5 Easy Outdoor Recess Games Your Students Will Be Begging To Play
I’m very jealous of some of you. Do you want to know why? You live in a climate that is warm all year round. Sadly where I live, I have days where the temperature doesn’t get about 6 degrees, and we are not only wearing coats but a sweatshirt, long sleeve shirts, and even long johns! But the nice thing is we get some nice weather at the beginning and end of the school year, and I love when my students play outside for recess! With kindergarteners, I’ve noticed it’s sometimes best to have some structured outdoor recess games and to teach them those games so that they can enjoy recess and you do not need to referee the entire time.
Getting Ready For Outdoor Recess
When students are permitted to go outside again after a few cold months or stormy weeks, reminding them of the outdoor recess expectations is important. You don’t want to go out onto the playground and deal with arguments and students not following rules/directions. There are a couple of ways to prepare your class for outdoor recess, whether it’s at the beginning, middle, or end of the year.
Outdoor Recess Visuals
You want to ensure students have access to recess expectation visuals before going outside. If you have a door leading out to the play area, hang them near that exit so students see them daily. If you must exit the classroom into a hallway before heading outside, hang them there.
You want visuals that remind students of their behavior on the playground with friends. Such behaviors may include taking turns, being kind, sharing, etc. You may even want to make a small reference poster and bring it outside with you in case a student makes a bad choice and needs to be spoken to.
Outdoor Recess Social Stories
Recess social stories are helpful in kindergarten because it allows students to visualize themselves in the situation. It is also an easy resource you can send home with a student who may be having a little trouble, and their parents can help them and review the story.
Acronyms
Using acronyms to help students remember specific expectations is also a really easy way to ensure proper outdoor recess behavior. I like to use the acronym “RACES,” and each letter standards for a certain expectation.
It gives my students an easy word to remember, and we practice and go over the meaning of each letter multiple times a year. This way, no one forgets.
5 Outdoor Recess Games
These five outdoor recess games will make recess outside way easier! You’ll no longer have to play referee, students will get a ton of exercise, and they will learn valuable teamwork, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.
44 Home
Much like hide and seek, this game is a little easier for kindergarteners. You have one person, “it.” That person counts to 44. Everyone else hides when the person is done counting. They yell, “44, home.” All students must try to get back to base without being caught. The students trying to get home can either try and run straight for it or can use different hiding spots to make their way.
Red Light, Green Light
A classic game where students have to make it to the other side of the playground and listen to the directions of the traffic guard. One person is in charge of the lights and shouts “green light” when students are allowed to move. They then shout “red light,” and all students are expected to freeze. If they move, they are out. The first one to cross the schoolyard wins and becomes the traffic guard.
Four Square
If you have a blacktop in your play area or near your playground. Teaching students how to play four square may be a great idea. Students have to pass the ball between the squares based on the rules they come up with. Maybe they can only pass diagonally, or they must use one hand. The only rule always set in place is NO KICKING.
Simon Says
Although more fun outside, this game is perfect for indoor or outdoor recess. Each player must listen carefully to the directions of “Simon” if the person giving the directions does not say “Simon says” before the direction, any player who does what the direction said is out.
Night At The Museum
One or two people are museum guards depending on the number of students playing. Everyone else is a museum statue. When the guards turn their backs, the statues come to life and can move around the area. But if a guard turns towards them, they must freeze if they move and are caught. They are out.
Outdoor Recess Activities
If your school does not have a ton of room for large organized games, but you still want to get students moving, you may want to try and try out some of these fun activities,
-Jump rope
– Limbo pole
-Hopscotch
-Parachute
– Chalk
-Basketballs/soccer balls/etc.
These are just a few things that can make the blacktop a little more fun for students!
Outdoor Recess
Outdoor recess games and activities that help to get students moving and enjoying recess are a great addition. You do not need to run each activity all of recess, either. Introduce the activity or game at the beginning and then let students figure out the rest. Sometimes the game sticks and everyone plays the entire time, while other times, the game is done in 10 minutes, and everyone is off playing on the playground.
Just remember it’s important to review the outdoor recess expectations if students haven’t been outside in awhile. A good classroom reboot is nothing to be ashamed of. Although we hope they remember how to behave, that is often not the case. The excitement of being outside again and maybe seeing friends from other classes can become quite overwhelming and ramp of the excitement level quickly!
