Climbing, hiding and sliding: 6 games for the garden

For some games you need a slide, for others mainly a clear patch of garden. Pick what suits your playset and your children’s ages. Do they come up with their own version? Go ahead and try it, as long as they use the playset as intended.

 

1. Colour hunt from the lookout tower

One child stands on the platform and calls out a colour. The others look around the garden for something in that colour and point to it. A yellow flower, a blue watering can or a red ball: who’s found something?

 

How to play:

• Agree which part of the garden the children can search.
• The child on lookout picks a colour and waits until everyone has found something.
• The searchers stay on the ground and leave what they’ve found where it is.
• After three colours, it’s someone else’s turn on lookout.

 

Run out of colours quickly? Then look for something round, something stripy or something that moves. You can also play this game without a platform. Just pick a fixed spot for the lookout.

 

2. Statue hide-and-seek

In this game you don’t have to be completely out of sight. Above all, you need to be able to stand still. The seeker closes their eyes and counts to twenty at an agreed spot next to the playset. The others pick a spot on the ground and strike a pose: like a robot, a goalkeeper or a very posh king.

 

The seeker walks past the statues. Anyone who moves or laughs is out. The seeker can pull funny faces, but no touching. Keep both feet on the ground and keep the steps, the slide exit and the space around the swings clear. The last statue standing wins and becomes the next seeker.

 

You can also agree on a theme. Can everyone stand as still as an animal at the zoo?

 

3. Shadow tag

Is the sun out? Then you can tag each other’s shadows. Mark out a clear patch of grass as the playing area, away from the space needed for climbing, sliding and swinging. The tagger tries to step on another child’s shadow.

 

These are the rules:

• Choose the first tagger together.
• The tagger counts to ten so the others can run away.
• Has the tagger stepped on your shadow? Then you’re the new tagger.
• The new tagger counts to ten again before the game carries on.

 

Everyone stays on the ground: the playset sits this round out. Try the game again later in the day. Can you spot the difference when the shadows are longer or shorter?

 

4. Post delivery down the slide

The slide is where the postie sets off. First choose a few addresses around the garden. The sandpit could be the bakery, for example, and the garden table Grandma’s house. Put a cuddly toy at each address, waiting for its post.

 

The postie is given an address, climbs up calmly and slides down. At the bottom, the postie collects a letter from an agreed spot next to the slide. Use an empty envelope or a folded sheet of paper. The postie delivers the letter and comes back for the next address.

 

Let the children take turns on the slide, with empty hands. Keep the slide exit clear and put the letters down outside the play area of the playset. Got a small slide from the My First range? Keep the route short and help your child with the deliveries.

 

5. Torchlight hide-and-seek

At dusk, hide-and-seek gets extra exciting with a torch. Choose an open part of the garden where you can still see the ground and each other clearly. Agree on a fixed spot for the seeker, on the ground and away from walkways.

 

How it works:

• The seeker closes their eyes and counts to twenty.
• The others walk to a hiding spot within the agreed area.
• The seeker stays on the fixed spot and searches with the torch.
• Has the seeker found you and called your name? Then come out of hiding. Once everyone has been found, swap roles.

 

As an adult, stay close by. Don’t shine the torch in anyone’s eyes and leave the playset empty this round. If it gets too dark to see the ground clearly, stop the game.

 

6. Add a challenge

Got a playset with a slide? Start with a round of climbing and sliding, one child at a time. After each round, someone can add a challenge to do on the ground before climbing or after sliding.

 

For example, name your favourite animal before you climb up. After sliding, make that animal’s sound at a spot away from the slide exit. The next player repeats the challenges and adds a new one. How many can you remember?

 

Agree that everyone must be able to do the challenges. There are no extra challenges while climbing and sliding: that’s when your attention stays on the playset. If the list gets too long, start a new one together.

 

Agree a few ground rules first

Before you start, take a quick walk around the garden and decide where each game will be played. Also keep the following in mind:

• Follow the playset’s manual, including for the age range, the number of users and the free space required.
• Keep walkways, the slide exit and the space around swings clear.
• Don’t let children play on a wet or slippery playset.
• Climb up calmly using the intended access and wait until the slide and its exit are clear before sliding.
• Supervise and regularly check the fixings and the anchoring.

 

Read more: How do you safely anchor a swing or play equipment in the garden?

 

Let your kids have their say

Maybe the postie would rather deliver pizzas, or your child comes up with a colour hunt where everyone searches together. Let them explain how their version works and only help where needed. Disagreeing about a rule? Agree what you’ll do this round and try the other version afterwards.

 

There’s no need to work through all six games. If everyone’s still busy delivering post, shadow tag can wait.

 

Which playset suits your children?

Still looking for a playset for the garden? Look at what your children love doing. For climbing, take a look at the EXIT metal climbing domes. If they want to slide too, there are EXIT Ivy playsets with a slide and playhouses with a slide. For hanging and swinging, the GetSet range offers different versions and accessories. Check the age guidance for each model and how much space you need to keep clear around it.

 

View all playground equipment

 

Read more: EXIT Ivy: climbing, sliding and making up your own games and Playing outside in a small garden with EXIT Toys.