10 outdoor games our kids don't know about

I overheard this dialogue the other day at the neighbour's boys. They sat on a bench and poked each other's phones. Looking around, I did not see children playing "Doggy" or drawing a field for "The quieter you go, the further you will be." Alas, modern children prefer to knock on the keyboard and sit on VKontakte.

The yard games that we played for days on end (until they are "driven") are gradually becoming a thing of the past. But most of them not only develop dexterity, endurance and strength, but also teach such important things as cohesion and mutual assistance.

I suggest you remember our favorite yard games and introduce your children to them.

Hide and seek

One-two-three-four-five, I'm going to look.

Ready or not, here I come!

Simple game - you can play anywhere, anytime. It is especially exciting in the evening, when it gets dark.

rules

First, the driver is selected. For this, in childhood, we knew a billion counting rhymes. Then the driver stands facing the wall (tree, pillar …) and counts aloud to 20 (50, 100 …). The players are hiding.

The task of the players is to hide so that the driver cannot find it. The driver's task is to find all the hiding.

When the driver finds one of the players, he needs to run headlong back to the wall (tree, post …) to "catch" him. If the player came running first, then with the words "Knock-knock me" he takes himself out of the game. Whom the leader caught first, he becomes the leader in the next round ("The first chicken squints").

Passphrases:

"Ax-ax, sit like a thief and do not look out into the yard" - the "caught" players shouted to their comrades when the "danger" approached (sit and do not stick out).
"Saw-saw, fly like an arrow" - shouted to suggest that the driver is far from the wall and you can get out of the shelter.

Number of players:the bigger, the better.

Salki / Catch-up

Salki - they are catch-up, they are latki, they are bloopers, they are kvach. According to Wikipedia, this game has about 40 (!) Titles (almost every region of the former Soviet Union has its own).

At the same time, the game is simple. The essence of the usual tag is to catch up ("fire") the players (if you are driving) who run in different directions.

rules

The driver is selected with a counting device (where can one go without it?). The players stand in a circle and on the command "I am a tag!" scatter in all directions. (Often the playground was stipulated - "Don't run over the fence", "Don't run the swing further.")

The driver's task is to catch up with one of the players and touch him with his hand. Whoever is touched becomes a "tag" himself, and the driver turns into an ordinary player.

There is a variation of the usual tag, when the driver, having caught up with one player, does not become a player himself, but continues to catch up with the other guys along with the first "greasy" one. Then they catch the second, third, etc. together, until they overfill everyone.

Number of players:from 3 and more.

Salk variations:

Salki with a "house" - the same thing, only a zone is selected (sandbox, circle on the asphalt, etc.) where players can run in and take a break, there is no "foul", but also sit for a long time in the "house" too.
“Above your feet” - to avoid “salting”, you need to jump on something and lift your legs up (“Above your feet from the ground” / “Salki-legs in the air”), however, according to the rules, you cannot lift your legs for a long time either.
"Tea-tea, help me out!" - in this version of the tag, the "greasy" one can stop, shout this magic phrase and friends will come running to his rescue, but the driver is on the alert, and there is a possibility that the second and third will be added to one "victim".
Sifa - in this version, “salat” is not with a hand, but with a “sifa” (a rag, twisted rope and any “stinker” you find in the yard); whoever is hit becomes a sifa, that is, a leader.

Baker

This game, beloved by many, also has many names: "Tsar", "Pop", "Klek", "Sticks", "Banks" and others. The rules seem complicated, but only at first glance. Each courtyard had its own variation of the game. But, in general, its essence boils down to the following.

Inventory:

sticks (bats, pieces of reinforcement, but the most chic is a broken hockey stick);
tin can (plastic bottle, wood block, etc.);
chalk (to outline the site).

First you need to prepare the playground (approximately 10 by 6 meters). Parallel to the short side of the court, lines are drawn every meter and a half: 1 line - pawn (soldier); 2nd line - lady; 3 line - kings; 4th line - aces, etc.

From the beginning of the site to the last line - the zone of titles; from the last line to the end of the site - the baker's zone (king, priest, etc.).

At a distance of 5 meters from the last line, a circle is drawn in which a ruff is placed (sometimes on a brick).

rules

First, the “Baker” is selected and the order of knocking down the ryuha is established. To do this, the players put one end of the stick on the toe of the foot, and rest the other on the palm, after which they push the stick into the distance with their foot. Whose stick flew the farthest, knocks down the ryuha first; whose closest is the "Baker".

The “baker” takes the position “behind the can”, the players - at the first line. Next, the players take turns trying to knock out the ryuha with a bat. After that, the "assault" begins - the players run after their bats and return back to the "rank zone". At this time, the "baker" runs after the ryukha, sets it in place and protects it. But its main task is not to let the "steal" the stick from its territory. In addition, he tries to touch the players with his bat and after that knocks down the ryuha himself. The one touched by the "Baker" becomes the "Baker" in the next horse, and the old "Baker" becomes the player.

For each knocked down ruch, the player was promoted in rank. In other words, he moved further along the field and approached the ryukha. In addition, each "title" has its own characteristics and privileges. For example, an ace is invulnerable and cannot drive.

Number of players:not limited.

Classics

Many people think that the "classics" were invented in the USSR. In fact, this is a very ancient game. Already in the Middle Ages, boys (originally the game was boyish) jumped on numbered squares. In Russia, the "classics" were played with might and main already at the end of the 19th century.

rules

A rectangular field with 10 squares and a semicircle ("boiler", "water", "fire") is drawn on the asphalt with chalk. There are several options for jumping and marking the site. But, as a rule, the players take turns throwing the cue ball (pebble, candy box, etc.) into the first square. Then the first player jumps from square to square and pushes the cue ball behind him.

# 1 - one leg;
# 2 - one leg;
Nos. 3 and 4 - left at 3, right at 4;
No. 5 - with two legs (you can rest);
No. 6 and 7 - left at 6, right at 7;
# 8 - one leg;
Nos. 9 and 10 - left at 9, right at 10.

Then turn 180% and back in the same manner. Has he stepped on the line, or has the cue ball hit it? Got up on both feet? The move goes to another.

Number of players: not limited.

Bouncers

Playing this game, it was painful to get the ball, but the excitement went through the roof. Moreover, it does not need anything but a ball.

rules

The "bouncers" are selected (as a rule, 2 people on each side). They stand opposite each other at a distance of about 10-15 meters. The kickers stand in the center of the area.

The task of the "bouncers" is to hit all the players with the ball (if the ball touches you, you leave the field). The task of the kickers is to be agile and fast and dodge the ball.

"Knocked out" can catch "traps" ("potatoes", "candles"). To do this, you need to catch the ball on the fly and in no case let it out of your hands. If the ball touches the ground, the player is considered “knocked out”. The "trap" gives an extra "life" that you can keep for yourself or share it with a friend.

When there is only one player left in the kick-out team, he must dodge the ball as many times as he is. If successful, the team returns to the field.

Rubber band

An iconic courtyard game. It is difficult to find a child of the 1980-1990s who would not jump in a rubber band. The owner of a new elastic rubber band (it was a shortage) in the yard was considered a "major" and enjoyed particular popularity.

rules

Simple and complex at the same time. On the one hand, you don't need anything except 3-4 meters of elastic. On the other hand, you can get confused in levels and exercises (everyone knew them by heart in childhood). Two players pull an elastic band together, and the third one jumps.

Levels:

an elastic band at the level of the ankles holding (lightness!);
rubber band at knee level (almost everyone did it);
rubber band at the level of the thighs (somehow managed!);
an elastic band at the waist (almost no one succeeded);
rubber band at chest level and rubber band at neck level (beyond fantasy).

At each level, you need to complete a certain set of exercises: runners, steps, bow, envelope, boat, etc.

Number of players: 3-4 people (four of them usually play in pairs).

The game is also considered girly. The boys rarely jumped, but they loved to watch the girls.:)

Robber Cossacks

The red seal is no one to run away.

This is a fun game that combines the adventurousness of tag and the thrill of hide and seek. It is believed that the game originated in the 16th century, when the Cossacks defended the civilian population from roving robbers.

rules

The rules of the game vary by region and are often oversimplified. One thing is invariable - the players are divided into two teams ("Cossacks" and "robbers"). "Atamans" are immediately chosen and the "battlefield" is determined (they do not play outside of it). The Cossacks choose the headquarters, and the robbers come up with passwords (one is correct, the rest are false).

The task of the robbers: capture the headquarters of the Cossacks. The task of the Cossacks: to catch all the robbers and "extract" the correct password.

At the signal, the robbers scatter and hide, leaving arrows on the asphalt so that the Cossacks have clues where to look for them. Cossacks at this time equip a "dungeon" and figure out how they will "torture" the prisoners (tickle, scare insects, "sting" with nettles, etc.). After a while, the Cossacks set off to look for the robbers. If they succeed, then they put the robber in a "dungeon", from where he has no right to escape. The robbers, in turn, try to get close to the "headquarters" and capture it.

Number of players:from 6 people.

Hot potato

Not a single summer was complete without a ball. One of the outdoor games with a ball loved by Soviet children is "hot potatoes". Its essence is as follows.

rules

The players stand in a circle and are thrown with a "hot potato" (ball). If someone hesitated and did not hit the ball in time, he sits in the "cauldron" (center of the circle). Sitting in the "cauldron" you can try to catch a ball flying over your head, but you cannot get up from your squatting position. If the player in the "cauldron" succeeds in catching the ball, he frees himself and the other prisoners, and the player who unsuccessfully threw the ball takes their place.

In addition, players throwing "hot potatoes" can specifically free someone from the "cauldron". To do this, he, bouncing the ball, must hit the player sitting in the center of the circle with it.

Number of players:not less than 3.

Elephants

This game, as a rule, was played by older children, because it is quite traumatic, somewhat uncivilized, but wildly funny.

rules

Players are divided into two teams - elephants and horsemen. Elephants become a chain, bent in half and thrust their head under the armpit in front of the one standing. The riders take turns trying to saddle the "elephant".

The task of the elephants is to resist the weight of the riders. The task of the riders is to jump as close to the "elephant's head" as possible.

If one of the riders could not resist on the "elephant" and fell, as well as if all the riders sat down and the "elephant" took them to the finish line, then the elephants won. If the elephant fell apart, the riders won.

Number of players:from 3-5 people in each team.

Frog

This is one of the variants of ball and wall games, where, in fact, a wall, a ball and jumping are needed for fun. It was played mainly by girls, although the boys, having run into "war", were not averse to jumping near the wall.

rules

A line is drawn on the wall (the higher, the more interesting) - you cannot throw the ball below it. The players line up one after the other. The first player throws the ball, he hits the wall, bounces, hits the ground, and at this moment the player must jump over it. The next player picks up the ball, repeating the same, and so on in a circle.

Anyone who does not jump the ball receives a "letter" as a punishment (l - i - z - y - w - k - a). Collected all these letters? You are a frog!

Number of players: not limited.