Learn how to play the games and activities from the Outdoor Playground!
1. Game: Fruit Basket
Materials:
- Hula hoops (or other target)
- Lots of different size, texture, colour, shaped balls or throwing items
How to Play:
- Set up 1-4 hula-hoops around the yard. These are the fruit baskets
- Place all the different balls around the playing area
- Say “Oh no! All the fruit fell out of the basket!”
- Get participants to move around using different locomotors movements to pick up one piece of fruit at a time and throw it in a basket from where they picked up the ball.
- Have kids name out the type of fruit they are throwing into the basket
- Progression: can the participant throw standing on one foot, can they throw it like a basketball player or a volleyball player?
- Regression: put some balls right beside the hoops so participant doesn’t have to throw it too far to make it into the basket
How is it Physically Literate?
- This game works on a number of different fundamental movement skills including locomotors skills, throwing, accuracy
- This game also engages ALL children at all times throughout the activity.
- There are inclusive progressions and regressions built into the game’s rules.
2. Kick it Over!
Materials:
- Boxes (or other targets that a ball could knock over)
- Soccer ball for each child (or other types and sizes of balls)
How to play:
- Assess how well your participants can kick (distance AND accuracy)
- Set up the boxes so it reflects the skills level of the individual but challenges them enough so it’s not too easy
- Get the children to try and kick the soccer ball so it knocks over the box. Increase difficulty as the child progresses.
- Progression: get the child to use both feet to aim and knock the boxes over.
- Regression: can you think of a regression for this activity?
How is it Physically Literate?
- This game works on the fundamental movement skill of kicking and accuracy
- This game also engages ALL children at all times throughout the activity.
- The game is inclusive by design because box distances and accuracy challenge are determined specifically for each person.
3. Shark Attack!
Materials needed:
- Hula Hoops or other “safe areas”
- must have at least 4 hoops (if only have 3-4 kids playing), then add 1 for every 3-4 additional children
How to play:
- Place hula hoops for each participant around the open activity space (or make clear that more than one person can be in a hula hoop at once)
- Encourage the kids to move through the ocean in different ways (Fish, jelly fish, shark, seal)
- Call “Shark Attack!” and have jump/ hop onto an island (hula hoop) for safety before the person who is it touches the players out of a hoop!
- If a child is touched, make them do 5 jumping jacks, squats or hops
- Progression: can you think of a progression for this activity?
- Regression: can you think of a regression for this activity?
- Preparing progressions and regressions for every game you play is important! This will allow children to be challenged in a way that is fun and engaging! Try and think of progressions (ways to make the game harder) and regressions (ways to make the games easier) for each activity listed in this resource!
How is it Physically Literate?
- This game works on a number of the fundamental movement skills including locomotor, hoping, jumping, balance.
- This game engages all the children at all parts of the game.
4. 3-Legged Race/ Wheel Barrow Race
Materials:
- 4 cones (set up track)
- Nylons (1 for every pair) or other material used to tie feet together
How to play:
3- Legged Race
- Determine a start and a finish line for the race
- Find a partner and tie opposite legs together (tie a right and left leg) using the nylon
- Practice going one end to the other in a 3-legged form
- Time how long it takes to get through the track. Try and beat your time!
Wheel Barrow Race:
- One partner will be on their hands while the other partner holds up their feet.
- Plank walk to the other side of the race line. Switch skills each time.
- Time how long it takes to get through the track. Try and beat your time!
- Progression: can you think of a progression for this activity?
- Regression: can you think of a regression for this activity?
- Preparing progressions and regressions for every game you play is important! This will allow children to be challenged in a way that is fun and engaging! Try and think of progressions (ways to make the game harder) and regressions (ways to make the games easier) for each activity listed in this resource!
How is it Physically Literate?
- This game works on the fundamental movement skill teamwork, coordination and locomotor skills.
- This game also engages ALL children at all times throughout the activity.
- The game is inclusive by design because this is NOT a race! It is a challenge for the children to beat their own personal best times. There are NO winners or losers!
- *EXTRA POINTS* – as the leader, pick the partners so children meet new people and are matched with someone close to their skill level.
Other Fun Outdoor Activities:
- Mud Kitchen
- Run through the sprinkler
- Go on a nature hike
- Garden (grow a veggie garden)
- Hop Scotch
- Skipping / Jump Rope
- Bubbles
Music to Play While you PLay:
- ABC – Jackson 5
- Surfin USA – The Beach Boys
- Hakuna Matata – The Lion King
- I Like to Move It – Crazy Frog
- Be Our Guest – Beauty and the Beast
- Who Let the Dogs Out- Baha Man
- Happy – Pharrell Williams
- Shake it Off- Taylor Swift
- Mambo No 5 – Juice Music
- Footloose – Kenny Loggins
- Kung Fu Fighting – Carl Douglas
- Axel F – Crazy Frog
- Push it to the Limit – Corbin Bleu
Fun Fact:
When children move in different locomotors movement styles, they build new neuron (brain connections) helping with the overall development of the brain! (See attached fundamental movement skills sheet for different locomotors skills). A growing body of evidence indicates that physical activity in childhood is essential for a healthy brain and leads to improved: thinking and learning, emotional regulation and self-control, problem-solving ability, memory, stress management, ability to cope with anxiety and depressive symptoms, self-esteem and self-worth, and attention and focus!