10 games we used to play as kids

Growing up in the ’80s & early ’90s meant you played outside all the time!  Last week, Mickey and I were talking about how we used to play games after school with all of our neighborhood friends.  We were always outside unless it rained (on those days, we played board games instead. 

Every day, we would meet outside to play games like Four-Square, Red Rover, and Jailbreak, to name a few, but when our kids didn’t know what those games were or how to play them — we knew we had to teach them the games we used to play as kids!

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

10 Games We Used To Play As Kids

We want our kids to spend time playing outside. It’s the reason I put together this list of 60 Screen-Free Summer Activities for Kids.

Did you know that the average child spends less than an hour outside each day? We want to beat those odds. While I find that things are certainly easier with the TV on or when I let the kids use their electronics (because it’s easy to get things done when you know they’re just sitting on their screens), our kids end up more grumpy, arguing more, and are less happy. Why? I think it’s because they have stored up energy, so when they were young, we would often have no-technology weeks.

The study that proves the average child isn’t spending nearly enough time outside — an hour a day is just not enough to burn energy or reap all the benefits that being outdoors offers. That’s just not enough for anyone, let alone kids.

This is a great time to get outdoors, so I encourage you to spend time outside with your kids and play. These games are some of our favorites from OUR childhood!

10 Games We Played As Kids: 

1. Hopscotch.
Do you remember spending hours jumping on the Hopscotch board? I do!  Our kids now love hopscotch, and we play it in the driveway all the time. Just grab a piece of chalk & get to work!    Teach them how to play this age-old game, and they will be at it for an hour or more. Our kids even came up with new ideas on how to play.

2- Jacks
While this one isn’t really an outdoor game, it’s still a great game to play! I can remember being in school and having a Jacks’ tournament. It was a lot of fun, and I made it to round 9 with my partner. Last year, Mickey and I ordered two sets to keep at home, and we taught the kids to play. It was hard to find, but we’ve had good luck with these sets of Jacks from Amazon. 

Image Above: Three of our kids playing Jacks.

3. Four Square!   
This is our family’s favorite game. A few years ago, I ordered a four-square ball, taught them the basic rules, and the rest is history. :)We’ve been playing this game several evenings a week for the past few years, and we love it. It’s our go-to game when the kids have friends over, too (the more players we have, the more fun it is.)

4. Treasure hunt
Create a map on paper and provide them with clues to the location of a hidden treasure. (Make it easy when they are younger. Example: “Find the tallest tree in the yard”. When they get there, have another map that says “Now go to the swings and flip the seat over,” etc… until they come to the treasure.)
As they grew older, I had to make it more complex (think “Escape Room” style)

5. Red Light, Green Light.
This one is so much fun, and everyone can play, no matter their age! The rules are simple: you run when the “IT” person says GREEN and stop when they say “RED.” The winner is the one who gets across the finish line first.
I would like to tell you that I’m the winner, but I’m usually not. Kids are fast!

6. TV-Tag.
You run around until you are about to get tagged, and then you yell out a television show. Our kids play this and love it. Our youngest kids used to get a little confused, and they would call out the names of characters in movies, but it worked, and we allowed it. As they aged, they got the hang of it.
You can change it up & play: Song-Tag, Location-Tag, Car-Tag… you name it, and we’ve probably done it.

7. Cornhole
We built our own cornhole set, and it was pretty easy. Mickey just bought the material from Lowe’s, and I picked up a few mini bean bag sets. You can also get a complete set here. We play on teams, and the kids usually “practice” on their own when they are outside playing.

8. Run UP the slide.
When we were little, we ran up the slide (as long as there wasn’t anyone waiting in line to be next on the slide). Now, when a child runs up the slide, there is almost always an adult calling behind them, “Don’t run up the slide!”

According to the TODAY show, “For many kids, going up a slide is a challenge and risk: Can my body do this? Young kids are testing personal limits because their bodies keep changing. Once they can figure out their limit, they stay within it. Climbing up a slide is a way of experimenting.” It develops large motor skills, spatial awareness, muscle development, and more.
At home, we allow it and even encourage it. They race up, they crawl up, they sprint up— It’s a great workout, and they love it.

9. Obstacle Course
My brother & I used to create obstacle courses constantly! We created courses inside (jump on the trail of pillows, run upstairs, slide back down, etc.), and we also created courses outside.

Now, our kids do the same thing. They love to watch sports shows, relay-type game shows, and Ninja Warrior-type shows, as well as relay shows, so having our own course at home is a must. We make up the new rules each time we play.
Example: “Swing 3 times on the swing. Run to the slide and run up it. Grab a leaf and slide back down”.)

10. Red Rover.
This game is great for our family of six. We usually let just one person go at a time while the rest of us line up and wait to stop that person. (The little lesson in this one, too: “Family is an unbreakable bond.”)

Now it’s your turn! What can you do outside to get your family moving & having fun at the same time?

DO YOU NEED HELP CHECKING SCREEN TIME? CHECK OUT THIS CHART ON ETSY.

More Fun Things To Play With Your Kids:

• Best Board Games for Families 
• Our favorite card game for kids: Taco, Cat, Goat, Cheese, Pizza! 
• Easiest Classic Card Games for Kids