1. HORSE
How to Play It: 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 he or she is successful, everyone else has to replicate the shot. Fail and you earn a letter, beginning with H and progressing to HORSE.
The last person standing without making it to horse wins.
What Makes it Great: It’s horse! It takes a classic activity like shooting hoops or playing catch and leaves tons of room for creativity, which might be why you’ll see pros playing it whenever human-interest stories are produced. It can be played with virtually any number of players and can be adjusted for myriad age groups based on the height of the hoop.
What Makes it Great: It’s horse! It takes a classic activity like shooting hoops or playing catch and leaves tons of room for creativity, which might be why you’ll see pros playing it whenever human-interest stories are produced. It can be played with virtually any number of players and can be adjusted for myriad age groups based on the height of the hoop.
2. Marco Polo
How to Play It: Everyone in the pool! One person closes his or her eyes and counts to 10. That person then says, “Marco.” Everyone then yells “Polo!” The Marco child pursues the fleeing Polos with his or her eyes closed periodically calling out, with the other participants responding. Whomever he or she catches becomes the next Marco, and the game starts anew. No getting out of the pool, you dirty cheaters.
What Makes It Great: Exceedingly simple to organize — and, as it’s all about stealth, kids tend to stay pretty quiet.
3. Johnny on the Pony
How to Play It: One team crouches in a line, with their arms locked around each other’s waists. Essentially forming a wall. The other team jumps on top of the line with the intent of staying on. If everyone makes it to the top, they win if they can shout “Johnny on a pony!” three times before the bottom team can shake them off.
What Makes It Great: This game is pure madness in the best way possible. Also, good practice for future rugby players.
4. Freeze Tag
How to Play It: For children already familiar with tag, this variant involves freezing if the “it” person tags you. The only way to thaw? A non-“it” player must tag you, to his or her peril. If everyone becomes frozen, the “it” person wins.
What Makes It Great: It’s tag, but with teamwork and social skills baked in.
5. Steal the Bacon
How to Play It: Teams are divided evenly and each person is designated a number. Each team stands on opposite sides with a shoe sitting in the middle (doesn’t have to be a shoe, just something easy to hold). When a number is called, the designated players from each team run for the coveted item and try to get it back to their side. If you succeed, you get a point.
What Makes It Great: Direct competition; plus, the designated caller can set up quality rivalries.
6. Arm Wrestling
How to Play It: Two participants put their elbows on a steady surface and grip each other’s hands. Whoever can get the other person’s hand to touch the surface wins. No use of second hand and no lifting elbow off the surface.
What Makes It Great: The ultimate one-on-one battle of strength and endurance. There’s no way to gracefully lose an arm wrestling match. You can also tie in that Sylvester Stallone movie.
7. Kick the Can
How to Play It: One person is charged with protecting a can (or whatever) while other participants attempt to run up and knock it over. The catch? The kickers hide and join the protectors’ team if tagged. The rules can lead to an impasse, but when they don’t it’s a blast.
What Makes It Great: You get to briefly live the life of a hobo during the great depression.
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