17 Exciting Outdoor games for teens

Are you planning to take your kids out and want them to enjoy it to the fullest, but it looks like you will be running out of ideas?

Or do you want to keep your kids away from the screen for a while but thinking about what to do?

Or you are a teacher and want your children to engage in some physical activity.

In the fourth case, maybe you want to make your children healthy, active, and energetic by involving them in physical activity.

So let us tell you about 17 outdoor games for teens that have answers to all these questions.

Childhood is actually the best time when you can build your children’s confidence, improve their communication skills, and socialize them.

List of 17 outdoor games for teens:

Capture the Flag:

This game deserves to be the number one on the list of outdoor games for teens, that has been around for generations. It is played with two teams, each having a flag. One team tries to capture the flag while the other team defends it. 

How to play:

1. Make two equal teams.
2. Mark a boundary in the middle of the playing area.
3. Provide a flag to hide in each team’s territory.
4. A player of one team has to enter the opponent’s territory, capture their flag, and return it to their own team’s territory without getting tagged by opponents.
5. When a player is tagged, he must go to a designated jail area.
6. Team members can free jailed players by tagging them.
7. The game ends when a team successfully captures the opponent’s flag and returns it to their base, or after a predetermined time limit.

Kickball:

It is an active and healthy game that gives your kids a combination of fun and health. It has many versions to keep your kids from getting bored. You can play it your way. It is mostly played in schools. Both young and old can participate in it.

How to play:

1. Divide teens into two teams with an even number of players.
2. Set up bases in a diamond formation, similar to baseball.
3. One team kicks while the other team plays defense.
4. The kicking team tries to kick the ball and run around the bases to score runs.
5. The fielding team attempts to get the kicking team’s players out by catching the ball or tagging them with it.
6. Each team gets a set number of innings, and the team with the most runs at the end wins.

Ultimate Frisbee:

It is a popular game that is a combination of football and frisbee. Do you know how beneficial it is for your children? It is a full-body workout. The special thing is that it creates flexibility in your body and strengthens all the body parts.

How to play:

1. Two equal teams will play this game.
2. Set up a rectangular playing field with end zones on either side.
3. The player will score points by catching the frisbee in the opponent’s end zone.
4. As long as the frisbee is in a player’s hand, he cannot run but can pivot on one foot to turn.
5. The opposing team can intercept or knock down passes.
6. If the frisbee hits the ground or goes out of bounds, it will turn over to the other team.
7. The game ends when one team reaches the predetermined number of points, and that team is declared the winner.

Dodgeball:

Dodgeball is a popular pastime game in which the players of two teams throw the ball at each other and try to hit the opponents while protecting themselves from being targeted. It is not only a game but also has many other benefits, as it plays an important role in making your children agile, smart, and alert.

How to play:

1. Divide players into two teams.
2. Set up a boundary line in the middle of the playing area.
3. Place several soft dodgeballs in the center.
4. The objective is to eliminate all players on the opposing team by hitting them with a dodgeball.
5. Players who are hit are out but can return if a teammate catches an opponent’s throw.
6. The game continues until one team is eliminated.

Scavenger Hunt:

It’s a great way to get the kids outside and entertain them. After helping the children a little, you can sit back and watch them enjoy themselves. All you have to do is make a list of things around and let the kids find them.

How to play:

1. Create a list of items or clues for players to find.
2. Divide players into teams or individuals.
3. Provide each team or player with a copy of the list or clues.
4. The objective is to locate and collect the items or solve the clues to win the game.
5. Set a time limit, and the team or player who finds the most items or solves the most clues within that time wins.

Tug of War:

If you want to entertain your kids outside, this is a very simple and easy game that children as well as viewers enjoy a lot. Like other sports, it also strengthens the bodies and minds of your children.

How to play:

1. Divide players into two teams so that both teams have almost equal physical strength.
2. Place a rope on the ground and mark a point in the center of the rope.
3. Each team grabs one end of the rope firmly.
4. Both teams will pull the rope in their direction and try their best to cross the marked point on their side.
5. The team that successfully crosses the point wins the round.

Water Balloon Fight:

If you want to bring a smile to everyone’s face, apply this idea. It’s a great way to cool off during hot summer days and to have fun with family, friends, and even a large group.

All you need are some water balloons, a wide-open outdoor space, and an adventurous attitude!

With water balloons, you can play many other different games.

How to play:

1. Help your teens fill water balloons.
2. You can also play this game in teams or allow for free-for-all play.
3. Children will hit opponents with water balloons and get them wet while avoiding getting hit themselves.
4. Whoever the water balloon hits will be out.
5. The game continues until one player or team remains dry.

Volleyball:

Volleyball is a great outdoor game played by two teams. Each team usually has six players. A net is required to be installed between the teams.

How to play:

1. Divide players into two equal teams.
2. Install a net in the middle of the playing field.
3. Each team can hit the ball thrice to send it over the net to the opposing team’s side.
4. The objective is to score points by getting the ball to touch the ground on the opponent’s side of the net.
5. Points are scored when the ball hits the ground inbounds or when the opposing team fails to return it.

Sardines:

This game is similar to children’s favorite game, hide and seek. In hide and seek, all players hide and one finds everyone, while in this game, one player hides and all others find that hidden player.

How to play:

1. Choose one player to be “It” while the others close their eyes and count.
2. The ” It ” player hides somewhere in a designated playing area.
3. After counting, the other players search for “It.”
4. When a player finds “It,” he hides with them (like sardines in a can).
5. The game continues until only one player is left searching for the group.

Lawn Bowling:

Bowling is a game that looks simple but demands focus and concentration. The ball used in it is unsymmetrical, which makes it travel in a curved path. The object of the game is that the ball has to be placed as close to the target as possible.

How to play:

1. Set up a flat lawn or bowling green.
2. Place a small target ball (the “jack”) at one end of the lawn.
3. Each player or team takes turns rolling larger balls (the “bowls”) toward the jack.
4. A player has to get their bowls as close to the jack as possible.
5. The closer the bowl gets to the jack, the more points a player gets.

Cornhole:

It is a very interesting outdoor game for your kids. You can see the details of this game here.

How to play:

1. Set up two cornhole boards at a distance from each other.
2. Each board has a hole in it.
3. Players take turns throwing bean bags at the opposing board, aiming to get the bean bag through the hole or onto the board.
4. Points are scored based on where the bean bag lands.
5. The first player or team to reach a set number of points wins.

Kick the Can:

Kick the can also known “Tip the can, can up can down.” This game is similar to children’s hide and seek, tag, and capture the flag. This game is popular because it does not require a special playground or equipment. Teens can play this fun game if they have any kickable object, usually an empty can. To add more fun, pebbles or rocks are inserted in the can for noice. This game is also very popular with children.

How to play:

1. Designate one player as “It” and place an empty can in an open area.
2. Other players rush to hide themselves while “It” counts.
3. “It” must try to find and tag the hiding players.
4. Hiding players can save others by kicking the can before getting tagged.
5. If “It” tags a player, that player goes to a designated jail area.
6. The game continues until all players are in jail or someone successfully kicks the can.

Tag (variations like Freeze Tag, Shadow Tag):

Tag also known as “chase, tig, tiggy.” It is a playground game in which one or more players run after other players and touch them with hand, which is called “Tag”. When a player tags another player, Tagger says “It” or “Tag” and mark him out of the game. This game has variations in various parts of the world.

How to play:

1. Choose one player to be “It.”
2. “It” chases and tries to tag other players.
3. When a player is tagged, he becomes “It” which means pause from the game.
4. In Freeze Tag, tagged players must freeze until another player ranks them to unfreeze.
5. In Shadow Tag, “It” tags by stepping on the shadow of another player.

Hide and Seek:

This is an old and popular game among children. Dosen’t require any special equipment. In it, one child closes his eyes and counts to ten so that the other children can hide in their secret places. Then he finds them one by one. The one found first becomes “it”. And next it’s his turn to find out other players.

How to play:

1. One player (the “seeker”) covers their eyes and counts to ten usually.
2. Others rush to hide themselves before seeker counting reaches to ten.
3. After counting, the seeker tries to find the hidden players.
4. Once found, he becoms the seeker for the next round.
5. The game continues turn by turn.

Obstacle Course:

One of the biggest advantages of this game is that it teaches time management to children.

Many obstacles and hurdles are erected in the child’s path. A child overcomes those obstacles. And he is given a time interval within which he has to reach from one end of the course to the other. Many physical activities like rolling, jumping, or running are involved in a single game. It makes the child agile and energetic.

How to play:

1. Create a course with various physical challenges and obstacles.
2. Players have to complete the course in a minimum amount of time while crossing all obstacles.
3. The player who covers the entire path in the shortest time wins.

Four Square:

This is a game that is a favorite among children and adults alike, and it’s played all over the world. It’s very simple and easy. It doesn’t require any equipment or a lengthy setup. Let’s see how to play it

How to play:

1. First, draw a large square and then divide it into four smaller squares on the ground.
2. Each player stands in one of the squares.
3. The player in the top square serves the ball into another player’s square.
4. Players must hit the ball into another player’s square without letting it bounce more than once in their square.
5. If a player fails to return the ball, they move to the bottom square, and the other players move up.

For further information, click here.

Red Rover:

If you’re looking for a fun outdoor activity that combines teamwork, strategy, and a dash of friendly competition, try this game.

Red Rover is a classic game that has been enjoyed by generations of young people and continues to be a fantastic way to spend time with friends while staying active. 

Let’s see how to play it

How to play:

1. Divide players into two teams.
2. Each team forms a line, holding hands, i.e. creating a human chain by linking arms.
3. One team calls a player from the opposite team by saying, “Red Rover, Red Rover, send [player’s name] right over!”
4. The called player runs and tries to break through the linked arms of the other team.
5. If they break through, they choose one player to take back to their team.
6. If they don’t break through, they join the opposing team.
7. The game continues until one team has all the players.

For further information, click here.

Conclusion:

Outdoor games are very important for teens to enjoy something away from their routine lives and to refresh themselves so that they can get new enthusiasm to perform their necessary tasks in the future.

Therefore, such activities are very important to highlight their physical and mental abilities from time to time. 

Parents and teachers should also take such measures so that children can take full advantage of their physical and mental abilities. 

After extensive research, we’ve selected these simple and perfect seventeen outdoor games to play. Whenever you plan to go out and entertain your kids, this list will be a great help.

Enjoy and let us know your valuable feedback.