41 Best Outdoor Party Games for Kids Birthday
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Need to keep the children entertained? Try out these outdoor party games for kids birthday and enjoy the activities!
Outdoor parties are great fun for kids only when they have ample activities to do. If you are throwing an outdoor birthday bash or a summer party for your kids, make sure you have planned enough fun outdoor games for the kids to play.
If you need Best Outdoor Party Games for Kids, read along.
1. 3-Legged Race
The three-legged race is a pretty simple yet highly amusing race for kids. Many may have already raced it at school. Like every race, the aim is to beat the other team and cross the finishing line first.
Tie two kids’ left legs together and make them run as a team. A three-legged race is a great way to build team coordination, encourage teamwork as well as develop balance in both kids.
This fun outdoor game is perfect for your next family reunion.
2. Potato Sack Relay
Get your sacks ready because this is going to be a fun round. Kids and parents alike will topple over laughing playing this relay race. The potato sack race is the only race that is as funny as it looks.
However, to run this race successfully, the kids will need potato sacks or any other kind of sacks.
3. Parachute
Parachute play is the most fun outdoor party game. Did you know you can play so many games with just one parachute? Kids have the time of their life maneuvering the parachute here and there.
Here are some of the fantastic games you can play with a parachute.
- When The Parachute Goes Up: Simple action game for small kids
- Popping Popcorns: LEt the kids stretch the parachute and put some small balls in the middle. Now, ask the kids to move the parachute to knock the balls off the parachute.
This isn’t all; you can play many games with a big parachute. If you like the idea, get your parachute today.
4. Treasure Hunt
Outdoors is so much fun when you start to explore it. One brilliant way to explore the outdoors is by planning a treasure hunt for your kid’s party.
You can set as many rules as you can for the treasure hunt to make it as long or short as you please. Moreover, the object or gift you hid as treasure can be given to the winning person or team.
5. Ring Toss
Ring Toss is an evergreen carnival game loved by both adults and kids alike.
Have your prizes according to the rings that land on the target.
You can give away a bag of sweets, small soft toys, or paint boxes as prizes for the Ring Toss game.
6. Limbo
Limbo is a popular college party game that you can play at your kid’s outdoor party. Since it’s a kiddie party, you don’t need to have hard and fast rules. This Limbo is just for fun.
However, you will need a few things to commence your game. The main thing you need to play Limbo is a Limbo set.
7. Water Balloon Toss
Toss the Balloon, be as delicate and swift as you can when it comes to you. The aim of the game is not to get wet. If the balloon bursts in your hand, you will be eliminated.
Toss the Balloon is a highly fun and exciting game where the Balloon can burst at any moment. To play this game, you will need teams of two as well as water balloons.
8. Musical Patio Chairs
Musical chairs is a fun birthday game that has been extremely popular at both indoor and outdoor parties. It used to be the must-have game at all birthday parties. This fun twist on a classic game is fun for kids of all ages!
Let’s revive the old tradition of playing musical chairs only take the chairs outdoors and play with full volume music. You will need one person to man the stereo and one to supervise the game.
The rest can have fun while running around chairs and finding a space to sit when the music stops. This game is highly competitive, so prepare yourself for a ceasefire whenever needed.
9. Mini-Golf
You can also set up a mini-golf for your kid’s outdoor party. Kids love mini-golf. It’s the grown-up game that they are always excited to play.
You will also need a couple of golf balls as well as golf sticks and a couple of kids to play at once.
10. Scavenger Hunt
Just like a treasure hunt, the Scavenger hunt is also a popular sport to play outdoors. Or you can use both the indoors as well as the outdoors to prepare your ground for the Scavenger Hunt.
However, this isn’t an impromptu game. You will need to prepare ahead of time for the game to be a huge success.
Make sure you have a present for the winning team when they return with the treasure back home.
11. Outdoor Obstacle Course
An outdoor obstacle course is a cool theme for an outdoor birthday party, especially if you are throwing it for the boys. Since boys are all high-energy, they would love a challenging obstacle course.
To make your obstacle course, you will need a few things like Pool Noodles, Small Inflatable Pool, Wooden planks, Skipping rope, Tunnels, Balls, etc.
Apart from the said material, you will also need some creativity and helping hands to help you set up the outdoor obstacle course.
12. Frisbee Golf
Throw your frisbees, hit the target, and score, do this in as few turns as you can to win the title of fastest Frisbee Golfer ever! Did you know Frisbee Golf is trending nowadays as the new coolest outdoor game?
If you haven’t caught on, this party should be the ticket to your Frisbee Golf fever. For this cool game, all you need is a Frisbee and something to use as targets or holes. You can use tall buckets or poles for this.
13. Balloon Pop Race
Balloon Pop Race is a race against time and other teams. This is a test of how fast you can pop balloons by sitting on them, stepping on them, or using your sharp nails.
As soon as you pop your Balloon, you run to tag the next person, the team that finishes with all their balloons first wins the game. This game shows your teamwork; it’s a fantastic game for your kids’ outdoor party.
However, make sure all the kids are willing and comfortable to pop balloons, or they might cost their team a win.
14. Balloon Stomp
Fair warning, this game may bring out the worst in your kids. Balloon Stomping aims to stomp or burst other kids’ balloons to eliminate them from the competition.
The last standing kid with the Balloon intact wins the game. This game is very fast-paced and competitive.
There will be a lot of running around as well, so make sure you have enough open space for the kids to run and protect their balloons.
15. Tug of War
This is yet another classic that is a popular game for outdoor parties, school events, and outdoor birthday bashes.
Tug of war is a pretty simple game to play and understand. However, you need to divide the teams equally to be fair.
16. Corn Hole
The Corn Hole game is a good investment for all future parties that you are going to throw and the current one.
It’s a fun game that you can play either one-on-one or with teams. Either way, this game is worth setting up at outdoor parties.
The kids will have a great time putting the corn bags through the holes and winning prizes.
17. Lawn Bowling
Lawn bowling is just like regular Bowling except for the fact that you can play this one in your backyard. These come with special balls that glide on the Lawn.
Having Lawn Bowling at your party will ensure that all the kids are going to have a great time.
18. Lawn Twister
Twister is a highly portable and versatile game that you can play both indoors as well as outdoors. Get a big mat of twister that you can take outdoors with ease and have a fun game of twister at your outdoor party.
Let the kids show how flexible their bodies are by twisting and locking their targeted color.
19. Oversized Jenga
Jenga is one game no kid or adult can have enough of, and if it’s Oversized Jenga for an outdoor-themed party, you will be at it until the sun goes down.
Oversized Jenga is played just like a regular-sized Jenga. The only difference is the amount of fun the kids will have playing with the giant Jenga set.
20. Glow in the dark Hopscotch
At least once in your life, you must have played Hopscotch; everyone knows the drill with Hopscotch. However, have you ever tried Hopscotch with glow-in-the-dark rings?
If you haven’t, now is the time to add this fun and unique game to your outdoor party. So, if it’s a night party, this can be the starting game for your party. If you are going to pack up at dusk, this can be the end game of your party.
Get your glow-in-the-dark rings and set them on the ground in a Hopscotch pattern. Call out the kids and demonstrate and watch how soon they take over the game.
21. Giant Tic Tac Toe
Many indoor games can become outdoor games if you are willing to invest in the giant versions, just like this Giant Tic Tac Toe that can be a huge hit at your outdoor party.
Since Tic Tac Toe is an easy-to-play game and every kid loves it, it will be the highlight of your party, just like Giant Jenga.
22. Find the gummy bears
Finding the Gummy bears is a hilariously funny game, but it can get messy quickly. If you’re up for it, you will need a couple of bags of gummy bears as well as whipped cream.
Divide players into pairs, and give them one plate, each; filled with whipped cream with three gummies concealed in them.
Whoever finds and eats their gummies fastest wins the game. Make sure the kids are wearing napkins, as this game is messy.
23. Bubbles
Bubbles of all kinds and sizes are loved and appreciated at outdoor kid’s parties. You can get a bubble machine to blow bubbles at the party for the kids to catch. Or you can give the kids bubble guns to play with at the party.
Either way, the kids will have a good time playing with bubbles. This works well if you are throwing a pool or water-themed party.
24. Nerf War
Nerf guns are extremely popular with kids; I should know as I have two teenage nephews who are obsessed with their Nerf guns. Having a Nerf war is a great way to let kids run wild at your outdoor party.
Either set up targets or devise a DIY game including Nerf Guns for the kids.
25. Pass the water
Stand the kids in a line now, give a glass filled with water to the kid in the front, and ask him to tip it over to the kid standing right behind him.
The chain goes on and on till the last drop of water. This is a fun game that lasts a good while if all the players are extremely careful while tipping water behind them.
26. Donuts on a string
If you are going to order the Limbo set, you can use that for the “Donuts on a string” activity. The aim of Donuts on a string is to finish the donut fastest without using your hands as they hang from a string.
27. Water Balloon Baseball
The only thing you need to worry about in water baseball is how messy it will get. You might have to send the kids back home in wet clothes or ask them to get a change of clothes for your outdoor party.
Played with water balloons, this is a different kind of baseball that is way more fun than regular baseball.
Check out more fun party games for teenagers!
28. Water Balloon Pinata
A shower of water is just what you need for your outdoor party. You can add candies to your water balloon pinata, but even if you don’t, the kids won’t mind as they will be too busy having fun under the water balloon pinata.
29. Freeze Tag
The freeze tag aims to freeze everyone for under 3 minutes.
If all players freeze at the end of three minutes, the game is won by “IT” time. If even one person stays unfrozen, the game is won by the opposite team—a simple yet entertaining outdoor game for all types of parties.
30. Capture the Flag
Here’s a game that creates excitement both indoors and outdoors. Capture the Flag is a time-honored game.
Divide the kids into two teams and give them a colored flag to place in their “home base.” Teams score points and win the game by capturing the other team’s Flag and bringing it to their base. Players can defend themselves by tagging or capturing opposing players entering their territory.
31. Hide and Seek
Perhaps the most traditional and universal outdoor game of all time, hide-and-seek, involves one player closing her eyes for a 100 count while the other kids hide.
The seeker then announces that she’s coming to find the hiders. The first one to be found in the next seeker and the last one to be found wins the game.
Considering the infinite variations of the games, it’s better to establish the rules beforehand.
32. Follow the Leader
Here’s another classic outdoor game. Follow the leader involves one kid as the leader or “head of the line,” and the remainder are the followers.
They line up behind the leader, mimicking the leader’s actions. It’s less competitive than other games on the list but does make for great laughs!
33. Duck Duck Goose
Our next game tests your kids’ speed and presence of mind. ‘Duck Duck Goose’ involves one kid who is “It,” and all the other kids sit in a circle.
It goes around the circle, tapping each player on the head and saying ‘duck.’ However, if she taps someone and says ‘goose,’ the player then has to run after It, trying to tag him.
34. Dodgeball
As we learned in the Dodgeball movie, this game involves five D’s “Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive and Dodge.”
As the game begins, every player will try to grab a ball on the line. The ones who get the ball are then able to throw the ball at the other team.
If a player is hit by the ball, he is eliminated. And if he catches or dodges the ball, the thrower gets eliminated.
35. Keep up the Balloon
Here’s a simple yet gravity-defying game for kids. As the name implies, the game involves players trying to keep a balloon in the air.
The rules are simple. Each player bats the Balloon in the air to prevent it from falling to the ground.
If the kids are older, you can make it more challenging by having more than one Balloon.
36. Simon Says
Today’s kids may not know about this primordial game, but it’s still worth the effort to teach them!
Simon Says involves one person who plays “Simon,” who tells other players what they must do. For example, “Simon Says, stand on one foot.”
Players lose by doing something that does not begin with “Simon Says.”
Need more ideas? Check out these indoor activities for toddler birthday party!
37. Kids Charades
Kids Charades is the children’s version of Dumb Charades, which they can play indoors and outdoors.
One player is given the name of a movie, book, character, animal, or object, and she has to act it out. This person is not allowed to talk and can only use gestures, facial expressions, and body language.
Kids Charades is fun and brings out the creative spark in your children.
38. Wheelbarrow Race
This game is fun but physically intensive as well. It involves teams of two, one acting as the wheelbarrow and the other as the driver.
The driver holds the other player by the ankles, and the “wheelbarrow” has to move with her hands on the ground. The first team to reach the finishing line wins!
39. Red Light Green Light
Traffic emulation at its finest, this game involves one player acting as the cop, signaling green or red light.
The other players start along the starting line. Everyone will move towards the finish line when the cop says ‘Green Light.’ And when he says ‘Red Light,’ everyone must immediately stop.
If anyone is still moving, they will return to the starting line and start over. Once everyone gets across the finish line, you can start a new game.
40. Yard Maze
Any maze game is the ultimate test of wits. And when you set up a maze in your yard, it will engage your kids for hours.
A maze involves players moving in complex and branched passages to find a target or location. A simple method to create a maze is the Growing Tree method, where the “branches” are the paths of a maze leading to the target.
41. Pool Noodle Croquet
Finally, if you need to occupy kids during summer, it’s time to make up your own kick croquet lawn game!
Start by cutting pool noodles in half from the middle in a way that each pool noodle makes two arches. Place them in your yard using garden stakes.
Next, get a few kick balls and kick the ball through the course. The first one to get their ball to the finish wins!