Outdoor Games Names and Popular Activities List

These are the games that can only be played on open grounds. These games force the kids to come out of their in-house luxury and play in a more competitive and harsh environment. These kinds of games make them learn a lot of essential life skills. 

Benefits of Playing Outdoor Games:

• It effectively improves muscle growth and strength in young kids. 

• It increases the coordination or motor skills of a child. 

• These games are mostly team sports and hence allow them to learn leadership skills and teamwork. 

• Sports make use of all the five senses of our body and hence the kids get very self-aware. 

• Kids begin to learn about their physical abilities as in their strengths and weaknesses. 

Types of Outdoor Games 

• Outdoor games can be broadly categorised into two groups, i.e. individual and team sports. 

• Individual sports are those kinds of sports that have only a single person playing against a single opponent. e.g. Lawn tennis, Badminton, etc. 

• It can also be like a track and field event in which multiple individuals compete against each other at the same time. e.g. 100-metre race, Relay race, Javelin throw, etc. 

• There are a number of outdoor games that need a team for playing. Some of the most popular sports in the world are outdoor team sports. e.g. Cricket, Football, Baseball, Hockey etc.

List of Outdoor Games

There are many games which are played outside, or in a playground. Some of them are discussed here.

A. Track and Field Games

100-metre race- In this event or sport there are almost 10 individuals that start the race from a fixed point and each of them has their own track to run on. They begin to run once the signal which can be either a gunfire or whistle blow is given. They complete a distance of 100 metres and try to be amongst the first three to cross the finish line.

Long Jump- This event is played by one sportsman at a time. The athlete runs from a certain point and has to jump before the given qualification line and try to reach as far as he can without falling on a sand pit made ahead. The person who jumps the farthest from the qualification line wins. 

Track and Field Games

Javelin throw- This involves metal rod-like equipment with a pointed end. The goal is to throw that rod as far as an athlete can on open ground with markings on it. The longest distance that an athlete covers wins it.

B. One on One games 

Badminton- This involves two opponents that face each other on a badminton court and is separated into two halves by the net in between. The players each have a nylon thread-weaved racket and a shuttle made up of plastic or feathers. This shuttle is served and the goal is to make the opponent miss hitting the shuttle. One can also gain a point if the opponent cannot strike it properly or makes a foul. 

Badminton

Lawn tennis- It is very similar to badminton but in this case, there is a tennis ball that is mainly made of rubber and the court is fairly larger than the badminton court and can be made of either clay, or grass, or cement. 

C. Team games

Cricket- This game is played on a large ground and a soil pitch at the centre. It is played by two teams with 11 players each. It is played in limited-overs that have 6 balls each. In the end, one team wins the match by chasing or hitting more.

Football- This game is played on a large ground as well. It has two sides and two goalposts and 11 players each on a team. The teams need to score goals by hitting a big rubber ball on the goalposts. The teams also try to stop the goals from happening. The team to score the most goals in 90 minutes wins the match.

 Football

Summary

Outdoor games are very important for children as it teaches a lot of life lessons. They make the body strong and keep us fit. The longest cricket match lasted over 12 days. Playing outside helps children develop their problem-solving skills and sparks their creative thinking. Their capacity for conduct and communication both grows gradually.