Outdoor play is an effective way for children to develop fully in both body and mind. Outdoor games for children are quite diverse and rich, combining tradition and modernity, giving children interesting moments of learning while playing.
The article below sums up 5 games that children love most when playing outdoors. Winam invites parents to take a look.
1. Why is it important for children to play outdoors?
Outdoor play matters a great deal for children. It brings practical benefits.
1.1. Outdoor play increases children's learning ability
Outdoor play is a great way to improve children's learning ability. While playing, children develop many skills: listening, seeing, climbing, judging targets, overcoming challenges and solving problems. Many themed games also give children knowledge about astronomy, nature and music. For children, playing is learning.
Playing outdoor games for children helps children learn better
1.2. Outdoor play helps children move and develop physically
Science has shown that playing outdoor games for children is a good way to help children develop physically. Contact with sunlight and fresh air outside strengthens the musculoskeletal system and boosts the body's immunity. At the same time, movement also gives the limbs the necessary flexibility and suppleness.
1.3. Outdoor games help children cut down on movies, phones and computers
Today, modern technology devices are gradually replacing traditional games. More and more children are addicted to watching phones, computers and movies, which is a big headache for parents. In that case, outdoor play is an effective solution.
Today's outdoor team games for children tend to make children quicker, livelier and smarter. At the same time, children gain many new friends and their social communication skills improve noticeably, so they are no longer addicted to TV and phones.
Besides the benefits above, readers can also look at 6 positive values playground equipment brings to children for a fuller view of why outdoor play matters for children.
2. The most popular safe outdoor games for children
Outdoor play brings many practical values, which is why outdoor games are so loved. Below are the popular games that parents prioritize when letting their children play.
- Word-joining game
- Finding vocabulary
- Day and night
- Chi chi chanh chanh
- Green light, red light
2.1. Word-joining game - an outdoor English game
Outdoor English games are an effective solution that lets children both play and absorb knowledge. Some games include matching vocabulary pairs, and for younger children you can replace it with letter-joining.
Phrases, words or letters are split into two or more parts, and the children's task is to put them back together to form a word or phrase with the right meaning. Depending on the child's age and understanding, split the letters appropriately, not too hard or too easy.
Outdoor English games let children learn while playing
2.2. Finding vocabulary in a newspaper
As the name suggests, you give the child a newspaper containing words they already know or have learned. Then suggest that the child find those words in the newspaper. Through this, children both train their vocabulary memory and learn to read better.
Besides word-joining and word-finding, there are games like fishing and fly-swatting that train children's vocabulary memory while also building their quickness and flexibility in life.
2.3. Day and night - an outdoor movement game for children
To play this game, the children need to work together. The rules are as follows:
The leader uses two commands, "night" and "day", and the children perform the two matching actions: waking up (standing still) or sleeping (sitting down, closing their eyes and tilting their head to one side).
How to play:
A group of children acts as chicks looking for food, walking around the yard, using their hands and bodies to imitate a chick's movements, waving their arms and tilting side to side, calling "cheep cheep". When the leader calls out "night", the children quickly switch to the sleeping action, pressing their palms together, tilting their heads, putting their hands to their cheeks and closing their eyes.
After about 30 seconds, the leader calls "day", and the children imitate a rooster crowing "cock-a-doodle-doo" by cupping both hands to their mouths.
You can let the children pretend to be any animal they like (kittens, puppies and so on) so they can imitate it and follow the same commands. The movements imitating each animal, stretching, standing up and sitting down, help children learn more about the world around them.
2.4. The Chi chi chanh chanh game
Chi chi chanh chanh is an outdoor game for children that boosts reflexes and quickness. Children can play it indoors or outdoors as they like.
To play this game, children play in pairs or in a group of several children. One child spreads out their palm and the others put their index fingers into that child's palm. The leader reads the short verse quickly:
"Chi chi chanh chanh
Cai danh thoi lua
Con ngua chet truong
Ba vuong ngu de
Chap de di tim
U a u ap." - A Vietnamese folk game.
When the word "ap" is said, the child with the open palm quickly closes it, and the others must pull their fingers away fast so they are not caught. The child who is caught becomes the one who spreads their hand and reads the verse for the others to play.
Outdoor physical game 'chi chi chanh chanh' for children
2.5. Green light, red light - a traffic-themed game
Green light, red light is an outdoor traffic-themed game that many preschools choose for children to play.
To play green light, red light, you need a wide, flat yard and 3 signal cards in green, red and yellow, like traffic lights. When playing, children act as vehicles moving on the road and obey the traffic signals: stop on red, go on green, and slow down on yellow.
The leader uses commands like "car start", "plane take off", "plane land", "boat set sail" and "boat return to port", along with the signal cards, so children recognize the situation and respond (stop, keep going or slow down).
Interesting outdoor games for children always bring moments of relaxed play. Parents or the leader should prioritize games suited to the space, circumstances and age. Then children can play, learn and develop fully.
Through the content above, we hope parents have found great suggestions for their plans to take children outside and play together in the near future.
For any needs regarding outdoor games for children and children's playground equipment, please contact Winam at the phone number (+84) 9 6161 0202 or send your request to the contact address for fast and timely support.
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