Kids picnic games
for the under 12’s

How to keep them occupied?
Picnic games of course!

When you want to relax and digest your food - or finish up the wine and cheese, have some printable games ready for the younger ones.

They need to digest their food too before rushing around, so printable games, such as this one, from my friends at Python Printable Games Games, are ideal. For only $6.95 you can print out as many copies as you like:

Just like you did all those years ago, your kids will have lots of fun and laughter with a racket ball game. and it helps their co-ordination too.

Obviously if you have skipping rope, brightly-coloured hula hoops and other outdoor toys and games, which are easily transported, take them on the picnic. A long skipping rope can also be used for tug of war.

More kids picnic games - Races:

An Egg and Spoon race (do this before you eat the hard-boiled eggs!) is easy to understand and always great fun. It can be organized even with only two kids. If you have a variety of ages, give the smaller children bigger spoons to carry their eggs on.

The good old-fashioned three-legged race is another game to get everybody laughing. Pair up and tie inside legs together with a scarf or ribbon. Match up the kids according to height. The grown-ups can take part too and the kids will probably beat them, which they love!

No wheelbarrows are needed for the wheelbarrow race! One child stands on his/her hands, while a friend holds their feet as if pushing a wheelbarrow. The first child then "races" on his hands while the friend helps to balance him/her without pushing him over!

Another race to cause laughter is the sack race.

Hopscotch:

For this kids picnic game you can buy large Hopscotch tiles, or you can mark it out on the ground with chalk, like we used to do at school.

Create 8 sections in a line, a couple side by side. Number them 1 to 8. Each player is given a marker such as a stone, bottlecap, button etc.

The first player stands behind the starting line to toss his/her marker into square 1.

They hop over square 1 to square 2 and then continue hopping to square 8, turn around, and hop back again. Pause in square 2 to pick up the marker from square 1, hop in square 1, and out.

They then throw their marker into square 2 and leave it there until their next turn.

The next person does the same and so on. All hopping is done on one foot unless the hopscotch design is such that two squares are side-by-side. Then two feet can be placed down, with one in each square.

A player must always hop over any square where a marker has been thrown.

A player is out if the marker doesn’t land in the proper square, they step on a line when hopping or if they lose their balance when bending over to pick up the marker and put a second hand or foot down. They are also out if they go into a square with a marker or if they put two feet down in a single box.

Sometimes a dome-shaped rest area is added on one end of the hopscotch pattern where the player can rest for a couple of seconds before hopping back through the squares.

Kids picnic games involving water:

Kids love playing with water and some of the best picnics for them will be by the sea, lake or swimming pool. Think about kids picnic games which incorporate water and they will be happy!

If you have a water pistol, they can play Blind Shooter. To start, place stones or posts in four corners so that you have a well-defined space for them to run around. Next, choose one child to have the water pistol and the others must stand inside the marked space. Then blindfold the shooter and spin him or her around a good few times.

Lead the blind shooter into the middle of the square and announce, "begin shooting." The shooter will begin shooting the water pistol, and whoever gets hit is out of the game. The players can move around as much as they like within the square, but they can't touch the shooter. When there is only one person left in the square, he/she is the winner.

On a very warm day, as well as structured kids picnic games, let them let off steam by throwing water bombs at each other! Make sure they’re in their swimming gear or you have a set of spare clothes with you for each child!

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