Insanely Fun Outdoor Party Games For Kids

July 4, 2024

Looking for the best outdoor party games for kids to make sure your child’s birthday party is super fun?

I’ve put together a big list of 11 games that will delight kids from toddlers upwards.

These games are easy to set up, don’t require you to buy expensive props and have rules that are simple to follow.

You can easily adapt all of the games on the list for kids as young as toddlers up to tweens and teens.

You can also easily adapt most of the games for the number of kids joining in the party fun, and of course, you can always select games that complement the party theme.

Right, let’s get on and take a look at that list of the best kids’ party games…

Outdoor Party Games That Put The Fun Into Birthdays

1. WATER BALLOON TOSS

This list of brilliant outdoor party games kicks off with a few water games because what kid doesn’t love mucking around with water in the sun?!

How to play:

Divide the kids up into teams of two. Give each duo a water-filled balloon. Each duo has to take turns tossing the balloon back and forth as they move further away from each other.

The last duo with an unpopped balloon wins.

Now, I had no idea there was such a thing as self-sealing water balloons.

But it turns out that they are a thing, and you can grab yourself a pack of them on Amazon if you fancy saving yourself some time and effort on the day.

2. BUBBLE CATCH

This is a gentle game and can be quite magical to watch younger children play.

How to play:

Give each child a pair of socks to wear on their hands. Gather the children around you, then blow bubbles for the kids to try and catch on their outstretched, sock-covered hands.

You can up the ante for older kids by having them stand in a circle and try and pass a single bubble around the circle before it pops.

There doesn’t need to be a prize for the first version of this game, but perhaps you could give a prize for the older kids’ version.

3. GRANDMOTHER’S FOOTSTEPS

This is an absolute classic of a kids' party game, and I also remember whiling away many a primary school break time playing Grandmother’s Footsteps.

How to play:

You can either be ‘Grandmother’, or each party guest can take a turn.

‘Grandmother’ stands with their back to everyone at one end of the garden / outdoor space.

All the other kids line up at the other end of the garden / outdoor space or a suitable distance away from ‘Grandmother’.

The kids start to move towards ‘Grandmother’. ‘Grandmother’ can turn around at any time. Any child caught moving or wobbling by ‘Grandmother’ when she turns around has to go back to the game start line.

The winner is the first child to reach ‘Grandmother’ without her catching them out.

4. THE DOUGHNUT CHALLENGE

Possibly the yummiest kids’ party game on the planet… but also one of the messiest, hence suggesting that it is best played outdoors.

How to play:

You will need ring doughnuts, a ball of string and a washing line for this game.

Tie string through each doughnut ring and leave a length of the string. Then tie the string to the washing line.

Hang the washing line across the garden / outdoor space, or you could always ask a couple of adults to hold each end of the line for the duration of the game.

Each child must keep their hands clasped behind their backs as they try to eat as many doughnuts as they can without the doughnut falling off the string.

It’s always wise to have some spare ring doughnuts to hand in case of disasters that result in a child not being able to eat their doughnut.

5. GUMMY BEAR CREAM PIE CHALLENGE

Whilst I’m on the subject of sweet and messy games, I need to mention the Gummy Bear hunt. It sounds innocent enough, but actually, it’s a totally messy, gooey game that often induces much hilarity.

How to play:

You will need some paper plates, whipped cream and enough gummy bears for each party guest to have around ten gummy bears to find.

Scatter the gummy bears on the plates, then squirt cream over them to create the cream pies.

Sit the kids around a table or kneeling on the ground. They must keep their hands clasped behind their dive into the cream pies with their mouths to find all the gummy bears.

The first child to retrieve all ten gummy bears wins a prize.

The end of this game is clearly a great birthday party photo opportunity!

6. BALLOON RELAY RACE

The balloon relay race is a simple but effective outdoor kids' party game that works well with small teams of kids.

How to play:

Create the relay race course by placing a container with balloons at one end of the track.

There will need to be the same amount of balloons in each container, and there will need to be a container for each team.

A child from each team has to run from a starting point to their team’s basket and grab a balloon.

The child then has to pop the balloon by sitting on it. Once the balloon has popped, they run back to their team, and the next child sets off.

The first team to pop all their balloons wins.

7. EGG AND SPOON RACE

This is a totally traditional kids' party game.

How to play:

You will need to hard boil some eggs and have a set of dessert spoons for the kids to use.

Get the kids to line up at one end of the room/garden and give each child a spoon and an egg to balance on it.

The children race to the finish line balancing their eggs on their spoons. Each time they drop the egg, they have to go back to the start and start again.

The winner is the first to make it across the finish line with the egg on their spoon.

8. TREASURE HUNT

Now you can make your treasure hunt game as easy or as hard as you like based on the age of the kids who will be playing it.

How to play:

Create a set of clues on cards that will lead to the prized treasure.

Hide the clues around the garden / outdoor space.

Depending on the number of children and their age of them, kids can either work independently or in small groups to find all the clues and work out where the treasure is.

Each clue leads to the hiding place of the next clue.

Needless to say, the first child or group to find the treasure wins the game!

If you are hosting a party for preschoolers, you can adapt the treasure hunt to be a scavenger hunt, where instead of using clues to find treasure, the kids simply have to find all the things on a scavenger list.

9. TUG OF WAR TOPPLE

Whilst tug-of-war is very much a traditional outdoor party game, this turbocharged-up version is very much a modern take on it.

How to play:

You will need a rope, a bandana to mark the centre point of the rope, and a couple of crates or boxes to stand on. You might want a few safety mats as a precaution.

If you don’t have a rope to hand, Amazon has a tug-of-war kit; yep, they actually do!

Two kids at a time take their turn to each stand on a crate at each end of the rope. Place the crates between 6-12 feet apart.

The two players then have to pull or relax the rope to attempt to topple their opponent off of their crate.

You can play round after round, with the winner each round staying to take on the next opponent until you crown an overall winner.

10. LIMBO

Every time I’ve been involved in a game of limbo, it has ended up with everyone collapsing into giggles.

How to play:

You can either use a broomstick or a pool noodle for the limbo bar. You could also make use of the tug-of-war rope.

Everyone takes a turn going under the limbo; then the limbo bar gets lowered. Every time someone doesn’t make it, they have to sit out.

Play until there is a super flexible winner to the crown.

11. MARCO POLO

Marco Polo is a great game for kids’ parties with big guest lists.

How to play:

First up, you need to make sure the outdoor area the game is played in is free from tripping hazards.

You will need a scarf or something to use as a blindfold.

A child is chosen to be ‘Marco’. As ‘Marco’ they are blindfolded. Everyone else playing the game is ‘Polo’.

‘Marco’ has to find their way to a ‘Polo’ by shouting ‘Marco’, and in response, the rest of the kids shout ‘polo’. ‘Marco’ then follows the sound to where they think a ‘Polo’ is. The ‘Polo kids have to avoid being found by ‘Marco’.

Once a ‘Polo’ has been found, they become the new ‘Marco’.

Once all the energetic party games are out of the way, or in between times, you might value having some printable games to hand to keep kids entertained.

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