Family Activities For Summer 2016: Outdoor Games To Keep Your Children Busy

Summer time has come and it is a good time for children to spend time outdoors. There are a lot of good games that can be played outdoors which will let them have fun all summer long. See if these fun-filled games are for your children or you may come up with your very own games.

The New York Times Wellness Blog is issuing a weekly challenge for the summer. This week's challenge is to "Play a classic outdoor game you played in your youth, and teach your kids." The Times recommended Capture the Flag, Kick the Can, Ghost in the Graveyard and flashlight tag.

The 'Intentional Summer' Challenge: Play an Outdoor Game https://t.co/6OuiVQbiNT

— NYTimes Well (@nytimeswell) June 30, 2016

Classic Outdoor Games

In Capture the Flag, two teams compete to take the opposing team's flag and bring it first to their territory without being tagged by an opponent and sent to "jail." Jailed members can be freed by their team members by tagging them back. In Kick the Can, an "it" has to find players in their hiding places and put them in jail. The other players try to kick the can to free the jailed players.

In Ghost in the Graveyard, players try to find a hiding person called the ghost. The one who finds the ghost is safe. Once found, the ghost must then tag other players, who are running back to the base. The tagged player becomes the next ghost.  In flashlight tag, an "it" is given a flashlight and must find another player who becomes the next "it". It's like hide-and-seek with a flashlight.

Other Outdoor Games

Kidspot has a ton of outdoor game ideas that your children will love. One is the sack race which requires two teams with one player each to jump in sacks from a starting line, around a marker and back to the starting line the fastest time possible. And since it is summer, it's alright and so much fun to get a little wet with water balloon pinatas. Tied them in ropes and have the children hit them until they burst.

You can also try copying this father from Idaho's children's obstacle course. "DIY Dad" Eric, Little Things reported, made the course from duct tape, wooden stakes or dowels, beanbags, outdoor balls and pool noodles. The course features arches, hurdles, and ring tosses. The video below shows his DIY obstacle course where children can crawl jump and toss rings.