Play for preschoolers

16 Indoor and Outdoor Group Games for Preschoolers

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Need some ideas for group games to play with preschoolers and kindergarteners that are also educational?

Children learn best through play and games are a great way to work on building foundational skills.

These are great for small groups on a playdate or to play with your preschool class. They are separated into indoor and outdoor games, depending on where you choose to play. 

Your kids will love these 16 fun group games for preschoolers.

Some of these are active indoor games for preschoolers, while others are quiet, calming games to play indoors.

Active games are great for building gross motor skills and quiet ones also have many benefits – improving concentration, listening skills, problem-solving abilities, etc.

Simon Says is a classic game that can be altered to fit your particular needs. It can be an indoor game or an outdoor game.

With small children, you as the parent will usually be Simon.

To play Simon Says, the person who is chosen as Simon gives a set of commands and the children must follow them.

When you want the children to follow the command, begin by saying ‘Simon Says.’ When you don’t want them to follow, only say the command.

If a child still carries out the command, without you saying, ‘Simon Says,’ he is out of the game. The last person standing is the winner.

You can make this game as easy or as difficult as needed to suit the children. You could also nominate the winner to play Simon next.

Because this game is so versatile, it has numerous benefits for children. It builds both their gross motor skills as well as fine motor skills. ‘Simon Says’ can also teach skills such as balance and crossing the midline.

In addition to physical skills, kids learn listening skills and develop a great vocabulary as well. By playing the role of Simon, they will also learn to communicate and lead others.

Here are 70 Simon Says commands kids will love.

Broken Telephone is a quiet game best played indoors. The rules go as follows:

• Start by sitting in a circle.
• One person begins and whispers a sentence into the ear of the person next to them.
• That person then passes the message on to the next person.
• Once it reaches the last person in the circle, she says the sentence out loud.

The goal of the game is to send the message, intact, all the way around the circle.

This game is great for learning listening skills. It can also help your children interact and gain social skills with their peers as well. Children also learn sound recognition as they try to listen to what the person is whispering.

It is also loads of fun as the message often gets ‘broken’ on the way and leads children into fits of laughter!

Another great quiet game to play with your preschoolers includes some clapping. Choose to either tell a story or read a book. Then, whenever you say a particular word or phrase throughout the story, the children must clap each time they hear it.

As with the previous game, this is another great game to help kids develop sound recognition and listening skills. It will also aid in their language development as well.

A touch-and-feel box is another fun activity for your kids. First, collect some items that have unique textures. Then, put them in a box or a bag you can’t see through.

Go around the room and have everyone quietly touch and feel one of the items. Once everyone has had a turn, have them share what they think is in the bag.

See how many children guessed an item correctly.

The Touch and Feel Box is a great way to build their language. They have to connect their senses to words to describe what they are feeling.

I Spy can be played both indoors and outdoors. The rules go as follows:

• One person picks an object in the room.
• Then, they say, “I spy with my little eyes, something …” followed by the colour of their object.
• The rest of the group takes turns guessing what that object could be.
• The person can only answer yes or no.

This game is great for thinking but also for socializing. It gets the children to talk to each other and develops their social skills. They also have to listen to hear what the colour is and what other people are guessing as well.

Musical Chairs really helps children learn to let go and have fun with other kids.

Start by putting chairs in a circle. There should be one less chair than the number of children playing.

Once the music begins, everyone walks around the chairs. When the music stops, everyone must find a chair to sit in. The person without a chair is out of the game. For each round, remove another chair.

The game continues until there is only one chair left. Whoever sits in the last chair, wins.

This game teaches your children great listening skills. They also have to multitask, walk while listening to music, and at the same time try to get to the closest chair.

They can also develop balance and speed while trying to get to the chair first.

Red Light, Green Light is a game your children will love to play. It can be played indoors or outdoors as well.

One player stands in the front of the room while the rest are on the opposite side. When that person turns their back and says, “green light,” everyone tries to reach that person first, moving as quickly as they can.

When that person turns around and says, “red light,” everyone has to freeze and not move at all. If anyone moves after, “red light” is called, they must go back to the start line. The first person to touch the caller wins the game.

This game improves physical skills such as speed, balance and gross motor skills. Children also practise their listening skills.

While the other games don’t necessarily require a specific number of people, this game does. You will need at least 14 players. However, if you have less, then you can always adapt to fit your needs. This game is well suited to the classroom. 

To begin, seven children go to the front of the room. The rest put their heads on their desks and their thumbs up. The seven children go around and touch only one thumb of their classmates and push it down.

Once they finish, they return to the front. One calls out, “heads up, seven up.” Those who had their thumbs touched stand up and try to guess who touched their thumb.

If they are correct, they get to switch places with the person. If not, the game continues as normal.

This game helps your children to interact with one another. They will develop great social skills and learn the names of their classmates. If you have less than 14, you can always adapt and have fewer people in the front.

Button, Button, Who’s got theButton is another quiet game to play indoors with a group of children. Everyone sits in a circle with their hands out, and their eyes closed.

One person takes a button and goes around the circle pretending to put the button in everyone’s hands. The person will put the button in one person’s hands.

Once they finish with the circle, everyone opens their eyes and tries to guess who has the button. Once the group finally guesses who has the button, they get to go around the circle to give it to someone else.

This is a great game to help the children interact and learn more about each other. They will also strengthen their social skills.

Here are seven outdoor games for kids.

These are great learning games for preschoolers to play and interact with each other. They also make good group movement activities.

Before you take your children outside, prepare a list of things you want them to look for. You can print off a picture of each item for them to identify outside.

You can then let them go together in small groups or all at once, trying to find each item on the list.

This will get your children to interact and develop social skills while also having a good time in nature and learning about the outdoors.  

Every child loves to play Hopscotch. Follow these guidelines to play with a group of preschoolers:

• With some sidewalk chalk, make a hopscotch grid with the numbers 1-9.
• Find a rock for the kids that is easy to toss and will stay in place.
• Start by tossing the rock on square 1.
• Then jump over the square, and continue hopping on each square until you come back to square one.
• Pick up the rock then hop on square 1.
• In your next turn, toss the rock to square 2 and repeat.
• If your toss isn’t on the right square, you have three chances to get it into the right square or you miss your turn.

Hopscotch will teach your children many great physical skills. They will develop their gross motor skills as well as their fine motor skills. They will learn better balance as they hop on each square.

Jump rope is another fun outdoor activity to play with your group of preschoolers. Start by finding a larger jump rope than normal. Have two people swing the rope, each holding one end.

You can jump rope however your kids prefer. They can begin with the rope held still or jump into it while it’s moving. You can say a rhyme as they jump or have the other children count each other’s jumps.

Jump rope can develop physical skills such as balance, strength and coordination, as kids have to learn to jump at the right time.

Tag is a very active outdoor game your kids will love. It is a great chasing game to get them moving.

There are many variations to tag. Simply have one person be “it.” They then have to tag someone else. Then that person becomes “it.”

You can also play freeze tag – once they are tagged, they must freeze in place until a teammate unfreezes them.

Tag is a great way to have your children make new friends and develop their social skills. They will also strengthen their physical skills as well as their speed.

Red Rover is another great active outdoor game. Start by dividing your group into two teams. Then, have them get in a line and hold hands.

Space the two teams out about 20 feet or so from each other. Then, each team must take turns saying, “red rover, red rover, let … come over.” That particular person then has to leave their line and run to the next line.

They should run as fast as they can and try to break apart the other team’s line. If they break through, they return to their original team along with someone from the line they just broke. If they do not break through, they have to stay in that team’s line.

This game is good for speed and strengthening, as well as for teaching kids to work together with others.

The Hot Potato Game, or Volleyball, can be played inside as well as outside; however, it is safer to play outside.

Toss an inflatable ball to one person. They have five seconds or less to toss it to someone else in the circle. If they don’t, they are out of the game.

You can change things up as well to make it more suitable to fit your children’s needs. For example, you can ask them to call out the name of the person to who they are throwing the ball in order to strengthen friendships and unity in the group.

This game will help develop social interaction skills as well as good physical skills including crossing the midline, catching, balancing, etc.   

Duck, Duck, Goose can be played inside or outdoors, but is easier outdoors. If it is a beautiful day outside, go enjoy the sunshine and nature.

Have everyone sit in a circle. Choose one person to be “it.” This person walks around the outside of the circle, touching each person on the head and saying either “duck” or “goose.”

If they say “duck,” they continue to the next person. If they say “goose,” that person must stand up and start chasing the person.

If the person who was “it” runs around the entire circle and sits down, they are safe, and the next person becomes “it.” If the person who is chasing tags them, they must repeat the circle again.

Duck, Duck, Goose is a fun social game as children get to interact with everyone in the circle. It will also help them develop speed and spatial awareness as they chase around the circle.

And there you have it. I hope you’ll enjoy playing these fun preschool group games. Read more about the many benefits of outdoor games for kids.

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How important is play in preschool?

Preschool — it’s not just about the sandbox anymore. As elementary school becomes more rigorous, so does preschool. Children are expected to learn certain skills in preschool so that they are prepared for elementary school. Considering the limited time in a preschool setting and the pressure for success later on, where does play fit in?

Play is work for preschoolers

Children are playful by nature. Their earliest experiences exploring with their senses lead them to play, first by themselves and eventually with others. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has included play as a criterion in its accreditation process for programs for young children. “They call it their work,” says Peter Pizzolongo, associate director for professional development at NAEYC. “When they’re learning and playing with joy, then it’s a positive experience. They develop a positive approach to learning.”

The teacher’s role as children grow

As children develop, their play becomes more sophisticated. Up until the age of 2, a child plays by himself and has little interaction with others. Soon after, he starts watching other children play but may not join in. This is particularly relevant to kids in multi-age settings where younger children can watch and learn from older preschoolers playing nearby.

Around 2½ to 3 years, a preschooler starts to play sitting next to another child, often someone with similar interests. This naturally shifts, through the use of language, to the beginnings of cooperative play. An adult can facilitate this process by setting up a space for two or more small bodies and helping children find the words to express their questions or needs.

Between 4 and 5 years, preschoolers discover they share similar interests and seek out kids like them. They discuss, negotiate and strategize to create elaborate play scenes; take turns; and work together toward mutual goals.

The preschool teacher’s role in the development of play is critical. “Parents should look to see that the teacher has organized the environment,” says Pizzolongo, “and is using her curriculum in a way that guides her to plan for how the children are going to be engaged in play. It really is a structured way of learning. It just looks like a different structure than what you would see in fourth grade.”

Types of play

Children’s play can be divided into categories, but the types of play often overlap.

• Dramatic — Fantasy-directed play with dressing up in costumes, assuming roles as characters, using toys to represent characters in stories, creating imaginary settings, and pretending to take on the roles of adults.
• Manipulative — Holding and handling small toys often used to build objects but also found in puzzles, characters, beads, etc.
• Physical — Using the whole body in activities with bikes, balls, jump ropes, hoops, play structures, etc.
• Creative — Using art materials such as paint, clay, markers, pencils, glue, etc. The play takes place in the process of using the materials, not in the end product.

Benefits of play

Through play, children develop skills they’ll use in their school years.

Physical

Both gross and fine motor development occur through play. When kids play outdoors, if they feel comfortable and supported, they’ll push themselves to new challenges and build motor skills. Developing fine motor skills, such as handling small objects, is a way for children to practice using their hands and fingers, which in turn builds the strength and coordination critical for writing skills. “When you’re a preschooler or toddler, your attention comes out in a different way,” explains Pizzolongo. “Your attention works best if your body is involved, as many parts of it as possible. So children learning to play where they’re physically engaged with materials and interacting with each other would work best.”

Language

Children build language skills through cooperative play. Their success depends on their ability and patience in explaining themselves. Teachers repeat the words children say to help others understand. They also teach words about the objects the kids are interested in handling. Students may talk to themselves while playing side by side with other children and then begin to repeat what they hear or start talking to each other. This develops into back-and-forth communication about play, becoming increasingly sophisticated by age 4. Children will now set rules, have specific roles, express their interests or objections, and chatter about funny situations that occur in the course of play.

Self-concept

Play builds a strong sense of self-confidence. Trying to do a certain trick on a play structure or build with blocks is hard work for a preschooler. Teachers acknowledge these experiences by articulating what they observe and letting the preschooler absorb these accomplishments again. There are also therapeutic benefits to play that help all children. For example, understanding that a parent is going to work and will come back at pick-up time can be reinforced through a play scenario.

Social development

Listening, negotiating, and compromising are challenging for 4- and 5-year-olds. Though children at this age are still egocentric, or unable to think beyond their own needs, working with others helps them develop an awareness of differences in people around them. These experiences in preschool provide a foundation for learning how to solve problems and communicate with peers. Play also helps build positive leadership qualities for children who are naturally inclined to direct but must learn how to control their impulses.

Loss of play later

For many school-age kids, their time outside of school will include solitary time spent plugged into video games and computers, so it is especially critical for preschoolers to have the opportunity to develop naturally in their play.

Julie Nicholson, an early-childhood instructor at the Mills College School of Education in Oakland, Calif., notes, “We know from decades of research that young children’s play is very beneficial for their development, so we have to look at such immensely important topics as the decrease in children’s outdoor play, the loss of extended periods of unstructured time for children to engage in imaginative play, and the toys being marketed to children that are increasingly violent, sexualized, and closed-ended.”

Ask about play when choosing a preschool

When you tour preschools you’re considering, ask about their philosophy about play. Preschoolers need opportunities to play, prepared spaces for them to explore and responsive teachers to support their learning. Such a setting prepares children not only to become students who will work with others cooperatively and approach learning with joy, but also happier people who will not lose their love of play.

Outdoor games for preschoolers and younger schoolchildren

As soon as a child has learned to walk confidently, outdoor games appear in his life. They help not only to develop physically correctly, but also to gain basic knowledge about various life situations and the world around them, activate thinking, and develop strong-willed qualities. Having a complex effect on a growing organism, outdoor games are the most important means of comprehensive development and education of children.

Outdoor games for younger preschoolers (3-4 years old)

From the age of three, play activities increasingly acquire a collective character. Joint activity teaches to establish interpersonal contacts, interaction, the desire to give in to another or support him. The rules of the game help to overcome shyness, foster organization, etc.

At a younger age, the organization of play activities falls on the shoulders of adults. Below is a description of popular outdoor activities for toddlers 3-4 years old.

1. SPARROW AND CAT

Goal : increase motor activity (jumping, running, waving arms). We develop attention, the ability to respond correctly to the command.

Equipment : medium sized stable benches or cubes.

Rules of the game : children are standing on the cubes (benches) placed on one side - these are sparrows sitting on the roof (branches). Opposite is a “sleeping” cat (an adult, an older child, or one of the kids, if the game is already familiar, can play its role).

At the teacher's command: " Sparrows are flying " the kids jump from their seats, run around the playground in a chaotic manner, wave their arms, imitating the flight of birds.

With a loud cry: “ Meow! "- the cat wakes up and starts catching sparrows, which quickly hide on the roof.

The one who was caught goes with the cat to his house.

Repeat : 3-5 times.

Please note : children should jump down gently, on their toes, bending their knees.

2. "MOUSES IN THE PANTRY"

Purpose : we develop attention, learn to follow the actions of an adult and quickly respond to a change in his posture (to act without a command). We train the ability to properly bend, bend, move randomly and in a certain direction.

Equipment : chairs, rope, risers for its fastening.

Rules of the game : mouse children sit on chairs (in "burrows"). Adult is a cat. While he is "sleeping", mice penetrate into the pantry (flexing, crawl under a rope stretched at a height of 0.5 m), "gnaw" croutons there. The cat "wakes up" - the mice quickly run out of the pantry (again bending under the stretched barrier), and try to return "to the houses". If the cat has caught the mouse, he takes it to him.

Repeat : 4-6 times.

Please note : when bending under the rope, the child must not touch it with his back or head.

3. “FIND THE RIGHT COLOR”

Purpose : reinforce the knowledge of colors (red, blue, yellow, green). We develop attention, speed of reaction, the ability to quickly respond to a command. We train the basic movements - arbitrary walking, running, orientation in space.

Equipment : flags of four primary colors according to the number of children + 4, 4 hoops.

Rules of the game : Children are given one flag of different colors. 4 hoops are randomly laid out. Each has a flag of a certain color. The adult gives the command: “ Let's go for a walk! ". Everyone randomly moves around the site. New command: " Find your color " - encourages children to quickly find their way, to find a hoop with a flag of the same color as in the child's hand.

Repeat : 6 times.

Please note : you can complicate the task. Invite the children to stop and close their eyes. An adult at this time swaps the colored flags in the hoops.

4. "ENGINE"

Goal : we strengthen the ability to move one after another (without holding on), accelerating the movement, moving from walking to light running. At the same time, without violating the order of movement. We develop the practice of joint actions, we educate the team "spirit", empathy.

Stock : not required.

Rules of the game : lined up in one column, the children pretend to be a “train”. The one in front (adult or child) is a “train”, the rest are “cars” (kids do not hold each other). An adult gives a “beep” and the “train” starts moving, gradually accelerating. "Wagons" try to keep up and follow clearly behind the one in front. Adult announces: " Stop soon. We slow down. Stop » Children stop. You can walk at the station. One stop is called "Meadow", another "River", etc. The actions of the kids correspond to the plot. On command: “ Ready. The train leaves ”- everything repeats from the beginning.

Repeat : 4-5 times.

Note : 3 year olds build in any order. By the age of four, the game becomes more complicated - the child tries to take his place, remembering the person in front and the one behind him.

The main task of adults in organizing kids is to skillfully approach the process and involve even the most shy. In the process, we strive to correct the course of the game and monitor the correct execution of movements.

Outdoor games for older preschoolers (5-6 years old)

The older the children, the more they resort to independent choice of entertainment, focusing on the previously gained experience of playing games. The role of an adult is to take the initiative, control and direct the actions of older preschool children.

The list of favorite games for children aged 5-6 includes:

1. "HOMELESS HARE"

Goal : in addition to physical training (jumping with movement, tilts, squats), we develop emotions, reaction speed, imagination.

Equipment : hoops.

Rules of the game : hoops ("houses") of bunnies are laid out on the court. They are one less than the players. In the direction of the "burrow" of the fox, she is sleeping. Hares frolic in the clearing, imitating the movements of the animal (jumping, scratching behind the ear with a paw). The fox wakes up - the hares jump into the "houses". One does not have time to take a free hoop and is left without his own mink. The fox tries to catch up with him and take him to his hole.

Here you can give free rein to the manifestation of the feelings of children, without limiting the unambiguous rule. Let them decide how best to get out of the situation. Maybe someone will invite the “homeless” hare to his place or change places with him, giving him a break from the “chase”.

Repeat : 3-4 times.

Note : Rabbit children move by jumping. It is important to support the positive initiative of children, the manifestation of feelings of compassion, empathy.

2. “WHICH LINK WILL HAVE ASAP”

Goal : we develop competitive skills, the desire to act harmoniously, to understand that the position of the whole team depends on this. We train speed, ingenuity, discipline.

Equipment : jump ropes or ropes to mark the boundaries of the treadmill.

Rules of the game : children are divided into two teams with an equal number of participants. At a signal (whistle, chord, etc.), those standing first run to the far border and return, touching the one who stood behind him with the palm of their hand. The second one starts, and the one who comes running becomes the last one. The team, all the participants of which ran the distance and returned first, won. The task can be complicated by putting obstacles in the way (arcs, cubes, etc.).

Repeat : 5-6 times

Pay attention : it is important to strictly follow the rules of order, discipline in the team.

3. "JUMP THE BROOVE"

Goal : practice standing long jump. We encourage children to help girls, those who are weaker, to empathize.

Equipment : chalk for drawing a "stream"

Rules of the game : Draw a "stream" on the court. From one edge it is narrow, then it expands to the maximum width acceptable (20-50 cm) for a child of a six-year-old child to jump. Children take turns jumping first where already, gradually moving to a wider part of the "brook".

Repeat : 5-6 minutes.

Pay attention : Encourage the initiative to help each other, offer extraordinary solutions, the desire to support those who are weaker. Follow the correct technique for performing jumps from a place.

4. Catch a mosquito

Goal : we practice jumping, develop the ability to coordinate the visual signal and movement, learn to act in concert, accurately, without bumping into each other.

Inventory : light rope, an object imitating a "mosquito" (for example, a cardboard model or just a candy wrapper).

Rules of the game : children form a circle, spread out at arm's length from each other. In the center is an adult. He unwinds the rope with the "mosquito" above the children (10-15 cm). The task of each child is to wait for the moment when the “insect” is above him, jump up and catch it. The one who kept the "mosquito" says loudly: " I caught ".

Repeat : 5 minutes.

Pay attention : to the behavior of children (patiently waiting for their turn - the closest location of the "mosquito"), watch out for the safety of jumping.

It is worth paying attention to the fact that the usual movements that make up outdoor games gradually become more complicated, requiring greater accuracy, effort, and attention. In addition, they evoke positive emotions, fill with a variety of sensations and ideas. At the same time, the moral and ethical tasks that older preschoolers have to solve become more complicated.

Outdoor games for junior schoolchildren (7-10 years old)

Seven-year-old children have sufficient experience in playing activities, they are able to orient themselves in the choice of a game. But they often have disputes when agreeing (some of the guys want to play one game, others want to play another).

The task of an adult is to skillfully, unobtrusively coordinate younger students, teach them to be tolerant of the opinions of their peers, find a compromise, and provide the safest possible conditions for the game. More noisy and mobile at this age, they love active actions with objects, games that require certain skills and ingenuity. For example:

1. "KNOCKOUT"

Goal : develop throw accuracy, reaction speed, dodge. Learn to hit a moving target.

Equipment : ball of medium size and weight.

Rules of action : one participant stands on both sides of the site, the rest remain in the center, move randomly. The task of the drivers is to throw the ball so as to hit one of the moving ones within the allotted area. The driver on the other side receives the ball and throws it back. The goal of other players is to dodge as long as possible so that the ball does not hit them. Whoever is "knocked out" leaves the game before the end of the next round (until none of those running around the court remains).

Repeat : 3-4 times with role reversal.

Pay attention to : the condition of the site (flat, without unnecessary obstacles), the strength of the throw. Try to minimize the risk of injury.

2. “ABOVE THE FEET FROM THE GROUND”

Purpose : we develop speed of running, we practice dodge, ingenuity, speed of reaction.

Stock : not required.

Rules of the game : a driver is chosen, on a signal he catches up with the rest of the participants in the game. When one of the evaders is overtaken, he finds an object or place where he can drop in without touching the ground. Thus, he excludes the possibility of being caught, exclaiming: " Feet off the ground .” If the driver managed to touch any of the participants in the game who did not have time to stand on a hill, he transfers his authority to the one who was caught.

Repeat : 4-5 times, with a change of characters.

Pay attention : friendliness during the game, compliance with the rules.

3. "RED INK, WHITE PEN"

Goal : we develop teamwork skills, the ability to rationally approach the choice. We improve running, learn to measure our strengths and capabilities. We support the stormy expression of emotions, the ability to confer.

Inventory : not required.

Rules of the game : children are divided into two teams of equal strength (boys and girls or those who are stronger and weaker - equally in each group). Teams line up opposite each other and firmly hold hands. The distance between them is 6-10 meters, behind each of the lines - at least 3 meters.

The first team quickly decides which of the opponents they are calling, and pronounces the chant: “Red ink, white pen, calling (name), no one else!” The player who was named leaves the line, runs up and runs to the opposing team in such a way as to “break” the tightly closed hands of the children. If he succeeds, he chooses one of those whose hands were "broken" and takes him to his team. In the case when the children held hands very tightly and it was not possible to open them, the child who tried to “break through” remains in the opposing team. The team with the most people at the end wins.

Repeat : 6-7 times.

Please note : prevent children from falling as much as possible.

4. "RING THROW"

Purpose : develop accuracy, throwing power. It can be both competitive and just training.

Equipment : special stand with hooks or stands with holders for rings, rings themselves.

Rules of the game : any number of children can play (one, two, or a team). The boundary of the distance to the target is outlined. The task of each is to throw as many rings on the hook as possible.

Repeat : no limit

Pay attention : distance, ability to correct movements, location in relation to the target.

Schoolchildren can already change the rules of the game on their own, complicate them, replace equipment. That is, they successfully show imagination, ingenuity, learn to interact in a team, negotiate and resolve issues together. The mobile game trains, develops, teaches.

Children outdoor games

Games associated with physical activity of children of all ages are divided into entertainment of low, medium and high mobility. For the latter category, a significant area is required, since they involve running, throwing the ball into the distance, etc. As a rule, these can be sports or playgrounds, yards. Here are a few outdoor games that are preferable to play outdoors, in a free area.

1. "STORKS"

Age : 3-4 years

Goals : teach children to closely follow the leader's movements, develop running, walking with high knees, the ability to stand on one leg, keep balance.

Equipment : not required, beak caps for storks can be worn.

Game progress : The children gather around the leader. The host raises his hands up - the children run freely throughout the site, waving their “wings” with their arms, walk high with their knees up. The adult lowered his arms - the "storks" stopped and raised one leg, trying to keep their balance.

Number of repetitions : 3-4 times.

What to look out for : babies raise one leg low. To tell that you can simply lift it up on the toe, tearing off only the heel, the second one stands firmly on the ground with all its feet. Standing time on one leg is no more than 5-10 seconds.

2. "TRAPS WITH A RIBBON"

Age : 5-6 years old

Goals : develop running activity, dodge, dexterity. We evoke an emotional response to joint actions with other children.

Equipment : Ribbons according to the number of children.

Game progress : each player is attached a ribbon so that it is easily torn off, but does not fall spontaneously (you can under the elastic band of shorts or a belt, leaving a large edge outside). The "trapper" tries to pluck as many ribbons as possible. Children run and dodge. Whoever is left without a ribbon is out of the game.

Number of repetitions : 2-3 times.

What to look for : try not to bump into each other, not knock down.

3. "From Bump to Bump"

Age : 5-6 years old

Goals : training for the long jump.

Equipment : hoops.

Game progress : 5-6 hoops are laid out in a row on the court for one and the same number for the other team. Children are divided equally and, on a signal, begin jumping forward (“from bump to bump”). The one who has completed the basic movements runs the reverse distance and stops at the start (one after the other, as they arrive). The winner is the team that completed the task earlier, that is, everyone went through the full cycle of mixed exercises. The task can be complicated by putting a bench (bridge) on the way for each team. In addition to jumping, children will also have to walk along it.

Number of repetitions : 2-3 times.

What to pay attention to : it is important to follow the sequence, perform the movements correctly, support and empathize.

4. "DOG"

Age : 7-10 years old

Goals : learn to confidently pass the ball in a throw, move freely around the court. We develop dodge, eye, dexterity.

Equipment : ball.

Game progress : children stand in a wide circle, the “dog” is in the center. The ball is thrown from one child to another (in a chaotic manner), the “dog” must catch it during the flight (or pick up the fallen one).

If she succeeds, she becomes a participant, and the one who missed the ball becomes a "dog".

Number of repetitions : 10-15 minutes.

What to look for: often the game turns from an ordered circle into a chaotic movement, if everything is fun and direct, you should not call for the original order. Positive emotions and excitement are important.

Outdoor games of any category are best played outdoors, especially under favorable weather conditions. Especially if sports activities (children's volleyball, football) are included in this category. They also require special equipment - gates, nets and more.

Indoor outdoor games

Low mobility games are most often played indoors. They do not require a sufficiently large area, and musical accompaniment, various attributes, and masks are often used. Their list can include:

1. "RADIO"

Age : 3-4 years.

Goals : develop attention, ability to respond quickly, consolidate knowledge of colors, names of clothing items.

Equipment : not required.

Game progress : children sit or stand. The host announces as "radio": " Attention! Attention! Lost girl (example) in a red dress with a white bow "and other details about one of the children. Children find the one they described. The child runs into the "radio room".

Number of repetitions : if there are few children, then try to make each of them play the role of a “lost”.

What to pay attention to : it is important not only to find out from the description, to quickly orient yourself, but also to convey emotions.

2. "OWL"

Age : 3-5 years

Goals : develop the ability to listen carefully, keep still, reinforce the concept of "day-night".

Equipment : not required, owl mask can be used.

Game progress : Players are placed freely in the room. Separately, in the "hollow" sleeps "owl". On command: “ The sun is rising. The day is coming! ". Children walk freely, imitating the movements of various living creatures (birds, insects, mice, etc.)

The command sounds: “ The night suddenly comes, everything around stops ”. The players stop in place and try not to move. "Owl" slowly passes among the "asleep", looking out for the one who moved (he becomes the next "owl").

Number of repetitions : 3-4 times.

What to pay attention to : it is important to be able to avoid congestion in one place, to clearly follow the rules.

3. "WHERE WE'VE BEEN, WE WILL NOT SAY"

Age : from older preschoolers to younger students.

Goals : teach gestures, movements to convey actions that are performed in a certain place. We cultivate the ability to negotiate, choose the best option among several proposed ones.

Equipment : not required.

Game progress : one of the players goes to another room, the rest agree on what process they will show (morning exercises, train ride, morning water procedures, etc.). Returning to the company, the driver asks: “Where were you, what did you do?”. The children answer in chorus: “Where we were - we will not say, but what we did - we will show” - and intensively depict the actions that we agreed on. The driver must guess the action and the place where it could happen. Guessing, chooses the one who comes out next.

Number of repetitions : 5-7 times.

What to look for : coordination of actions, expressiveness.

4. SHIP RACE

Age : 7-10 years old.

Objectives : We train the ability to walk "back to front", moving carefully and quickly. We develop awareness of responsibility for the team and the overall result.

Equipment : chairs or cubes for creating large obstacles.

Game progress : The group is divided into 2 teams. Obstacles line up in parallel (the same for each of the links). Teams on a signal one after another pass the created "track" backs forward. You can not touch the obstacle (touched - you start the passage again). The winners are those whose flight is the first to complete its journey backwards.

Number of repetitions : 2-3 times.

What to look out for : Avoid injury by explaining the precautions.

Outdoor games for children of preschool and elementary school age combine two most important factors:

• practical activities that help improve physical condition and independence;
• moral and ethical side, allowing you to feel satisfaction from actions, expanding knowledge about the world around you.

That is, in general, there is a general development and upbringing of the personality.

By organizing outdoor games, adults not only create conditions for the development of the musculoskeletal system of a small person, but also help to maintain an emotionally uplifted mood. Positive, in turn, increases the effectiveness of a comprehensive solution of the main tasks of education and training.

Thinking Simulator

The Simulator is a database of 4,000 tasks designed specifically to develop the thinking skills of students in grades 1-4

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10 useful games for preschoolers

Comprehensive development of preschool children is most productive through games - vigorous activity, coupled with communication and encouragement from parents and teachers, give the best result.

We've rounded up ten of the most fun and rewarding preschool games to help develop your child's basic skills and have fun.

1. Fairy tales topsy-turvy

The child is reminded of the plot of a favorite well-known fairy tale and is asked to retell it exactly the opposite. For example, if this is Cinderella, then supposedly she herself did not let her stepmother go to the ball.

2. Hidden pictures

This is a game for partners or a group of children. Everyone draws scribbles and squiggles on their sheet, then the children change drawings among themselves. Now everyone needs to turn other people's scribbles into a meaningful image - understand what the abstraction looks like, and outline the contours so that it becomes obvious to everyone.

3. Who could it be?

A conversation game that you can play with your child on a walk, standing on a balcony or just looking out the window at a crowded street. The essence is simple: we see a passer-by and invent a story about him. Who could he be, what to do, what his name might be. The game actively develops not only imagination, but also insight, intuition, social skills.

4. Write a sentence

We make cards (at least 10) with words of different parts of speech. And the child must make meaningful sentences from them.

5. Magic words

We think of certain words or groups of words (for example, with the same letter), we say that they are “magic”, and we come up with a conditional signal for these words - for example, clap your hands knock on the table. Then we read any simple text or invent a story on the go, and the child must respond to each “magic” word with a conditional signal.

6. Chain of words

This game is for the team. Children sit in a circle, a parent or teacher voices a topic for them to name words on: for example, nature, cities, animals. The first player calls the word on the chosen topic, the next one says his word and comes up with his own. With each player, the chain of words increases, children need to try to remember all the words in order.

7. What disappeared from the table

We lay out various objects or pictures with flowers, animals, plants on the table. We give the child 10-15 seconds to look at and remember objects or images. Then he closes his eyes, we remove one thing from the table, and the child opens his eyes and must say what has disappeared. With each circle, lay out more objects and cards on the table.

Sometimes the game is not as easy as it seems. Perhaps, over time, the child himself will ask you to tell him how to remember everything so quickly, and will become interested in mnemonics, which will be very useful to him at school.

8. Who is behind whom in the queue

Line up different toys on the table or on the floor. We tell the child that the animals are in line for the steamer. And suddenly an ice cream man came to them and all the toys ran for ice cream, and when they were bought, they forgot who was behind whom in the queue. The child must help the toys to stand in the correct order. Every time we invent new stories.

9. Draw and sculpt

Most children's favorite pastime is drawing and modeling with plasticine. We give the child an interesting task, for example, to mold or draw mom's favorite flower or dad's car. The main thing is that the child has at hand all the necessary colors of paints and plasticine and space for creativity.

10. How to tie sea knots

There are a lot of videos on the Internet with instructions for tying various difficult knots.

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