Indoor/Outdoor Games for Kids

Hide and Seek

• Hide and seek can be played just about anywhere, inside and outdoors. One person is “it,” while the others try to hide. Decide before the game starts if there are any rooms or places off limits, what the boundaries are and if players can hide together. “It” closes her eyes and slowly counts to 30 as the other players find places to hide. Once “it” reaches 30, she opens her eyes and yells, “Ready or not, here I come!” and then looks for each player. When someone hiding is found, “it” says the person&'s name and his location, like, “Matt under the desk.” Matt is then out of the game. The first person spotted is “it” for the next round.

Duck, Duck, Goose

• Duck, duck, goose is a silly circle game many toddlers and preschoolers enjoy. The children sit in a large circle, except the child who is “it." “It” walks around the outside of the circle, gently touching each child on the head while saying “duck." “It” randomly calls one child “goose” and runs around the circle. The child who was tapped and called “goose” must get up and chase “it." If “it” gets around the circle and sits in “goose’s” spot, “goose” becomes "it." If “goose” tags “it” before “it” sits in his spot, “it” remains “it” for another round.

Blind Man&'s Bluff

• This game has been played in living rooms and backyards for years. One child is the “blind man” and must be blindfolded. Bandannas, dish towels and scarves work well for this. After she is blindfolded and cannot see, carefully spin her around several times. The other children spread out and find places to hide. The child who is blindfolded yells “blind man’s." The other children respond by yelling “bluff." The goal of the “blind man” is to find the other players and touch them. There is another way to play this game quietly. The blindfolded player spins himself five times. This is when the other players try to hide. After the fifth spin, the “blind man” says “bluff” and the other players must freeze. They cannot move their feet until the game is over or they get caught by the “blind man." The “blind man’s” goal is to find and tag each player. The first person tagged, in both versions, becomes the “blind man” for the following round.