Picnic Races

Players

6 or more

Time

30 to 45 minutes

You need

Lemons, spoons, sacks, scarves, a rope

Ages

5 and above

Type

Games for kids

Who it suits and when to play

Picnic races suit school picnics, society sports days and big family outings with six or more children, and the adults usually ask for their own round. You need flat, soft ground, such as grass or sand, and simple things from home. Group the children by age so that the six-year-olds do not race the twelve-year-olds.

How to play

1. Lemon and spoon race: run to the finish balancing a lemon on a spoon. If it falls, stop, put it back and go on.
2. Sack race: stand in a gunny sack, hold it at the waist and jump to the finish.
3. Three-legged race: partners stand side by side, tie their inner legs together with a soft scarf and run as one.
4. Frog race: players squat and jump like frogs all the way.
5. Book balance: walk fast with a book on your head, hands at your sides.
6. Tug of war: two equal teams pull a strong rope. The team that pulls the middle mark over its line wins.

Tips and variations

• Run the races on grass or sand, never on a hard floor. Keep water ready and an adult at each end.
• Give every child a small prize or a sweet at the end, not only the winners.

Common problems and how to fix them

• Children fall in the sack or three-legged race. Race only on grass or sand, keep the course short, and tie legs with a soft scarf, never with rope.
• Disputes at the finishing line. Two adults stand at the line, and their decision is final.
• The little ones never win. Run separate heats by age, and give every finisher in the youngest group a small prize.

More games for kids

• Treasure Hunt at Home 30 minutes, plus 20 to prepare
• Memory Tray 10 minutes
• Statue (Freeze Dance) 10 minutes
• Leader Says 10 minutes

Need fair teams or someone to go first? Use the team maker. See all 45 games.