10 Prop-free outdoor games for kids (frugal party fun!)

Let’s face it, funding kids’ fun during the summer can be expensive! So here is a list of ten outdoor games for kids to play that will cost you precisely no money because they don’t need any supplies.

Now when I say ‘no supplies’, I mean that you don’t need to buy anything for your kids to be able to play these games.

Some games will need you to use something you already own, like a ball or… a potato!!

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These games are also brilliant if you want to host an outdoor summer kids’ birthday party without spending a fortune.

And these games also make great games for the schoolyard during breaktimes and easy no-supplies summer camp games.

Related: The big list of outdoor games that kids absolutely love

10 PROP-FREE OUTDOOR GAMES KIDS WILL LOVE

Here is my list of 10 prop-free outdoor games for kids to play. Each game is guaranteed to be fun!

These classics have stood the test of time because they’re simply brilliant. Here’s everything you need to get started.

Red Light, Green Light

One player becomes the traffic controller whilst everyone else tries to reach them without getting caught moving at the wrong moment.

• Number of players: 3 or more
• What you need: Nothing
• Age range: 4-12 years

How to play
• One person stands at one end of the playing area as the “stoplight”
• Other players line up at the opposite end
• When the stoplight calls “green light,” players move towards them
• When they call “red light,” everyone must freeze instantly
• Anyone caught moving goes back to the starting line
• First person to reach the stoplight wins and becomes the new traffic controller

Simon Says

A classic command game where listening skills are everything. One wrong move and you’re out.

• Number of players: 3 or more
• What you need: Nothing
• Age range: 4-10 years

How to play
• One person is Simon and gives commands to the group
• Players must only follow commands that start with “Simon says”
• If Simon gives a command without saying “Simon says” first, players shouldn’t move
• Anyone who follows a non-Simon command is out
• Last player standing becomes the new Simon

Mother, May I?

A polite twist on the racing game where good manners are rewarded and forgotten please-and-thank-yous send you backwards.

• Number of players: 3 or more
• What you need: Nothing
• Age range: 4-10 years

How to play
• One person is “Mother” and stands at one end of the playing area
• Other players line up at the opposite end
• Players take turns asking “Mother, may I take [number] steps forward?”
• Mother decides yes or no for each request
• Players must remember to say “Mother, may I?” or they go back to start
• First person to reach Mother wins

Duck, Duck, Goose

The circle game that gets everyone’s heart racing when they hear that dreaded “goose” call.

• Number of players: 6 or more
• What you need: Nothing
• Age range: 4-12 years

How to play
• Everyone sits in a circle except one person who walks around the outside
• The walking person taps each seated player’s head saying “duck”
• When they tap someone and say “goose,” that person jumps up
• The goose chases the tapper around the circle
• The tapper tries to sit in the goose’s empty spot before being tagged
• If tagged, they remain “it” for another round

Sharks and Minnows

Half swimming pool game, half land-based tag. The shark gets hungrier with each round.

• Number of players: 4 or more
• What you need: Nothing
• Age range: 5-12 years

How to play
• One person is the shark and stands in the middle of the playing area
• All minnows line up at one end
• Minnows try to run to the other end without being tagged
• Any minnow tagged becomes a shark for the next round
• Game continues until only one minnow remains

Freeze Tag

Regular tag with a twist – getting frozen is only temporary if your friends are quick enough.

• Number of players: 4 or more
• What you need: Nothing
• Age range: 4-12 years

How to play
• One person is “it” and chases the other players
• When tagged, players must freeze in place with legs apart
• Frozen players can be unfrozen when someone crawls between their legs
• The person who is “it” tries to freeze everyone
• Game ends when all players are frozen or you set a time limit

Kick the Can

Tag meets hide-and-seek with a satisfying metal-kicking element that kids absolutely love.

• Number of players: 4 or more
• What you need: Empty tin can
• Age range: 6-14 years

How to play
• Place the can in the centre of the playing area with one person guarding it
• Other players try to kick the can without being tagged
• Tagged players go to a designated “jail” area
• Jailed players are freed when someone successfully kicks the can
• The guard tries to tag everyone before they can kick the can

Sardines

Hide-and-seek played backwards where the hiding spot gets more cramped as the game goes on.

• Number of players: 4 or more
• What you need: Good hiding spots
• Age range: 6-14 years

How to play
• One person hides whilst everyone else counts
• Players search individually for the hidden person
• When someone finds the hider, they squeeze into the same hiding spot
• Game continues until everyone is packed into the hiding place like sardines
• Last person to find the group hides in the next round

Capture the Flag

The team game that brings out everyone’s competitive side and requires actual strategy.

• Number of players: 6 or more (even numbers work best)
• What you need: Two bandanas or scarves
• Age range: 7-14 years

How to play
• Divide into two teams and mark territory boundaries
• Each team places their flag in their territory
• Players try to capture the other team’s flag and bring it back to their side
• If tagged in enemy territory, players go to that team’s jail
• Jailed players can be freed by teammates who reach them without being tagged
• First team to successfully capture the flag and return it wins

Hot Potato

The musical passing game where nobody wants to be left holding the goods when the music stops.

• Number of players: 4 or more
• What you need: Ball or small object, music source
• Age range: 4-10 years

How to play
• Players sit in a circle and pass the object around
• Play music whilst the object is being passed
• When the music stops, whoever is holding the object is out
• Continue until only one player remains
• Make it more exciting by varying how long the music plays

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