Outdoor Games With No Equipment

Sometimes the best outdoor activities are the simplest ones.

You don’t always need balls, ropes, cones or specialist equipment to keep a group entertained.

If you’ve got some outdoor space and a group of willing participants, you’ve already got most of what you need.

These games are particularly useful for Scouts, Cubs, Beavers and Squirrels, but many can also be adapted for youth groups, families or school activities.

The games below require no equipment at all.

1. Stuck in the Mud

One person is chosen as the catcher.

Everyone else runs around within the agreed boundaries.

When the catcher tags someone, that person is stuck in the mud. They stand still with their legs apart.

Other players can free them by crawling or running underneath their legs.

The game continues until everyone has been caught.

For younger groups, you can make the playing area smaller and keep the rules simple.

2. British Bulldog

Choose two sides of an open playing area.

One person, or a small group, starts in the middle.

Everyone else tries to run from one side to the other without being tagged.

Anyone who is tagged joins the middle and helps catch the remaining players.

The game continues until everyone has been caught.

Because this involves running and tagging, choose a suitable surface and establish clear boundaries.

3. Hide and Seek

A classic that needs almost no explanation.

Choose someone to be the seeker and establish the boundaries before the game begins.

Everyone else hides.

The seeker counts and then goes looking.

For younger children, keep the boundaries small and make sure everyone understands where they are allowed to hide.

Avoid areas containing hazards, dense undergrowth or places where someone could become trapped.

4. Follow My Leader

Choose a leader.

Everyone follows behind them and copies what they do.

The leader might:

Walk backwards.

Crouch down.

Jump over a small obstacle.

Walk like a robot.

Move like an animal.

The leader can change activities whenever they like.

After a minute or two, choose a new leader.

This is particularly good for younger sections because it can be as energetic or gentle as you want.

5. Nature Simon Says

This is Simon Says with an outdoor twist.

The leader gives instructions such as:

“Simon says touch a tree.”

“Simon says point towards the highest hill.”

“Simon says find something green.”

“Simon says walk like a fox.”

“Simon says crouch down.”

Anyone who follows an instruction that doesn’t begin with “Simon says” is out, or simply loses a point depending on the version you’re playing.

It combines listening with awareness of the environment.

6. Fox and Hounds

Choose one person to be the fox.

Everyone else is a hound.

The fox gets a short head start before the hounds begin chasing them.

The aim is to catch the fox before they reach an agreed finishing point.

You can make the game more interesting by giving the fox a route to follow or allowing them to choose their own path within the boundaries.

Make sure the area is suitable for running.

7. What Time Is It, Mr Wolf?

One person is chosen as Mr Wolf.

Everyone else stands some distance away.

The group asks:

“What time is it, Mr Wolf?”

Mr Wolf gives a number, such as:

“Three o’clock!”

The players take three steps towards them.

The game continues until Mr Wolf decides to answer:

“Dinner time!”

Mr Wolf then chases the players back towards the starting line.

It’s particularly good for younger children.

8. Giants, Wizards and Elves

This is an outdoor version of rock, paper, scissors.

Split the group into two teams.

Each team secretly chooses to be:

Giants — stand tall with arms raised.

Wizards — crouch and pretend to cast a spell.

Elves — crouch down small.

The teams face each other and reveal their choice simultaneously.

Giants beat Elves.

Elves beat Wizards.

Wizards beat Giants.

The winning team chases the other team back towards a safe line.

It’s easy to learn and can get surprisingly competitive.

9. Traffic Lights

Choose one person to be the traffic light.

Everyone else stands at the opposite end of the playing area.

The traffic light calls:

Green — run.

Amber — walk slowly.

Red — stop.

Anyone still moving when “red” is called goes back to the starting line.

The first person to reach the traffic light becomes the next traffic light.

For younger children, this is a great way to practise listening and responding quickly.

10. The Floor Is Lava

Choose a suitable outdoor area.

The leader calls:

“The floor is lava!”

Everyone has a few seconds to get onto something designated as safe.

Depending on the environment, this could mean standing on a particular type of ground rather than climbing onto objects.

For example:

“Get onto the grass!”

“Get onto the path!”

“Find a patch of leaves!”

Avoid encouraging children to climb trees, fences, walls or unstable objects.

The challenge should come from thinking quickly, not from taking risks.

11. Colour Hunt

Choose a colour.

Give everyone a set amount of time to find something naturally occurring in that colour.

For example:

Green

Brown

Yellow

White

Red

The group can return and describe what they found.

You can make this more educational by asking participants to identify what the object actually is rather than simply pointing at it.

This works particularly well in woodland.

12. Nature Detective

Choose something for everyone to look for.

It could be:

Something rough.

Something smooth.

Something that smells interesting.

Something taller than you.

Something smaller than your hand.

Something that has fallen from a tree.

The important rule is look, don’t damage.

Don’t ask children to pick flowers, break branches or disturb animals.

This turns a simple walk around the area into an observation game.

13. Silent Line-Up

The group has to arrange themselves in a particular order without talking.

Try:

Birthday month.

Height.

First name alphabetically.

Shoe size.

Distance travelled to the meeting.

The challenge is communicating without words.

It’s particularly useful as a team-building activity because everyone has to find ways to communicate.

14. Evolution

Everyone starts as an egg.

To progress, they find another person who is at the same stage and play rock, paper, scissors.

The winner evolves to the next stage.

For example:

Egg → Chicken → Dinosaur → Superhero

If you lose, you remain at your current stage.

The first person to reach the final stage wins.

You can invent any progression you like.

15. Shadow Tag

Instead of tagging someone’s body, the catcher tries to step on their shadow.

This works particularly well on sunny days.

Everyone runs within the agreed boundaries while trying to avoid having their shadow stepped on.

Because the game relies on sunlight, it naturally becomes a different experience depending on the time of day.

16. Statues

Choose one person as the caller.

Everyone else moves around the playing area.

When the caller shouts:

“Statues!”

everyone must freeze.

The caller walks around looking for anyone moving.

You can make this harder by asking everyone to freeze in a particular pose.

Animal statues, superhero statues and woodland statues can all work well.

17. Memory Walk

Take the group on a short walk.

Ask everyone to pay close attention to what they see.

After a few minutes, stop.

Ask questions about the route:

What colour was the gate?

How many benches did we pass?

Which direction did the path turn?

Did we pass a bridge?

What was growing beside the path?

This is a simple way of developing observation skills that are also useful for navigation.

18. Camouflage

Choose one person to be the observer.

Everyone else has to move through a defined area and try to remain difficult to spot.

The observer stands in one place and tries to identify people as they move.

Once someone has been spotted, they return to the starting area.

The game can teach children about movement, observation and how much easier it is to notice movement than a stationary person.

Make sure the playing area has clear boundaries.

19. Animal Charades

One person secretly chooses an animal.

They then act it out without speaking.

Everyone else tries to guess what it is.

You can make it more challenging by limiting the animals to species that might actually be found in the UK.

Fox.

Badger.

Squirrel.

Owl.

Deer.

Hedgehog.

Rabbit.

This can work particularly well with Squirrels and Beavers.

20. Capture the Leader

Choose one person as the leader.

Everyone else has to follow them without being caught.

The leader moves around the playing area and changes direction regularly.

The challenge is to stay close enough to follow but not get tagged.

You can introduce multiple leaders for a larger group.

Making No-Equipment Games Better

The biggest advantage of these games is their flexibility.

You can change the rules to suit the group.

A game that is perfect for Squirrels might need to be made more challenging for Scouts.

You can also change the emphasis.

Want more exercise?

Make the playing area larger.

Want teamwork?

Put participants into teams.

Want to teach navigation?

Add directions and landmarks.

Want to teach observation?

Make players remember what they see.

A simple game can become a useful learning activity with just a small change to the rules.

Use the Outdoors as Part of the Game

One of the best things about equipment-free games is that you can use the environment around you.

A woodland provides trees, leaves, shadows and natural landmarks.

A field provides space for running games.

A beach provides a completely different environment for observation and movement.

You don’t need to manufacture an activity.

Sometimes the environment itself provides everything you need.

Keep Boundaries Clear

This is particularly important when playing games outdoors.

Before starting, make sure everyone knows exactly where they can and cannot go.

Use obvious landmarks where possible.

For example:

“Stay between these two paths.”

“Don’t go beyond the large tree.”

“Stay inside the marked field.”

Don’t use roads, deep water, steep slopes or other hazardous areas as boundaries.

Keep Games Inclusive

Not everyone enjoys running.

Some children may have mobility limitations, lower confidence or simply prefer quieter activities.

The good thing about no-equipment games is that most can be adapted.

Instead of running, players could walk.

Instead of eliminating players, give them another role.

Instead of making speed the objective, make observation or teamwork the challenge.

The aim is for everyone to have fun.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need a box full of equipment to run a great outdoor session.

A field, woodland or open space can provide all the ingredients you need.

Running games can burn off energy.

Observation games encourage children to look more closely at their surroundings.

Team games develop communication.

And simple chasing games can provide plenty of laughter.

For Scouts and other youth groups, equipment-free games are also incredibly useful when plans change, equipment is forgotten or you suddenly find yourself with twenty minutes to fill.

🌳 THE BIG IDEA

Don’t underestimate simple games.

With a safe outdoor space, a few clear rules and a little imagination, you can create an entire activity session without taking any equipment with you.