10 Play Date Activities for Indoor and Outdoor Fun

by Pat Rumbaugh | View Bio

Pat Rumbaugh

Pat Rumbaugh, The Play Lady, has been encouraging people to play her entire life. Pat is the co-founder and executive director of the nonprofit www.letsplayamerica.org. Pat has been named the National Play Advocator of the Year by the Clemson University Learning Institute and AARP named Pat one of the 100+ Inspiring Community Leaders. Pat speaks regularly at conferences, organizes play events and spends time playing with her grandson Charlie.

Pat Rumbaugh and Daniel Nakamura are the co-founders of the nonprofit www.letsplayamerica.org. Let’s Play America’s mission is to increase opportunities for all people to enjoy play through partnerships with communities, organizations, and individuals in a joint effort to create locally inspired, playful events.

Active play is critical for kids’ physical development. Research has shown that physically active kids tend to be leaner and healthier, while an inactive childhood can lead to a sedentary lifestyle in adulthood.

Physical activity helps children develop their coordination, balance, gross-motor skills (large movements like crawling and walking) as well as their fine-motor skills (smaller movements like picking objects up). Physical play helps children use up their natural stores of energy (a must!) and promotes better eating and sleeping habits.

Keeping kids (and adults) active is challenging when weather keeps us indoors. Check out these outdoor play activities and games that can be easily turned into fun indoor play dates!

1. Keep Up the Balloon Game: A classic balloon game is perfect for a backyard or even indoors with one or more children. The aim is to simply keep the balloon in the air and not let it touch the ground. Be sure to have adequate space, free from fragile items and tripping hazards. This is also a great time to play to loud, hilarious party music.


2. Board Games: Board games bring families and friends of ALL ages together to connect, strategize, compete, and have fun. Board games enhance social skills requiring players to engage with each other and communicate. Make sure you check the game for age-appropriate play.


3. Bean Bag Toss Game: This game can be played with a store-bought corn hole board or modified by creating your own target on the ground that is designated as the “hole” to drop the bean bags on. The length between where you stand and the target can vary depending upon the players.


4. Just Dance: Dancing is a terrific activity to help release daily stress, act as a distraction from everyday worries and an outlet for creativity, imagination and emotion.


5. Decorate a Cookie: The aroma of cookies will bring everyone together! Keep it simple when using store bought cookies, chocolate candies or chocolate bars and sprinkles. Dip the cookies into a bowl of melted chocolate and then into a bowl of sprinkles. Let stand until set and then enjoy! Perfect to eat or give away to a friend!


6. Jumping Rope: Jump rope games are great because they don't require a lot of expensive equipment or space, and they're appropriate for children (and adults) of all skill levels and abilities. Jumping rope is an excellent form of exercise and a fun way for kids to get creative while they move. Jumping rope can be a good solo activity or a fun game with friends.


7. Dress-up: Go through your closets and gather some oversized clothes, grandma’s high heels, a fireman’s hat or even last year’s old Halloween costumes. Pile up all the clothes and let your kids create their own style as they star in their own fashion show!


8. Face Painting: When you think of face painting, images of carnivals and fairs probably come to mind! Face painting offers the opportunity to use faces to transform kids into their favorite animals or fantasy characters. Face painting is a great creative outlet for people of all ages. It’s an inexpensive, fun way to explore the worlds of art and imagination.


9. Indoor Bowling: Using empty water or soda bottles, this game is perfect for the backyard or the living room! Arrange the bottles in an equilateral triangle with one of the “points” facing the bowler. Use a soft rubber ball to roll and knock down as many as you can. Keep score or simply play for fun!


10. Twister: Don't underestimate Twister's benefits. Playing Twister can help build basic motor skills such as coordination and balance, as well as strengthen both communication and socialization skills.

Our Let’s Play America play teams hope you will continue to play daily. You deserve to play!

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• Let’s Play America

  Let’s Play America increases opportunities for all people to enjoy play through partnering with communities, organizations, and individuals to create locally inspired, playful events. Let’s Play America values include:

  • We believe that play is a vital part of the human experience.
  • We believe in the benefits of play.
  • We believe play grows relationships and builds communities.
  • We believe in advocating for equitable access to play.
  • We believe in empowering communities to build their own tradition of play.

  To learn more, visit www.letsplayamerica.org