Kids' Games

Outdoor Games

• Outdoor games are any games which are played outside in the yard, at the park or on a school playground. Games are variable depending on the children̵7;s imagination. Games like tag and hide and seek are common. Children can also play games to build teamwork, like the hula-hoop game where all of the kids stand in a circle with linked hands and must pass the hula hoop around the circle without dropping their hands. Outdoor games can also include races, relays and obstacle courses. During the summer months, outdoor games might include water-gun wars, playing in the sprinkler or pool games. Winter allows sledding, building snowmen, making snow angels or snowball fights.

Games for Classrooms

• Classroom games keep students involved while also allowing them a chance to break away from the hours of working on studies. Classroom games include classics like heads up seven up, jeopardy or hangman, which teachers use as ways to break from the tedium of lessons or to reinforce lessons. Hangman can use spelling words while jeopardy uses hints and clues from current studies. Students might also play four corners, silent ball toss, silence or password. Teachers can get creative in classroom games to incorporate spelling words, classroom lessons or facts students need to know while also keeping the game interesting for the students.

Indoor Games

• On a rainy day or any time when the kids can̵7;t go outside, such as during foul weather, when there is heavy smog in the air or when they simply refuse to go out, parents can suggest some fun indoor games to keep children entertained. Indoor games include options like chopstick pass along, where children try passing a small object around a circle using only chopsticks and lose if they drop it, build a poem, cross the sea or jelly bean trail. Children might enjoy building a fort out of the couch cushions and blankets, playing cops and robbers or playing dress-up as well.

Video and Computer Games

• Video and computer games are widely variable. Parents should always select games which are age-appropriate for the child, though, in general, options like Disney games, Nickelodeon games or PBS games are appropriate for children of varying age groups. In the case of video games, the age rating is usually printed on the game, so parents can purchase games which are appropriate for the child based on the age rating. Games include options like story games, puzzles, educational games, games based on favorite children̵7;s TV shows and movies or classic games like Pac Man, Mario or Sonic.