Group games are great for building social and emotional skills in kids. We present you with group games for kids in this post to help you entertain and engage them. When kids play together, they can learn to mingle with their peers and build interpersonal and communication skills. They also learn to expand their understanding of things and get accustomed to diversity. Plunge into this post for a list of the best educational group games that your children can play both indoors and outdoors.
15 Fun Group Games And Activities For Kids
The games we have selected in this article aim to engage kids productively and aid in developing a child’s creative, intellectual and kinesthetic abilities. We have categorized games into indoor and outdoor.
Indoor Group Games For Kids
The games are designed to make optimum use of the resources and space available indoors.
1. Fruit basket
Fruit basket is one of the best large group games you can play indoors. It is fun and uses the basic materials that you are likely to find in every household. Number of players: 15 or more You will need: Paper, double-sided sticky tape, and pens How to play: This game can be played by kids aged 3 or above.
2. Steal the bacon
Steal the Bacon is a fun game that does not involve stealing bacon from the neighbor’s house or the host’s house. In fact, it has nothing to do with a piece of meat! Keep reading as we tell you what it is. Number of players: 10-19 You will need: Objects that can be grabbed quickly, such as shoes, toys, balls, fruits, pens, etc., around 30 in number. How to play: This game is ideal for middle school kids and pre-teens. Free Worksheets and Printables for Kids Select GradePreschoolKindergarten1st Grade2nd Grade3rd Grade4th Grade5th Grade Select SubjectEnglishMathScienceSocial studies Search & Download
3. Cold wind blows
There is not a lot of physical activity in this game, but agility and presence of mind play an important role. Number of players: 10-15 You will need: Space to play, chairs How to play: For example, players can say: “a cold wind blows for anyone who is wearing a black shirt.” “a cold wind blows for anyone who has a mole on their hand.” “a cold wind blows for anyone who plays basketball.” And so on. 4. When the player says “a cold wind blows…”, anyone who meets the criteria should change their seat by choosing another player. 5. The player in the middle also tries to find a vacant seat while the players exchange places. 6. In the end, there is one player left. This game can be fun for middle and high school students and can be played for as long as the group is having fun. You can also do away with the chairs and have the kids sit on the floor with markers.
4. Bob, the weasel
This is yet another circle game in which the objective is to find the hidden object. The game encourages kids to concentrate and try to read the other person’s body language. Number of players: 8-15 You will need: A small object that can be passed around discreetly, space to play How to play: This game can be played by teenagers, tweens, and even adults.
5. The Ah, Um Game
Fillers. Kids use them a lot, just as the adults do. Speakers may be okay using the fillers such as ‘ah,’ ‘um,’ ‘like,’ and ‘you know’ as many times as they want. But the listeners hate them. This game can teach the kids to speak without using the annoying filers. Sounds interesting? Number of players: 10-12 You will need: List of topics, timer How to play: The team that avoids using taboo words completely wins.
6. Walrus
This is a fun game that young kids and teens will enjoy all the same. The game is innovative and is sure to bring out a lot of laughs in the room. Number of players: 10-12 You will need: Chairs, closed room, and space to play How to play: Walrus is a guessing game wherein the players mask an activity or action with a word like ‘walrus,’ and one person has to guess what it is. The game encourages the kids to think and use language intelligently. The game also teaches kids to respond consciously, after careful thinking. Q: When do you do this activity? A: I walrus every day to school and whenever I feel like. Q: Do you walrus at night? A: Yes Q: Do you walrus at home? A: Yes And so on. The kids answering the questions should be careful not to reveal the actual word.
7. Look up, look down
A fun game for all ages, Look Up, Look Down can be played on any occasion. Whether at a party, picnic or school, children will love playing this game. Number of players: 15-20 You will need: Place to form a large circle How to play: The game continues until there are no more than two to three players left in the circle.
8. Three things and a theater
This is a small group activity that encourages spur-of-the-moment creativity and helps in quick thinking and improving the child’s problem-solving skills. Number of players: 9-12 You will need: Props/everyday objects, space for performance How to play: Care should be taken to make sure that all the members of the group get a chance to perform. This game/activity is an excellent choice for summer camps and theater workshops.
9. Team architect
Team architect is one of the more common classroom group activities. It helps children use their logical ability and common sense to create simple objects using the science of engineering and construction. The game gives players basic materials, thus encouraging their problem-solving skills as well. Number of players: 12-15 You will need: Basic craft material like glue, newspapers, string, pop sticks, sticky tape, etc., depending on the game you choose. How to play:
A bridge or a book holder using pop sticks and glue A newspaper tower at least five feet tall An egg support
Make sure that the resources given to each team are the same. This activity is ideal for older kids and teenagers and works excellently in STEM classes at school.
Outdoor Group Games For Kids
Who wants to be cooped up inside on a bright and sunny day? When the kids want to play outside, these games can be fun.
10. Body spellers
This is a body-bending game that makes your child stretch, bend, twist and turn as needed, to spell a word. How? Read next to find out. Number of players: 9-15 You will need: Space, a list of words that can be spelled by the kids How to play: The team with the maximum points is the winner.
11. Snake in the gutter
Snake in the gutter is a fun game for the younger kids, who love running and catching. The game can be played indoors or outdoors. Number of players: 6,8-12 You will need: Space to play How to play: This fun game can be played with primary and middle school kids.
12. Elves, Wizards and, Giants
This is a unique version of Rock, Paper, and Scissors, except, the kids will use their hands, legs and even entire bodies instead of just fingers. Number of players: 4-12 You will need: Large area/space to play How to play: The rules for this game are similar to the rules of Rock, Paper, and Scissors.
Giants can conquer wizards. The kids have to raise their hands above their head when they stand to pose as giants. Wizards can conquer elves. To be a wizard, the kids have to form a triangle with their arms over their head, replicating a wizard hat. Elves can conquer giants. To pose as an elf, kids have to place their hands alongside the ears, with the index finger extended just a little.
Once the rules are clear, you can start the game. The team with fewer players in the end loses. This game helps develop agility, teamwork and listening skills.
13. All over
This game is similar to the beach ball or Nerf ball games, where the teams try to push all the objects towards the other team to win. Number of players: 10-16 You will need: A lot of tennis balls, footballs, basketballs, etc., space to play How to play: It is best to use lightweight balls for this game, to minimize the risk of injury.
14. Catch the dragon’s tail
This fun game is ideal for middle and high school kids. It can be played by adults too! Number of players: 12-18 You will need: A large ground or space where the game can be played How to play: This is a simple game that requires the kids to form a long chain and not break it. This game helps children think about strategy and develop agility and swiftness.
15. Molecules
This game has minimal physical activity but engages the child’s listening skills and their ability to respond quickly. The game is best played in an auditorium or a playground. Number of players: 20-30 (large groups) You will need: Space to play How to play: For instance, if the leader says:
‘Form molecules of six,’ the players will have to form groups of six quickly. Anyone who fails to be a part of a team is out. ‘Form molecules of one,’ the players have to stand on one leg and put their hands straight up, like the number one. ‘Molecules of a submarine,’ they have to lie down on the floor and put one leg up, like the submarine’s viewfinder.
You can create a list of objects that you want the kids to imitate. However, clear instructions must be given to the participants beforehand. The game can be played for as long as the kids are having fun or when just two to three kids are remaining in the field.
