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Park Games for Kids

Taking kids to the local park is a fantastic way to let your children experience the outdoors and to exercise to keep themselves healthy. There are parks that consist of a swingset alone and others that have a large field with endless gaming possibilities. Keep in mind that while organized games can be fun for kids, give them time to make up activities on their own to fully express their creativity.

Sardines
- This game is a variation on the old hide-and-seek activity. One person hides while all of the other players (the seekers) cover their eyes. They all begin to look for the hiding player. If one of the seekers finds the hider, they join him in his hiding place. This happens again and again until everybody is crammed into the same hiding place (like sardines). The game ends and can re-start when all of the players are hiding in the same place.
Monster Tag
- This is a variation on the traditional tag game. One person is "it" (the monster) and runs around attempting to tag the other players. Once the person who is it tags another player that player joins hands with the "it" player and they are now a two-headed "it" monster. Every time they tag another player, that player joins hands with them and becomes part of the monster. The game continues until all of the players are one giant monster.
I Spy
- This traditional game is fun for kids at a new park or a larger park that has birds, trees and park equipment. The game "I Spy" is simple: Have one player say "I spy, with my little eye, something...". Once they have chosen the item, they say the color of that item. The other players then take turns trying to guess what the object is. There should be a limit placed on how many guesses there are, just to keep the game from going on too long.
Capture the Flag
- Capture the flag is a game that can be played on a park with a large field or one that has a large area littered with trees and obstacles. The group is divided into two teams, each of which has a flag, which can be somebody's shirt or a towel. The field is then divided into two clearly defined halves. Each team has five minutes to hide its flag on its side of the field. The object of the game is to get the other team's flag back to your team's side of the field without getting tagged. If you get tagged, you have to go to a "jail" far on the other team's side. Players can be freed by a teammate only when the other team isn't looking. The game allows kids to run around freely and enjoy themselves in a wide-open space.

Kids Games