Top 5 Playground Games

1. Hopscotch: A timeless game played on a grid, promoting physical activity and risk-taking.

2. Puzzles or Mazes: Engaging designs encourage teamwork and problem-solving skills, fostering learning.

3. Tag: A classic chasing game that promotes exercise and agility, with variations adding excitement.

4. Noughts and Crosses: A simple grid-based game for strategic thinking, played with X’s and O’s.

5. Snakes and Ladders: Adapted from the classic board game, teaching counting and strategy through gameplay.

Playground games are an excellent way for teachers to create a healthy, active environment in schools, as they encourage children to go outside, socialise and participate in activities.

So you can design the most engaging and beneficial playground at your school, look through the top 5 playground games that we recommend.

1. Hopscotch

Hopscotch is one of the oldest and most well-known children’s games in the world, and it is perfect for playgrounds.

The game is played on a grid of squares marked out on the pavement – ideally with a thermoplastic playground marking.

Players throw a small object into one of the boxes and then have to hop or jump through the grid to retrieve it. They must first miss the square with the object in it and then pick it up on the way back to the start. 

This game is played all over the globe, in the UK, US, Cuba, Spain, Italy, and many more countries.

It also benefits children’s development because it challenges them to take risks and understand limitations. 

2. Puzzles or mazes

Playground games that are designed to encourage learning are incredibly popular in schools, and they can still be very engaging.

They can be anything from a maths puzzle to a maze, and both are often presented through colourful playground markings.

There are a variety of creative designs that are used, including line mazes, number spirals, calculating caterpillars or an alphabet tree.

A difficult puzzle could be great for team building as the children need to collaborate to figure out the solution, and a maze is useful for teaching them individually about problem-solving. 

3. Tag

Tag is a classic playground game, and is incredibly useful for encouraging children to exercise.

The game is played by one player being ‘it’ and the other players running away from them.

If the player who is ‘it’ touches another player then they become ‘it’, and the other one has to run away.

A few variations of the game are: 

• Chain Tag: where you join hands with the catcher when they tag you
• Hospital Tag: this involves holding the part of your body that is tagged
• Stuck in the mud: If you get caught you can’t move, and the catcher wins by tagging everyone in the game 

4. Noughts and Crosses

This is a simple, old-school game – in fact an early version of the game was played in the Roman Empire in the first century BC. Noughts and Crosses can only be played by two people, and it has a basic design, just a 3×3 grid. This can be created with pencil and paper, or the more exciting version is to create a large-scale, colourful playground marking. Each player names themself either ‘X’ or ‘O’, and then they take turns marking the spaces with their letter until one person succeeds in having three in a row. 

5. Snakes and Ladders

The game of Snakes and Ladders is a definite favourite in the playground.

It was originally a board game but can easily be played on an engaging playground marking as well. One player rolls a dice, and then moves that number of squares, along the way your progress is either aided or hindered by ladders and snakes, respectively. 

The winner is the one who reaches the finish line first.

It is very beneficial for children’s learning, as it teaches them to count and navigate the board.  

Northern Marking is based in Manchester, but provides services to clients in the following areas; Warrington,  Bolton, Stockport, Leeds and beyond. Northern Marking is a leading road marking company, providing the following services; line marking, school & playground markings, warehouse markings, electric car parking space marking, line removal, white lining and car park markings.

If you want to create an engaging school playground that encourages children to socialise and play outside, then Northern Marking are the experts to trust.

We are an independent, council-approved road marking company with over 12 years of experience. To receive your free site survey and quote, contact our friendly team today.