Outside Coordination Games for Kids

Kids begin to develop coordination skills from the moment their parents place them on their stomachs as infants to help them lift their heads. A few games can help your child learn skills that keep them in shape and help them develop coordination.

Socks

• This game can keep any middle-school child giggling, although it might not be a good fit for smaller children. Have the kids put on socks that they don't mind getting dirty. Spread a plastic tarp on the ground after a day of rain. Put mud on top of the tarp, and make sure no sharp rocks are next to it. The kids slide from one end of the tarp to the other with the objective of staying on their feet. Dancing and stretching suddenly become silly with mud squishing through their socks and between their toes.

Ball

• Have a group of kids stand in a line for this game. They pass the ball back from person to person by lifting it overhead with both hands until it reaches the last person. That person then passes it forward with both hands beneath his legs. They continue passing it above their heads in one direction and between their legs in the other. This game teaches hand-eye coordination and provides entertainment.

Running

• Running games will help children two and older learn coordination skills. One example is Duck Duck Goose. Several children sit in a circle. One child walks around the outside of the circle, tapping each person's head and saying "duck." When she touches a head and says "goose," she must run around the circle while the tapped player chases her. Kids can also do short relay races in an open field to get their heart rates up and become better runners.