Five Outdoor Group Games To Help Them Learn

Five Outdoor Group Games To Help Them Learn

Outdoor games are great fun and excellent for learning key skills. Children that play regularly outside are developing their fine motor skills, learning about the environment, improving their confidence and building social skills.

That’s why it is always great to offer games outside. Sometimes, you might want to suggest games to offer particular skill development. Here are some suggestions for you.

  1. Hide And Seek

Every child knows hide and seek, and they all love the game. Children relish the challenge and competition but it also teaches them vital skills for life such as spacial awareness. Hide and seek is also a great way to get children moving.

You can even adjust hide and seek by hiding toys around your outdoor space and asking the children to find certain toys instead of each other.

  1. Hopscotch

Hopscotch is a great game for learning numbers and physical activity. While only one child is usually on the hopscotch board at any time, often the game is played in groups with lots of laughter.

You can adjust hopscotch by having children sing nursery rhymes as well as other songs while participating.

  1. What’s The Time

A classic game where one child is the ‘wolf’, ‘teacher’ or another variation. They stand with their back to everyone else. The other children call out “what’s the time Mr Wolf/Teacher,” and the child who is ‘it’ then calls out a time like 3 o’clock. The children have to move that number of steps (e.g. 3 o’clock would be three steps) towards the ‘wolf’ or ‘teacher’.

At a certain point, when asked what time it is, the ‘wolf’ or ‘teacher’ calls out ‘dinner time’ or ‘detention’ and then tries to chase down the other children until one is caught or all the other children are ‘safe’.

This is a great learning game for counting. It is also exciting, especially when the ‘wolf,’or ‘teacher,’ starts to chase the other players.

  1. Treasure Hunt

Another classic game when children have to find objects that you’ve listed, either on their own or in groups. Children can search anywhere outside. The children who find the most items the fastest win.

This can be a great physical activity but can also help with identification and social skills.

Conclusion

There are many benefits of playing outside. By offering pre-planned games you can start to develop physical, mental and social skills. What games do you organise at your educational setting? Let us know in the comments.

Able Canopies Ltd. design, manufacture and install canopies and shade structures
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