7 Socially Distance Playground Games

Parents and teachers alike are worried that the new social distancing could hamper the development of young people. Play is an essential part of learning. It is how we learn to share, to be fair, to develop confidence and to interact with others. Nothing could be more important than sustaining the creativity and imagination of outdoor games.

However, we understand the need for social distancing to keep our children and our homes safe from a virus. Therefore, we have come up with seven games that could reinstate fun into break time.

1. Create-your-own

We are cheating a little with our first suggestion. However, children's imaginations are often much more energetic than ours. Start by setting out the basic rule that there can be no touching and that a distance must be kept at all times. Then, hand this group of young people playground chalks and watch and see how they come up with a game together.

You might need to be confident in your group and know that there is enough energy and confidence amongst them to take on the challenge. However, it is worth wondering whether we sometimes "over" intervene in the play of children and leaving them to it can be so much more productive.

OK, so we put this idea first, so you didn't think we had six great suggestions and then topped up our list with this one. If you want some firmer guidance, keep reading.

2. Drafts

When we say drafts, we don't mean regular board games drafts. We suggest painting a massive grid on the playground and use young people as pieces. The squares in the board will naturally socially distance the children - bonus - and you can put numbers and letters to help children negotiate who should move and wear. To help children feel fabulous for getting to the other side of the board, you could have a pile of crowns ready to "king" them and give them special moving powers.

All crowns should be wiped down with sanitiser afterwards - but this will just help them to keep their gleam!

3. Footgolf

Footgolf is a merger of football and golf. The clue is maybe in the name. Set up a nine-hole course around the playground, with teeing off circles and "hole" numbers painted on the floor. The "hole" is, in fact, a series of baskets and the aim is to kick the football into this basket in the least number of kicks. Trust us when we say that this takes a degree of strategy, some skill, and a whole load of patience. If the football feels too much, try doing the same thing with some frisbees.

While this is meant as a replacement for playground football, you can still maybe set up a game that demands children pass and move with the ball rather than tackling or attempting to steal the ball. However, it might be hard for children to remember to stay apart. Remember they are still seeing their favourite football stars making contact.

4. An exercise trail

Having a course of exercises painted in a wiggly pattern across the playground could be the perfect way to encourage activity and fun. You could have a start line and a finish line. In between these points, you can have footprints where children must jump between them, a balance-beam line, a series of slaloms to run around, some shapes to skip through and more. While children will naturally play at this without guidance, you can always add in a challenge of a timings board. You could make it a more significant challenge by offering accuracy points for staying on or in the lines!

5. Hide and Seek

There are a host of old-school games that could make a resurgence. Hide and Seek is one game that makes a comeback, as children are naturally encouraged to stay away from each other in the rules of the game. If you are really into your old-school playground fun, then why not paint a hopscotch outline onto the floor and provide some bean bags. You might roll your eyes and think children are more sophisticated than this nowadays but give it a try. We sense you might be pleasantly surprised by kids desire to have simple fun, as we once did.

6. A scavenger hunt

With clues or without clues, with objects set out by you or not, a scavenger hunt offers a myriad of ways to introduce play to break times. At its most complicated, a scavenger hunt can take a lot of organising. However, if you give children a list of objects from nature they should collect, then it becomes a whole lot easier. Imagine, in these autumn months, you asked children to find one of those "helicopters" that float down from the trees, or a conker or maybe even a leaf the same size as their hand. Not only do you get children running around but also appreciating nature.

7. Shadow Tag

Kids love to chase each other. However, how can you play a game of tag when you are not allowed to touch each other? Well, thankfully, we all have a shadow in life that we carry around like a buddy. Therefore, you can change the rules and say the person whose shadow is touched by another becomes "it" and has to tag someone else. You might be a little reliant on the sun playing along here, but on those rare days when the playground is ablaze with light, you can allow a game of tag!


We know 2020 has been a challenge. We hope that this list of playground games gives you hope that there is still an opportunity to have fun out there. When you see children adapt and laugh anyway, you know the world isn't so different after all.



Guest Blogger: Laura McLoughlin is a Digital PR based in Armagh, Northern Ireland. She has previous experience as a website editor and journalist, and currently works with BPF Road Marking.