3 min read ·
North Hills Kids in the Park Pt. II – Play-a-Palooza
Now, more than ever, it is important to keep our children engaged and stimulated as we all work through this period of uncertainty. North Hills Kids, presented by Wells Orthodontics, is here to help! We will be picking up the weekly blog posts again following the originally planned theme. When we all work to #stayhome, we can move closer toward gathering outside together very soon!
This week’s theme is “Play-a-Palooza”!
With school being out and the weather showing sun (and a lot of heat!), Play-a-Palooza couldn’t have come at a better time! For this week, we’re bringing you some timeless outdoor games and activities that your children will love!
Horse
The first person does anything they want, from spinning around to closing their eyes, before shooting a basketball into the hoop. If they miss, it’s the next person’s turn to make up a crazy shot. If they’re successful, everyone else has to replicate the shot. If you fail to replicate the shot, you get a letter, beginning with H and progressing to Horse. The last person standing without making it to horse wins.
Kick the Can
One person is charged with protecting a can while other participants attempt to run up and knock it over. The catch? The kickers hide and join the protectors’ team if tagged.
3 Different Ways to Play Tag
- Link Tag: In this large group game of tag one person begins as “it”. As other players get tagged, they link arms with the person chosen to be “it” and form a chain. The chain of people must work together and communicate as they try to tag the remaining players.
- Freeze Tag: one person is to be “it”. When a player is tagged, he or she stands still with their legs wide apart. To be allowed back into the action, another player must crawl through the “frozen” participant’s legs without getting tagged themselves.
- Cross the Ocean: Choose 2 kids to be the “sharks”, the rest of the kids are “fish”. The sharks stand in the middle of the gym/field and the fish stand on one side. The sharks yell: “cross the ocean!” and the fish have to run to the other end of the gym/field and avoid being tagged by the sharks. If they are tagged, they become “seaweed” and have to sit down and wiggle their arms, mimicking the way seaweed moves in the water. The game ends when there are 2 fish left and they become the sharks in the next round.
Capture the Flag
If you have a few neighborhood kids around who can play outside, divide them into two teams and give each team a designated flag.
How to Play:
- Each team tries to take the other team’s flag and return across the center line without being tagged.
- When guarding the flag zone or the holding zone, a defender must be at least 2’ away from the zone boundaries.
- If a player is tagged while on their opponent’s side they are must go to the holding zone on their opponent’s side.
- If a player who has stolen the flag is tagged, the flag is returned to the flag zone, and the player goes to the zone.
- A player can be freed from the holding zone when a teammate crosses the center line and tags the player; both players then receive a free walk back to their side.
Create Your Own Obstacle Course
Grab some chalk and head outside to create your own obstacle course! Obstacle courses are a great way for your children to get moving and get creative. There are plenty of different variations to try! Use any prop you can find inside or outside, draw your own course, and see who can complete it the fastest!
What better way to cool down from a hot day outside than with some yoga for kids! Cosmic Kids Yoga offers videos that will teach your children poses and mindfulness, all with a lot of fun and color!
North Hills Kids is presented by:
