Best low-contact outdoor games for 4 to 8-year-olds

Child development and health experts agree outdoor games develop coordination and motor skills, boost energy and immunity, reduce stress, and promote well-being. Children can reap these benefits through low-contact outdoor games. Though ideal for 4 to 8-year-olds, these can be enjoyed by older children as well.  

Scavenger hunt 
Treasure hunt is a popular party game. This is a twist on that.  Encourage children’s appreciation of the natural world and observational skills by organising a natural objects scavenger hunt. Give them a list of things to collect, such as leaves, stones, feathers, twigs. Older children can ‘hunt’ virtually by clicking specific objects on the phone. 

Ball games 
Football is not possible within the current guidelines. But you can try a penalty shootout competition, with a feet-only rule for all, including the goalkeeper. Another alternative is ‘foot-golf’ – where children kick a ball into a target such as a hula hoop or just a tyre hung from a tree.  

Lagori 
For this you need only a small rubber ball and 7 flat pieces of stone. Players are divided into two teams. Each player gets a chance to throw the ball at the stack of stones. The team that manages to tumble the tower of stones, and stack it up again while opponents try to topple it, wins the game. 

Gili Danda 
Gilli Danda’ is a traditional Indian kids’ game. The gili is a short stick that tapers at the ends and the danda is a longer one used to hit the gili.  Players are split into two teams – one that ‘bats’ - and another that tries to catch the gili. Each player gets three chances to throw the gili into the air with the danda. If the opponent catches the gili in the air, they win. If not, the ‘batsmen’ are scored based on the distance each thrown gili travels.  

Hopscotch 
Hopscotch is a simple game where you draw 8 boxes using a piece of chalk. Each player will have to throw a pebble on one number at a time and hop along the numbers to bring the pebble back, adding numbers as they hop. It’s also a form of mental Maths.