Fun Games to Play with Kids

Physical games & puzzles are mental food for kids

Often, I am called upon by my friends to "rack my brain" for games and projects for kids, especially during the summer when there is VBS, Summer Camp, and other fun activities for kids.
Most of my current friends have jobs working with kids, putting to good use the tools that they learned to use while they were at CF!E, or that they learned somewhere else. While I was at CF!E I usually had 3 or 4 people come to me weekly asking for game/project ideas to teach the kids. I am surprised that the groove didn't stop after I left, but I am glad it didn't. I am very happy to help out where I can and catch up with my friends!
Anyway, I am usually LOADED with ideas for constructive projects, skits, or fun games for kids. Sometimes my friends catch me at a time when my brain is like "duuuuuuuh....." and they have to wait a moment or two for it to kick into gear, but typically I can give them a few ideas right off the bat. And once they get me going, I have a hard time shutting down. When that happens, I end up writing my ideas down, which is probably a good idea. So, I thought that I would post a few of my written game ideas onto my blog. Hopefully I can make a video of some of my skits, craft projects, and object lessons someday and share!

Big Foot Relay: (small group or large group) Have two shoeboxes for each child, or for 2 contestants. Tape the lids onto the boxes and cut a slit in each top big enough for the kids to stick their feet in, but not so big that the boxes fall off. Have the kids slip their feet into the slits in the boxes and race (preferably on dirt or grass, not asphalt). Laugher is a guarantee!

Name That Ball: (small group or large group) Have kids form a circle. Give one kid a rubber ball. That child selects a category, such as "cookies" and then bounces the ball to another player in the circle, who must catch the ball, state an item from the category, such as "chocolate chip cookies" and keep the ball moving to the next player. If the kid can't name an item, holds the ball too long, or repeats an item, he or she is out.

Pick Pocket Tag: (small group or large group) Put a strip of cloth in each kid's back pocket. Have the kids try to grab each other's strips without having their own strip taken. The child with the most cloth strips wins the game. (Note: this is more fun with 4 or more kids. Don’t do this with little kids. They take it way too personally.)

Red Rover was one of my favorite large group games as a kid!

Red Rover: (large group) Divide everyone into two teams, each forming a long line, holding hands, facing the other team. The two teams should be around 20 or so feet apart. The teams take turn calling out, “Red Rover, Red Rover, send right over!” That child leaves their team’s line, runs as fast as they can toward the other line and tries to break through the held hands. If they break through, they get to take someone back to their team. If they don’t, they join the new team. When a team only has one person left, that person tries to break through the other team. If they do not, then their team loses. If they do, they gain a player and play continues. (Note: this is best to do with kids all about the same age. If you get big kids and little kids together, the bigger ones tend to use their size to win, and sometimes hurt the little guys)

I remember my great-grandmother telling me that she used to play this game when she was a kid. I can't remember what she called it, but I just remember thinking "Mafia" when she told me about it. Ha-ha!

Heads Up, Seven Up: (large group or class room) To start the game, seven players go to the front and the teacher says, “Heads down, thumbs up!” Everyone still at their desk puts their head down, extends an arm and sticks their thumb up. The seven kids that were at the front go around and each press one person’s thumb down. Then they all go back to the front of the room and the teacher says, “Heads up, seven up!” The players at the desks raise their heads and the seven whose thumbs were pressed down stand up. Each in turn names the person they think pressed down their thumb. If they are correct, they change places with the presser. Then the game can start again.

Button Game: (large group or small group) Played inside or outside, the group sits or stands in a circle and holds their hands together in front of them. One person takes the button and goes around the circle, pretending to put the button in someone else’s hands. They actually deposit the button in one person’s hands, but then continue the rest of the way around the circle, pretending to put it in everyone else’s hands. Then going around the circle, each player tries to guess who has the button now. Once the player with the button is finally guessed, that person distributes the button during the next round. You can also flip this around and let the group pretend to pass the button behind their back and make the player in the middle try to figure out who has the button. (Note: obviously since you are playing with a small object like a button, you want to make sure that the kids are all old enough to play with something tiny like that)

This was another one of my favorite group games to play as a kid. It was always so hilarious!!

Telephone: (large group or small group) Players sit in a circle. One person thinks up a sentence or phrase like "Rubber baby buggy bumpers" and whispers it to the next person only once. They aren't allowed to repeat it. The next person repeats what they think they heard to the next person. This continues around the circle. When it finally reaches the last person, that person says the sentence out loud. The ending sentence is usually very different from the beginning sentence, since errors tend to compound as they go around the circle. Be prepared for a lot of laughing. (Note: this is much more fun in a larger group and with a variety of ages!)

Just so you know, I found some of the same game ideas on these two sites, and I borrowed their game names, because their's were better than mine: Geek Dad & Family.Go.com