this team building game is great for large groups: A great way to get outside, explore a nearby town or city, and race to earn the most points. Learn more: Start planning your race around the world city — the chase is on! Step into the pub a. Participants are tasked with retelling the story of an obscure historical event without consulting the internet or any other reference. How was Coca-Cola invented? What little-known details are there to share about the invention of basketball?

You never know what kind of crazy twists these tales might take. BYOB: Supply your own goodies for your night at the virtual pub. Why this team building game is great for large groups: This large group game allows guests to flex their history knowledge while enjoying a nice adult beverage. Incorporate some virtual pub trivia activities if you want to keep everyone active. Call in the pros to fill your happy hour with laughs worthy of a comedy club.

Prompts and icebreaker games will help each of your co-workers channel their inner comedian. Why this team building game is great for large groups: When it comes to this activity, the bigger the group, the bigger the laughs.

Learn more: Start your Happier Hour. Engage your entire group in the timeless and always-hilarious act of guessing the meaning of non-verbal communication cues. Easy to play either in-person or virtually, charades requires creative thinking and snap decision-making on the part of the performer, and radical listening and sympathetic perception on the part of the guessers.

Why this team building game is great for large groups: The more people in the audience guessing, the better. This activity has practically no participant cap, making it perfect for groups of any size. Learn more: How to play charades. Pro-Tip: Once you got the basics down, there is an online version of Charades that is perfect for large teams here to check out.

This game plays like the classic, Two Truths and a Lie. Everyone on your team will simply head into the Twitterverse to find two ridiculous, but real, Tweets from real people. Everyone else must guess which Tweet is the fib. Pro-Tip: Easily use this game as a short icebreaker before your next virtual team building event or play it a few times with your small teams. You can also run this game by breaking people up into smaller teams for a quieter event.

Learn more: Just follow the basic rules of the classic game, Two Truths and a Lie. This works great for a day out or you can leave it open for a week or longer for longer engagement. Pro-Tip: Looking for virtual events?