Playground games: 30 classic games kids love

Long before video games, phones and even before me, kids had fun with almost nothing: some chalk, a rope, a ball. Many of these games passed from grandparents to grandkids and are still going strong.

Here are 30 classic playground and recess games, each explained in a few lines. They work for recess, birthday parties and the backyard.

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Running games

1. Tag: one player is "it" and chases the others. Whoever gets tagged becomes "it".
2. Freeze tag: tagged players freeze in place until a free player touches them.
3. Hide and seek: one player counts with eyes closed while everyone hides, then goes looking.
4. Capture the flag: two teams try to grab the other team's flag and bring it home without getting tagged.
5. Red Light, Green Light: players move on "green light" and freeze on "red light". Anyone caught moving goes back.
6. Red Rover: two lines hold hands; a runner from the other team tries to break through.
7. Duck, Duck, Goose: one player walks around a circle tapping heads; on "goose", that player chases them around the circle.
8. Dodgeball: two teams throw soft balls; get hit without catching it and you are out.
9. What's the Time, Mr. Wolf?: players creep up on the "wolf" asking the time, until the wolf shouts "dinner time!" and chases them.

Jumping and chalk games

1. Hopscotch: draw squares on the ground, toss a stone and hop through on one foot, skipping the square with the stone.
2. Jump rope: two players swing the rope while others jump, often to a rhyme.
3. Leapfrog: one player crouches and the others vault over, hands on their back.
4. Four square: four players in four squares bounce a ball to each other; miss and you move to the lowest square.

Circle and music games

1. Musical chairs: one fewer chair than players. When the music stops, whoever is left standing is out.
2. Hot potato: pass an object around; whoever holds it when the music stops is out.
3. Telephone: whisper a sentence from ear to ear. The last player says it out loud, and everyone laughs.
4. Simon Says: only follow commands that start with "Simon says".
5. Mother, May I?: players ask permission to take steps toward "Mother" and must say "Mother, may I?" first.

Toy and hand games

1. Marbles: flick your marble to knock the others out of a circle.
2. Spinning tops: wind the string and throw the top so it spins as long as possible.
3. Jacks: toss a ball up and grab jacks from the ground before it bounces twice.
4. Cat's cradle: make string shapes between your fingers and pass them to a friend.
5. Kick the can: like hide and seek, but hidden players can free the caught ones by kicking the can.
6. Sardines: one player hides and everyone who finds them squeezes into the hiding spot too.
7. Tug of war: two teams pull a rope until one side crosses the line.

Pencil and paper games

1. Stop (also called Categories): pick a letter and write a word for each category starting with it. First to finish shouts "Stop!".
2. Tic-tac-toe: three in a row on a 3 by 3 grid wins.
3. Hangman: guess the word letter by letter before the drawing is finished.
4. Battleship: hide your ships on a grid and sink your opponent's by calling coordinates.
5. Dots and boxes: connect dots to close boxes; the player with the most boxes wins.

Stop also works online, with rooms for friends and ready-made categories.

PolarzinhoStop is the one old-school game I actually win. Running is not my thing. Writing "bamboo" is.

And street soccer?

Two shoes for goalposts, a ball and the street: street soccer is a childhood classic around the world. When it rains, Barrio Kick brings it back with 5-a-side games on a dirt pitch.

PolarzinhoIn Barrio Kick nobody kicks the ball onto the neighbor's roof. That alone is a win.

FAQ

What are good recess games for big groups?

Capture the flag, Red Rover, dodgeball and Red Light, Green Light work well with lots of kids.

What games can kids play indoors?

Telephone, hot potato, Simon Says, cat's cradle, Stop and tic-tac-toe.

What games need no equipment at all?

Tag, hide and seek, Simon Says, Red Light, Green Light and Duck, Duck, Goose.

Your turn

Pick a game you played as a kid and teach it to someone today. On rainy days, Stop and Barrio Kick are right below.

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