Fun group games for 4 - 6 year olds?

Question

I'd like to know some fun, kid friendly group games that can be played with a group of up to 45 kids. I work at a summer day camp, and our kids are getting a bit tired of 'Doggy, Doggy, Where's Your Bone.' The games should last about half an hour, and we have to keep them inside and generally in a single group. Do any of you have any website suggestions, game suggestions, or other advice?

Answer 1

Here's some game ideas:

   1. Hot Potato

    2. Musical chairs

     3. Duck Duck Goose

      4. Simon Says

     5. Red light, green light

     6. Dodge Ball - use soft nerf ball

      7. Scavenger Hunt

Answer 2

the game that my campers love to play is capture the flag.  we play it in an open grassy area as well as in the gym that we use.  also, anything that you can do with a parachute, the kids will love.  i've used http://ultimatecampresource.com/   a couple of times.  good luck!

Answer 3

1. Outdoor Car Wash

Encourage social skills as preschool children participate in this warm weather water play activity from Betty N.

Materials: Riding cars, sponges, and shallow dishes of soapy water.

Description: During outside time, set up an area where the children can pretend  to be a car wash. Place many shallow bowls containing soap and water outside and give each child a sponge. Promote sharing and cooperation as preschool children work together washing the cars. The children will absolutely love this idea. Before you know it they will be washing all of the outdoor toys and equipment.

2. Outdoor Game: "Hot Potato"

During this gross motor game by Colleen, preschool and kindergarten youngsters use their feet instead of their hands.

Materials: Medium size playground ball.

Description: Put a medium sized ball in the center of a circle along with a child chosen to be 'it'.  The child who is 'it' pushes the ball with his or her feet, trying to get it out of the circle. The other children try to stop the ball with their feet.  Once the ball is out, another leader is chosen.  The ball is called the 'hot potato' and the children will enjoy trying to keep it in the 'oven'.

3. Game: Hop In The Hoops

During this outdoor early childhood activity by Lisa C. children use gross motor skills.

Materials: Different colored hoops, an open area and drum or tambour.

Description: Let the children warm up in an open area.  Give the children different ideas for moving around - walk, hop, skip, run, walk sideways, run, backwards and so on.  Place lots of different colored hoops around the open space. Demonstrate to the children how to walk or run around without touching the hoops.  Intersperse these instructions with 'stand in groups of two in red hoops' or  'three people go into each green hoop' and so on.

Get the children to listen to the next instruction using a tambour, beat the drum or clap your hands, the children stop and listen for the next step. For example, put your hand in a hoop, put your foot in a hoop.  Make it more complex by adding colors and numbers. For example, put one knee in a red hoop, put four fingers in a yellow hoop and so on.

Comments: The children really enjoyed this activity and had lots of fun doing it.

4. Summer Transition Song

This early childhood song by Merrie L. can be used during transition times to point out children's summer clothing.

Summer Clothing  (Sing to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell")

Oh, if you are wearing shorts,

If you are wearing shorts,

You may walk out the door,

If you are wearing shorts.

Also include: stripes, sandals, tennis shoes, flowers, a sun dress, blue jeans,  

belt, barrettes, etc.

Comments: This is fantastic for those hard transition times!  As soon as I  

start to sing all the children listen carefully to see who will be next.

Note; You can find more transition rhymes in the Nursery Rhyme Collection

and there is an entire Transition Theme in the Rainbow Resource Room.

Answer 4

There are plenty of games to keep boredom off for kids that age. Games like the ones mentioned below can kep kids busy for hours.

1. Jail Break

At the start of the game, a child is chosen as "it" and a place within reach is designated as "the jail" (like a porch or patio).

While the "it" person counts out "one o'clock, two o'clock, three o'clock rock, four o'clock, five o'clock, six o'clock rock, seven o'clock, eight o'clock, nine o'clock rock, ten o'clock, eleven o'clock, twelve o'clock rock, midnight," the remaining children should run to different hiding spots.

Once the "it" person reaches "midnight," they will attempt to find their hidden friends.

Children tagged are sent to the "jail," yet those who are not tagged may try to step on the jail to set the others "free."

When all children have been sent to jail, the first one caught is now "it."

2. Freeze tag

This another choice in tag games kids can play is for the older preschoolers, called Freeze Tag, where the chosen "it" person touches a participant, who then must stay "frozen" in their tracks.

Tagged children are not allowed to move and must spread their feet apart so other players may "rescue" them.

A "frozen" player becomes active again when one of their friends crawls between their legs. Play continues until everyone is "frozen" with the last person frozen becoming "it" for the next round.

3.Amoeba Tag

In this variation of Tag, two children are selected as "it" and hold hands in order to form a chain that chases the remaining players. When other kids are caught, they become part of the chain and are able to chase others.

The game is over until nobody is left. The last two people caught starts off the chain in the next round.

These are some of the games kids will love.