Fun Outdoor Activity Ideas – 13 Trail Games to Play With Your Kids

Most recently updated January 16th, 2022

If you’ve read any of my other posts, you know that hiking with kids and fun outdoor activity ideas for the whole family are a big focus of my blog.

This week’s article is a guest post from Hannah Murley, who is a blogger over at OwntheYard.com, a blog that focuses on backyard games and gear.

Fun Outdoor Games For Kids

Hannah approached me with an idea for a post about trail games for kids, because we both seem to have some focus on getting kids outside.

Some of my posts contain affiliate links.  If you make a purchase through an affiliate link, I will receive a small payment at no additional cost to you.  I do not get paid for recommendations, all opinions on this site are my own. See full Disclosure page here.

Mostly, I focus on hiking with kids, but I also write about fun outdoor activities for toddlers that don’t include a lot of “hiking” unless you have them in some sort of carrying device.

So, I thought, that’s great – let’s get some ideas from a different point of view!

The games below are all fun, but some are more suited for play at a rest stop or in a park than for actual trail hiking.

This could be due to the props you’d have to carry (in addition to any tired kids), or that the game might slow progress down the trail, or that the trail might be too rough for that particular game.

Hannah has made notes to that effect, but I urge everyone to use their common sense and knowledge of the trails and children involved to decide whether a game would be good for the outing you’re hosting.

And as always, remember to be courteous to others using the trail or park.

Do not block trails or trail access, and pause your game to allow other hikers to pass through.

13 Trail Games to Play with Your Kids

by Hannah Murley

Hiking is a great way to get children out in the open air, surround them with nature, and get them some healthy exercise.

While the wonders of the trail are new and intriguing at the beginning, over time kids can become bored.

Playing trail games with your kids while hiking is one of the best ways to keep them entertained and invested in their unique surroundings.  Let’s go over some of the most fun games to play when you and your little ones hit the trail!

1. I Spy

I Spy or otherwise known as, I Spy with My Little Eye, has been a family favorite for centuries (even those reading this have likely played it once or twice).

It’s often played on long road trips and would be a great way to turn some positive attention towards your child’s surroundings as they hike! It’s a catchy game with simple rules that children can follow easily.

The object of the game is to find and point out the item that the ‘Spy’ began the game hinting at.

Here’s how to play:

• Gather two or more players (easy to do when you’re hiking!)
• Choose a single ‘Spy’ to begin the game
• The ‘Spy’ will silently find an object on the trail
• Once they’ve found their object, they’ll give hints to the other players about what the object is (be sure not to give it away, though!)
• Hints can be colors, shapes, sizes, textures, or anything else that isn’t blatantly the object’s name
• Each player will take turns guessing until one player guesses correctly
• Once the player guesses correctly, they become the ‘Spy’ and the game starts over!

That’s it! A basic, yet entertaining game to turn your child’s focus on the nature surrounding them.

2. Follow the Leader

If you’re trying to get through a decently long hike with your ever-tiring children, Follow the Leader is a wonderful way to combat their annoyance with the trail.

It’s a game that will get you to where you need to be without the constant “are we there yet”? The object of this game is for everyone to do as the leader does.

How to play:

• Have everyone get in a straight line
• The person at the front of the line (the ‘Leader’) will make motions or sounds as they walk
• Everyone in line must follow and do exactly as the ‘Leader’ does
• If a player messes up, they’re out and must follow behind the line (no longer participating) until a new game starts
• When there is only one person left behind the ‘Leader’, they become the new ‘Leader’ and the game starts again!

Follow the Leader is sure to keep your child’s mind off the long hike and pass the time in a fun (often funny) way!

 

3. Kite Flying and Hiking

Kite flying is a childhood classic. Kids have been flying kites for centuries, and it seems the excitement has hardly worn off over the years!

While kite flying is usually reserved for when you have a day at the park, flying a kite on the trail can also be a unique and worthwhile experience for your kids (especially if you live around particularly flat and wide-open trail terrain).

While parks are often busy and noisy, trails have a peaceful aura to them that is healthy for your kids to spend time in.

Flying a kite in these quiet, nature-focused areas is a wonderful way to bring your children closer to the outside world and their imaginations, without the influence of crowds of people.

If you’d like to know which kites would be perfect for kids to fly, feel free to take a look at this Best Kites for Kids article for more information.

 

4. Fun With Pogo Sticks

You often see kids hopping around on pogo sticks at the park, on driveways, or in their front yards. There’s nothing like skillfully hopping from one place to the next to bring out pure enjoyment in a child.

Playing with a pogo stick while on the trail would be a fun alternative to walking, especially if the trail is easy to get around (and therefore less dangerous for your kids).

If your child is particularly good with a pogo stick, having a pogo stick race may be an entertaining activity to play as you go along. For example:

• Pick an obvious starting point, like behind a stick laying on the trail
• Choose an obvious finish line, like a bend in the trail or a unique natural feature (large rock, leaning tree, etc)
• Have 2 players (both with pogo sticks) hop to the best of their ability to the finish. Whoever gets there first, wins

If you’d like to see which pogo sticks would be ideal for both adults and kids to play with, take a look at this Best Pogo Sticks article for more helpful information.

 

5. Hiking Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger hunts keep kids excited to explore new areas and hunt for a unique list of forest-related items.

The object of a scavenger hunt is to list and find those various listed items as you’re hiking.

While we don’t recommend taking any natural element from the trail, we do encourage kids to take photos with the objects they find and cross it off their list.

Here are a few scavenger hunt ideas:

• Heart-shaped leaf
• Man-made debris, such as a plastic water bottle or food wrapper (this is the exception -it’s great to encourage kids to remove these items from the trail)
• Acorn
• Animal track
• Beetle
• Feather
• Smooth stone
• Mushroom
• Tree roots

6. Hide N’ Seek

Hide N’ Seek is a widely known game that has been played by children all over the world for generations. With this game, generally, players can hide anywhere they’d like (somewhere in their house, in the back or front yard, etc.).

The rules for Hide N’ Seek on the trail are a bit different: the players who hide (likely your kids) can only run about 50 or so feet ahead on the trail to find a hiding spot as the seekers cover their eyes for a few seconds.

This makes the game safer overall for kids.

While this game can certainly keep your kids entertained and get them using their critical thinking to determine good hiding spots, it’s important to let smaller kids know to stay close to the trail when they hide so that they don’t get lost.

(And don’t be afraid to peek as they hide if you’re concerned about where they may go).

 

7. 20 Questions

20 Questions is a game played by two or more players. The object of the game is to have one person think of an object and the other players try to guess what it is by each asking 20 “Yes” or “No” questions.

Because this game will be played while hiking, it’s more fun if the items being thought of are trail-related, such as: animals, plants, smells, or hiking gear.

8. Animal Tracks Game

The Animal Tracks Game is a wonderful way to develop a child’s identification and nature-related skills. Kids often have a wonderful time touching and observing tracks made by animals they may not see in their day-to-day lives.

Track identification is a safe and fun way to learn more about forest animals when you’re on the trail. The object of this game is quite simple: find animal tracks and identify them correctly.

For this game you’ll need:

• A book or pamphlet detailing common tracks found in your area (most trails have these available in shops. Alternatively, you can print this resource off your computer before you hit the trail). This will be used for identifying tracks
• Optional: A notepad and pencil or camera for documenting your findings

9. Trail Memory Game

The Memory Game is played by two or more players using the letters of the alphabet and a single sentence.

The object of the game is to build upon the sentence with an object beginning with the first letter of the alphabet (A) and continuing to the next letters of the alphabet through each player.

For example:

Person 1: “I hit the trail with an (A)pricot”.

Person 2: “I hit the trail with an (A)pricot and a (B)anana”.

Person 3: “I hit the trail with an (A)pricot, a (B)anana, and a (C)arrot”.

Each person takes turns adding to the sentence until they reach the last letter of the alphabet.

The object they add at the end of the sentence can be anything: food, animals, gear, and even objects completely unrelated to hiking – you and your child’s imaginations are the limit!

 

10. Story Game

Like the Memory Game, the Story Game is played by adding sentences to create a story. Each person on the trail will take turns saying a sentence to make a sensible tale.

Because the game will be played while hiking, it may be more fun to aim for trail-related stories.

For example:

Person 1: “I walked on the trail today and saw a squirrel”.

Person 2: “The squirrel was carrying an acorn in its paws”.

Person 3: “As I walked by, the squirrel ran and dropped the acorn…”

Each person continues until a short story with a beginning, middle, and end is formed. This is a great way to encourage a child’s creative thinking and on-the-spot storytelling.

 

11. Name Game

The Name Game is a fun little activity where kids search out objects whose names begin with a letter that matches the letters in their own name.

Once the child finds an object that matches a letter in their name, they’ll either take a photo of the object, draw a picture of it, or write the name of the object down to keep track.

Here’s an example of how it’s played:

A boy named Sam goes hiking. He would then look for objects that start with an S, A, and M. He finds:

S: Squirrel

A: Acorn

M: Millipede

When he finds these objects, Sam takes a photo of each to show his friends the trail items that match his name.

 

12. Bug Game

Most kids love bugs. It’s in their nature to be curious and happily intrigued by crawling, odd-eyed little critters. Because of a child’s inherent interest in insects, the Bug Game is sure to get their attention!

The object of the game is to capture as many different insects on camera as possible while hiking. So, if your little ones are prone to getting bored easily, this will no doubt keep them on their toes searching for new wildlife!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Disposable cameras for each child
• Notepads and pencils (to record the number of bugs they captured on film)

There really doesn’t have to be a winner in this game, but if you like to encourage healthy competition and sportsmanship, then whoever has the most bug photos at the end wins!

The Bug Game is a great activity that will excite your kids when they’re on the trail, as well as when they’re at home anxiously waiting for their awesome pictures to develop!

 

13. Color Game

When it comes to challenges, kids are almost always eager to get started.

The Color Game is ideal for keeping kids engaged with their surroundings as they hike, while also practicing their written communication and connecting what they see with what they put down on paper.

Here’s how to play:

• Give each child a notepad and pencil
• Before the hike, give them a short list of colors. Green, brown, and blue are usually great choices when on the trail
• Ask the kids to write down every item of those colors they see on the trail in short sentences. For example, “I saw a blue bird”
• At the end of the trail, whoever found the most items with those colors, wins!

To Conclude

Though a child’s curiosity can take them to great lengths, once they’ve experienced the trail a few times, the excitement may wear off a bit.

Fortunately, trail games are an ingenious way to encourage kids to be active with the nature around them and stimulate their imaginations.

Have fun, and happy trails!

Hannah Murley is a blogger and backyard enthusiast at OwnTheYard.com.  You can read more of her tips on backyard design and backyard games to get ideas on how to improve your outdoor experience at home.

 

 

Thanks to Hannah for sharing her article 🙂

I hope this post gave you all some good ideas for outdoor games to play with your kids, whether you’re in the park, on the trail, or in your own back yard!

Leave a comment about your outdoor family activities, or if you have a question drop me a note at idratherwalkblog@gmail.com

Thanks for stopping by – see you next time!  LJ

To Get New Idratherwalk Posts
sent directly to your inbox (how convenient!) Click this Button

If you like this post, please share it!