Outdoor Games for Kids

Make a mark on the ground at a place called the “starting point.” At ten yards’ distance from this make another, called the “spring.”

This game can be played by any number of boys, who must all join hands; the game is begun by the outside players at each end of the line holding the following dialogue:

AUNT SALLY is an amusing game of a very simple character, consisting essentially in throwing at a small object.

Various games are in vogue among boys, in which hopping on one foot is the principal object.

This is a capital game when well played, and the antics and grimaces of boys who are mimics cause great merriment.

Throwing Sticks - This very popular game among the Greeks was by them called Kyndalismos.

This is a game played by hopping on one foot and kicking an oyster-shell or piece of tile from one compartment to the other, without halting the lifted foot, except in one case, to the ground, and without suffering the shell or tile to rest on any of the lines.

A tolerably large ring should be formed by several boys standing in a circle and joining hands;

Cat and Mouse Game. This sport, which is of French origin, is for two players only.

This is an old Greek game, and, like very many simple boys’ games, has retained its popularity to the present day.

This is very simple play. The ball is thrown into the air by one player, the others standing round him. He calls out the name of the player, for whom the ball is thrown.

Quoits game. The game of Quoits is very excellent. It seems to have derived its name from the ancient discus, and with us in the present day is a circular plate of iron perforated in the middle, not always of one size, but larger or smaller to suit the strength or convenience of the several candidates.

This is a capital game for the summer months. The players divide themselves into two parties, one party remaining at a spot called “Bounds,” and concealing their faces, while the other party goes out and hides. After waiting for a few minutes, the home party shouts, “Coming, coming, coming.”

In this game four or five stones or marks must be placed on the ground, as in the annexed figure, A, B, C, D, E, about twelve or fifteen yards asunder; these marks are called bases, and one of them, as A, is styled “home.”

This game, as its name denotes, is played by means of nine pins, which are set up in a regular order, the aim of the players being to throw down as many as possible in the fewest attempts.

This game is played by two boys, each of whom takes a smooth round pebble.

This game, which takes its title from the names assumed by the players, is played by seven boys, each of whom calls himself after one of the days of the week.

Skittles is played in a manner somewhat similar to the NINE-PINS game, but the number of pins is only four.

This is a very simple sport, but necessarily restricted to those spots where there is a river, or a pond of some magnitude.

Dig near a wall nine holes, of about six inches in diameter, and three deep. Let each player have one of these, according to his number, which must be determined by lot.