Summer is just around the corner—it is the perfect time to have fun in the great outdoors. While you enjoy some of these fun games, remember to always be careful of what is around you. Never play where cars may be driving or parking, and watch out for people passing by. Play safely and have fun!
Four Square
Players: at least two, up to a larger group
Needed: sidewalk chalk and a large rubber ball
Mark off at least a six-foot square area with sidewalk chalk. You can make the square up to sixteen feet on each side, depending on the amount of space you have. Divide the square into four smaller squares. One player stands in each small square and one player gets the ball. If there are less than four players, leave some of the squares empty. The player with the ball bounces the ball once in his or her square and then bounces it into another players square. The second player should not catch the ball, but should also bounce it into another player’s square. The only legal way to hit the ball is with open-palmed shots. Using a fist is an illegal move and will cause that player to be out. A player is out if the ball bounces more than once in his or her square, if the ball goes out of bounds, if he or she bounces the ball into an empty square, or if an illegal move is used. Once a player is out, the square either becomes empty or another player is rotated into it. No score is kept in Four Square; just keep playing until everyone is tired!
500
Players: at least two, up to a larger group
Needed: any type of ball (football, baseball, rubber ball) and a large open space
One player is the thrower. All the other players move back about throwing distance away from the thrower. The thrower tosses the ball into the air towards the other players, while yelling out a number between 50 and 500. For example, he or she may say, “Here comes 200!” Whoever catches it, gets those points. If a player drops the ball, he or she loses those points. Negative scores are possible in this game. The first player to get 500 points wins and becomes the thrower for the next round.
Amoeba Tag
Players: at least ten kids
Needed: large open space that’s safe to run in
This game is a variation on tag. To begin, one player is designated “it.” Once he or she tags another player, that player joins hands with the first player. Then they run around and try to tag other players. Whenever they tag a player, he or she becomes part of the amoeba by joining hands with them, becoming part of the amoeba. The game ends when everyone has been tagged. If the group is large and it is too hard to catch the last few players, the amoeba can break up into smaller groups of at least two people. All of these smaller groups can then try to tag the remaining players.