Say Goodbye To Dullness! 20 Outdoor Games Perfect for Winter To Keep Children Entertained And Active.

With the colder weather settling in, many people are opting to stay indoors and avoid direct contact with the cold air. However, for parents and teachers in kindergartens, the lack of outdoor activities for children has become a major concern. Playing games is one of children’s favorite activities. In winter, outdoor games continue to be important for enriching children’s lives and promoting physical development throughout the season, too.

01 Games Without Equipment

Folk Games: Weaving Flower Baskets

How to play: Ten children form a group and cross their legs together while spinning in a certain direction and reciting children's songs. If any child's leg falls off, the game starts again.

Folk Games: Scissors And Baggage Hammer

How to play: Children work in pairs, standing face to face. When the game starts, they jump up with all their strength and land in one of three postures. Feet together represents "hammer", feet spread left and right represents "baggage", and feet spread forward and backward represents "scissors". Baggage beats hammer, hammer beats scissors, and scissors beat baggage. If there is no clear winner, the game continues.

Sticky Bubble Gum

How to play: All the children gather in a circle, clap their hands, and say "stick the bubble gum". Then they ask "where to stick it?". The teacher tells them to "stick it to the shoulders (or other parts of the body)" and the children work in pairs to touch each other's shoulders.

Weather Forecast

How to play: The teacher instructs the children that it's raining heavily or snowing and they respond by saying "I'm not afraid". When the teacher says it's raining heavily, the children squat down and hold their heads. Any children who fail to do so are eliminated.

Traffic Light

How to play: The teacher acts as a "traffic light" with raising the arm signaling a red light and putting it down signaling a green light. During this game, the children ride bicycles, stopping immediately upon seeing the red light, and continuing under the green light. Any children who make an error must return to the starting point and start again.

Carrot Squat

How to play: Gather the children around a large object and have them take turns saying, "xx squats, xx squats, xx squats, xx (say another child's name) squats." The child whose name is called starts the game, and so on.

Cut Watermelon

How to play: Have most of the children gather around a large object, representing a "big watermelon". One child walks around the object while chanting a children's song, then performs the action of "cutting a watermelon". The other children form a circle around the object. When the last word is read, the children break the hands held by the child next to them and stand in the separated position. The two children who were separated and cut must immediately run around in different directions, then return to the original position. The one who reaches the original position first becomes the "melon cutter" and continues to play.

Big Ball

How to play: Have the children hold hands to form a circle, choose one child to be the person chasing the ball. Then, listen to the teacher's commands: "The ball has become bigger" (i.e., the children hold hands and move back to make the circle bigger); "the ball has become smaller" (i.e., the children hold hands and gather in the middle to make the circle smaller); "the ball breaks" (the children draw their hands, and the friend chasing the ball starts to chase them).

02 Cooperative equipment games

Cross the Blockade

Materials: Variety Bar

how to play: Divide the children into two groups. One group holds the variety bars and stands facing the other group to form obstacles. The second group of children then takes turns jumping over the variety bars. Once they've completed this task, the two groups switch and repeat the game.

Kangaroo Hopping

Game Materials: Jump Bag

how to play: Divide the children into two groups, with one group standing at the starting point and the other group at the end point. The children at the starting point put their feet into the jumping bags and hop towards the end point. Once they reach the end point, they switch places with the children from the other group, who then hop back towards the starting point. Play continues in this way, with the children taking turns hopping in the bags until everyone has had a chance to participate.

See Who Can Jump High

Game materials: unit cylinder, unit brick, physical fitness bar, physical fitness ring

how to play:The teacher assembles a "basket" using a unit cylinder, unit brick, physical fitness bar and physical fitness ring. The children then need to climb over a "hill", cross a "river", and finally jump with both feet to touch the "basket". The winner is the child who jumps the highest.

Compare Who is Stronger

Game material: tension tape, large turtle back

How to play: Divide the children into two groups and use tension tape and large turtle backs to play. The teacher puts some gifts in the backs of the big turtles on both sides. The children then pull hard on the tension band to get as many gifts as possible. The team with the most wins.

You Throw Me and I Catch You

Game Materials: Flexible Disk

How to play: Children use flexible disks to practice throwing and catching. Then, they play a throwing and catching game for more fun and competition.

I'm a Little Pitcher

Game materials: unit tube, sticky jersey

How to play: Provide each child with a unit tube and a sticky shirt. Establish a throwing point with a bullseye at a certain distance. Children hold flannel balls and take turns throwing them to determine who can throw farther and more accurately.

Drilling, Crawling, and Changing Strips

Game Materials: Variety Bar

How to play: Divide the children into two groups and have them crawl through a net, jump over obstacles, and reach the end. The team that finishes first wins. Variety bars can be used as the equipment.

Walk on Stilts Together

Game Materials: Balance Stone

How to play: Encourage children to walk on balance stones with their feet and race to the finish line on stilts.

Walk Through the Forest

Game materials: children's football, sign plate, gymnastics mat, medium unit tube, physical fitness bar

How to play: Divide the children into two teams and use footballs, sign plates, gymnastics mats, unit tubes, and physical fitness bars to create a fun and interactive obstacle course. The team that finishes first wins.

Drive Piglets

Game material: children’s football, fitness sticks

How to play: Divide the children into four teams and use fitness sticks and a football to create a relay race. Children must drive the football "piglet" home on designated tracks without letting it leave their assigned path. The team that finishes first wins.

Little Mouse Transports Food

Game materials: Toddler football, large physical fitness ring

How to play: Divide the children into two teams and use a toddler's football and a large fitness ring to create a relay race. One child carries the football with their body while another carries the fitness ring as they transport the football to the cave. The next team continues the game, and the team that finishes first wins.

Sending the soccer baby home

Game materials: Toddler football, medium unit tube, large physical fitness ring

How to paly: Divide the children into two groups. After hearing the teacher's command, have the first child hold the toddler football and go around the stone pillars (unit tubes), pass through the cave, and successfully send the "football baby" home by passing it through the large physical fitness ring. Then, the next child in the line holds the football and continues the game. The team that finishes first wins.