Hobbies And Interests
Back Yard and Beach Games
With at least two players and a long strip of relatively flat ground, you can play bocce or petanque. The game starts by tossing the smallest ball in the set--sometimes called a "pallino"--with each player trying to toss her ball closest to it. If you have a place to set up a net and room on either side of it, get a badminton game started. A minimum of two players is needed but more players make for more fun. Paddle ball is a more portable variation of this game that is perfect for fun at the beach, or have a hula hoop contest--once one person gets it going, the laughs and challenges become contagious.
Court Games
There is an endless array of games that can be played on a patch of pavement. Jump rope--either single, double our double Dutch--and hopscotch are classic children's games that require only minimal materials and a good amount of energy and persistence. A game of basketball--either one-on-one or as teams--is another time-honored outdoor favorite. You need not know the rules of basketball to have fun at the hoop. Play "HORSE" instead--the first person to throw the basketball into the hoop gets to decide the spot for his shot -- and for everyone else. If he makes the shot, each subsequent player must make the same exact shot. Any player who doesn't get the ball into the hoop the exact same way gets an "H," followed by the rest of the letters in "HORSE." The first one to have all five letters is out of the game. Players are eliminated until there is one player left. That player is the winner.
Away From Home
If you're on vacation and find yourself with down time, start a nature scavenger hunt. Players will get to explore the nooks and crannies of unfamiliar outdoor space and learn about their natural surroundings. Divide players into two teams ensuring each team has a player who can read. Give each team a bag and identical lists of items--a feather, acorn, seashell, stick in the shape of a "Z," bottle cap--that they must find. When they have found every item on the list, they come back to you to show what they have collected. They must save their list so that you can check for accuracy. The first group to collect all of the items on the list is the winning team.
Classics -- No Equipment Needed
If you have a group of willing participants and a wide open space to run, then you can get a game going. Tag is a classic kids game where one person chases other children until he "tags" someone, who then becomes "It" and must continue the chasing. Freeze tag is a variation of this game where players who have been tagged must stand still in the place they have been tagged. The last one to be tagged is "It." Hide and Seek is another age-old children's game. One child covers his eyes and counts to twenty out loud while the others hide. The child who counted must then hunt around for the children who have hidden in trees and behind bushes. The first child to be found becomes the next child to count and seek.