Free toddlers activity & free kids games guide Outside play: four to seven years

Clare Walters

Playing outside in the fresh air is great for children. Not only does it get them out of the house, they'll also benefit from the exercise and some games can be educational, too.

Play and learn Skipping - an old-fashioned skipping rope can keep your child happy for ages and you can also use it for wriggling along the ground and jumping over.

Always take a bottle of water with you when you go out

Running about is thirsty work, so always take a bottle of water with you when you go out.

Looking for outdoor games to play? Go no further!

Games for everyone to play

Elastics/French skipping - this 'rope' is stretchy like a large elastic band and can be made by linking elastic bands or using sewing elastic into a loop. Two people stand opposite each other within the loop, holding it apart with their feet, while a third person performs a series of hops, skips and jumps over or on the two strands. When finished, the height of the elastic is raised to knees, then thighs, waist, and so on.

Hopscotch - mark out the ground in chalk squares. Throw a stone into the first square, hop into that square, pick it up, then hop back to the start. Then throw the stone into the second square, hop and pick it up, and so on.

Piggy in the middle - three people stand in a line. The two end people try to throw the ball to each other without letting the middle person catch it. If the middle person does catch it, the person who threw the ball becomes Piggy.

Count down - throw a ball to each other, but if you miss you must pay a forfeit. Forfeits run in the following order: first, throw with only one hand; second, with the opposite hand; third, kneeling on one knee; fourth, on both knees; fifth, lying flat. If you catch the ball you can get up again, in reverse order.

Simple dodge ball

- divide children into two teams. Try to throw a small soft ball below the waist of someone in the opposite team (you can throw in the ordinary way to someone on your own team). If you hit that person, he's out. The team with the last remaining person wins.

Gather a group of children before you go to the park

Older children's games are more fun with several players, so gather a group of children before you go to the park.

Physical games

Now your child has started school, she'll be joining in formal physical education (PE) lessons and hopefully getting lots of exercise running around the playground at breaktimes. But she'll still want, and need, to keep active at home.

More fun than star jumps

Walking - if you can, incorporate walking into your daily routine. Walk to school, to the shops, to the library and around your local park. At weekends, think about visiting a large country park or a woodland nature path, and encourage your child to keep walking by collecting things along the way or making a trail of sticks.

Swimming - see if your local pool runs play sessions for kids with floats and water slides. Check out swimming classes, too. Remember, an adult must supervise a child under eight or a child who is not confident around water.

Activity classes - if your finances allow, think about enrolling your child for other classes. Try gym, dance, judo or other martial arts, horse riding, skating and more. Find out what's available in your area by checking the noticeboards at your local leisure centre or library, contacting your council or looking in your local telephone directory.

Practise throwing and catching

Fun in the park - if you have enough space, play tag and other chasing games, have a running competition (on grass only), take a ball to practise throwing and catching, and spend plenty of time at the swings and on climbing frames.

Physical play - if you provide certain games equipment you'll automatically be encouraging your child to exercise. Try a bicycle (with stabilisers at first), a scooter, a football, smaller balls, plastic bats, an ordinary skipping rope, a French skipping rope (like a large elastic band), beanbags or a hula hoop.

Don't be afraid to let the child in you out - play along. Share some of your favourite childhood games, too.

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