Games for Playgrounds, Gymnasiums, and Large Numbers

The term "playground" is here used to designate a general outdoor play space of liberal area. The open country or a village would be just as suitable for many of the games, though with few exceptions they may be played in limited territory. With the exception of the hide-and-seek games almost all are equally suitable for both playground and gymnasium. The list includes games for players from kindergarten age to adults, and for both large and small numbers. For games for players of different ages, see Index for Elementary and High Schools.

In the column indicating which games are suited to large numbers, the figures indicate the largest number with which the game may be well played. Still larger numbers of players may participate, but the group method is advisable for so many.

Miscellaneous Active Games

For
Large
Numbers Page

All-up Relay 60+

Animal Blind Man's Buff 30+

Animal Chase 30+

Arrow Chase

Barley Break

Baste the Bear 30+

Bear in the Pit 30+

Bird Catcher 60

Black and White 100

Black Tom 30+

Blind Bell 100

Blind Man's Buff 30+

Body Guard 30+

Bull in the Ring 30+

Bunch of Ivy 60+

Bung the Bucket 30

Buying a Lock 30+

Cat and Rat 30+

Catch and Pull Tug of War 100

Catch of Fish 30+

Catch the Cane 30+

Cavalry Drill 100

Centipede

Charley over the Water 30+

Chickadee-dee

Chicken Market

Chickidy Hand 30+

Chinese Chicken 30+

Chinese Wall 60+

Circle Race 30+

Circle Relay 60+

Clam Shell Combat 30

Club Snatch 60

Cock Stride

Cross Tag 30+

Crossing the Brook 60+

Do this, Do that 60+

Double Relay Races 100

Drop the Handkerchief 30+

Duck on a Rock 30+

Dumb-bell Tag 30+

Every Man in his Own Den 30+

Exchange 30+

Farmer is coming, The 30+

Fence Tag 30+

Fire on the Mountains 30+

Flowers and the Wind, The 30+

Follow Chase 30+

Follow the Leader 60+

Forcing the City Gates 30+

Fortress 100

Fox and Geese 30+

Fox Trail, Double Rim 30+

Fox Trail, Single Rim

French Tag 60+

Frog in the Middle 30+

Garden Scamp 30+

Going to Jerusalem 60+

Good Morning 60+

Guess Who 30+

Gypsy

Hang Tag 100

Have you seen my Sheep? 30+

Hide and Seek

Hide the Thimble 60

High Windows 30+

Hill Dill 30+

Hip 30+

Home Tag 60+

Hopping Relay Race 100

Hound and Rabbit 60+

How Many Miles to Babylon? 100

Huckle, Buckle, Bean Stalk 60

Hunt, The 30+

Hunt the Fox 60+

Hunt the Slipper 30+

Indian Club Race

I say, "Stoop!" 60+

I Spy 30+

Jack be Nimble 60+

Jacob and Rachel 30+

Japanese Crab Race 60+

Japanese Tag 60+

Johnny Ride a Pony 60

Jumping Relay Race 60+

Jumping Rope—I (small single rope) 100

Jumping Rope—II (one large rope) 100

Jumping Rope—III (two large ropes) 100

Jumping Rope—IV (large and small ropes)

Jump the Shot 60+

Kaleidoscope 30+

Lady of the Land

Lame Fox and Chickens 30+

Last Couple Out 30+

Leader and Footer 60+

Leapfrog 100

Leapfrog Race 100+

Letting out the Doves 30+

Lost Child, The 30+

Master of the Ring 30+

Maze Tag 100

Menagerie 60+

Midnight 30+

Moon and Morning Stars 30+

Mother, may I go out to Play?

Mother, Mother, the Pot boils Over

My Lady's Toilet 30+

Numbers Change 30+

Odd Man's Cap 30+

Old Buzzard 30+

Old Woman from the Wood 60+

Oyster Shell 100

Par 30+

Partner Tag 100

Pebble Chase 30+

Pinch-o 30+

Pitch Pebble

Poison 30+

Poison Snake 30+

Pom Pom Pullaway 30+

Potato Race 100 -

Potato Shuttle Relay 100

Potato Spoon Race 60

Prisoner's Base 30+ -

Prisoner's Base—I 30+

Prisoner's Base—II 30+

Prisoner's Base—III 30+

Prisoner's Base—IV 30+

Prisoner's Base—V 30+

Puss in a Corner 30+

Puss in the Circle 30+

Railroad Train

Red Lion 30+

Relay Races 60-100

All-up Relay

Circle Relay

Double Relay

Potato Races -

Shuttle Relay 100

Single Relay

Ring-a-lievio 30+

Ringmaster 60+

Robbers and Soldiers 100

Rolling Target 30

Round and Round went the Gallant Ship 30+

Run, Sheep, Run 30+

Saddle the Nag 30+

Sardines 30+

Seeking for Gold

Shadow Tag 60+

Shuttle Relay 100

Single Relay Race 100

Skin the Goat

Skyte the Bob

Slap Catch 30+

Slap Jack 30+

Slipper Slap 30+

Smuggling the Geg 30+

Spanish Fly 30+

Spans

Spin the Platter 30+

Spooning 30

Squirrel in Trees 100

Stage Coach 60+

Stake Guard 30+

Stealing Sticks 30+

Step 30+

Still Pond, No More Moving 30+

Stone 30+

Stoop Tag 60+

Sun Dial

Tag Games 60+

Ten Steps 30+

Thimble Ring 30+

Third Man 100

Third Slap 30+

Three Deep 60

Tommy Tiddler's Ground 30+

Tossing Wands 60+

Trades 60+

Tree Party 60

Triple Change 60+

Tug of War (See Catch and Pull Tug of War and Wand Tug of War, also Contests for Two, under "Feats and Forfeits.")

Under the Cuckoo's Nest 30

Wand Race 30+

Wand Tug of War 100

Water Sprite 30+

Wee Bologna Man, The 60+

Whip Tag 30+

Who goes round my Stone Wall? 30+

Wolf 30+

Wood Tag 30+

Quiet Games

See Section on Quiet Games

Singing Games

For
Large
Numbers Page

Did you ever see a Lassie? 60+

Draw a Bucket of Water 60+

Duck Dance, The 30+

Farmer in the Dell 30+

Hunting 60+

Itisket, Itasket 30+

Keep Moving 60+

King of France 60+

Kitty White 30+

Leaves are Green 60+

Let the Feet go Tramp 60+

London Bridge 30+

Looby Loo 60+

Muffin Man 30+

Mulberry Bush 60+

Nuts in May 60+

Oats, Peas, Beans 60

Round and Round the Village 30+

Snail 60+

Bean Bag Games

For
Large
Numbers Page

Bag Pile 100

Bean Bag Board 30+

Bean Bag Box

Bean Bag Circle Toss 30+

Bean Bag Ring Throw 60+

Criss-cross Goal 60+

Passing Race 100

Pass and Toss Relay (Single Line) 60

Pass and Toss Relay (Double Line)

Target Toss 60

Teacher and Class 60

Games for Either Balls or Bean Bags

For
Large
Numbers Page

All Run 30+

Arch Ball 100

Arch Goal Ball 60

Call Ball 30+

Center Catch Ball 30+

Circle Ball 60+

Club Bowls 60+

Center Club Bowls

Line Club Bowls (Single)

Line Club Bowls (Double)

Corner Spry 60+

Dodgeball 60+

Over and Under Relay 100

Overtake 60

Ring Call Ball 30+

Round Ball 60+

Zigzag Games 100

Circle Zigzag

Line Zigzag—I

Line Zigzag—II

Line Zigzag—III

Zigzag Overhead Toss

Ball Games

For
Large
Numbers Page

All Run 30+

Arch Ball 100

Arch Goal Ball 100

Ball Chase

Balloon Ball

Balloon Goal 100

Ball Puss 30+

Ball Stand

Ball Tag

Basket Ball Distance Throw

Battle Ball

Bombardment 100

Boundary Ball 100

Bound Ball 30+

Call Ball 30+

Captain Ball—I

Captain Ball—II 60

Captain Ball—III 30+

(See Emperor Ball, Progressive Captain Ball.)

Center Base 30+

Center Catch Ball 30+

Center Club Bowls 30+

Circle Ball 60+

Circle Club Bowls 60+

Circle Dodgeball 60

Circle Stride Ball 30+

Circle Zigzag (see Zigzag.)

Corner Ball 30+

Corner Spry 60

Crackabout 60

Curtain Ball 100

Dodgeball 60+

Double Corner Ball 100

Double Dodgeball 60

Drive Ball 30+

Emperor Ball 30+

Fist Ball 30+

Football Tag 30+

Hand Ball Drill—I (Elementary) 100

Hand Ball Drill—II (Advanced) 100

Hand Football 30+

Line Ball 60

Line Club Bowls (Double) 60+

Line Club Bowls (Single) 60+

Line Zigzag -

Mount Ball 100

Nine-court Basket Ball 60

Over and Under Relay 100

Overtake 60+

Pass Ball Relay 100

Pig in a Hole 60+

Progressive Captain Ball 100

Progressive Dodgeball

Ring Call Ball 30+

Roley Poley

Round Ball 60+

Russian Hole Ball

Spud 100

Square Ball 30+

Stool Ball

Stride Ball 100

Tether Ball

Three Holes

Toss Ball 60

Tree Ball

Volley Ball 30

Wall Ball Drill

War 60+

Zigzag Games

Circle Zigzag 60

Line Zigzag—I 100

Line Zigzag—II 100

Line Zigzag—III 100

Zigzag Overhead Toss 100