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Games for a Preschool Picnic

Combine the outdoor atmosphere of a picnic with the energy of preschoolers and you have the makings for a party game. Some outdoor picnic games require special equipment like balls, but others need little else besides many people. Add to the fun by awarding prizes to the winners of the games, or simply offer every child who plays a prize to remember the picnic games.

Red Rover
- Divide the group of children into 2 teams, with the same number of players on both sides. Line the teams up in a long row and have them face each other. Have the children grab the hands of the two people next to them in their line. Someone from one line says, "Red Rover, Red Rover, let _________ come over." He inserts the name of a child from the opposite line who must break away from her line and run to the opposite line between two people holding hands. If she breaks through the line by making the hand holders let go, then she gets to return to her line and take one person from the "losing" line with her. If she fails to run through the line, she must join the line by grabbing the hand of the person at the end. The game continues with the lines taking turns requesting a child run to the opposite line until one of the lines gets down to one child, which makes that the losing team and the opposite side the the winners.
Tag
- Hide and seek is a variation of tag which preschoolers can play at a picnic.
  
  Choose one child to be "It" for the game, and pick bases such as trees or picnic benches which serve as safe territory. The "It" player runs after the other children, tagging as many as possible. Players touching the safe "bases" cannot be tagged. These bases can serve as resting sites for young preschoolers who might become winded with too much running. Players tagged must sit out for the rest of the round, and the play continues until the person who is "It" gives up or all the players have been tagged. Alternatively, the tagged players become additional "It" players who can tag the other children. This can become hide and seek by having the "It" player close his eyes and count to 10 while the other children hide. "It" must then locate and chase the players as for tag.
Jumping Rope
- Jumping rope requires a jump rope to play.
  
  Jumping rope can be either an individual sport or one for a group. Individual children jump their own rope and see who can jump the longest without stopping or tripping on the rope. For a large group of preschoolers to jump rope at once, use one long rope at least 10 feet long. Two people hold either end and turn the rope in a circle. The children stand in line next to the rope and jump as one group, or you can have teams of two jump the rope. Whichever team of two jumps the longest wins a prize. Jumping songs or rhymes to count the number of jumps can be found on the Internet.

Kids Games