Getting toddlers to play outside is important to encourage physical fitness and help develop new skills. Plus staying active will help your toddler to burn off excess energy, stay in shape and sleep better at night. When it comes to age appropriate outside activities for toddlers some of the best games to play are the classic childhood games, these games don't require much equipment and can be updated easily to meet the needs of your kids.



Hide-and-go-seek is one of the most well known children's games and is played all around the world. In a game of tag, one player is "it" and the other players must hide. At the start of the game the player who is "it" must count, before finding the other players. This allows parents to assist a child with learning how to count, the child could also be told to recite the alphabet before finding the other players.

The game can be made more fun for children by using balls, or playing under different rules. For example, toddlers will get a kick out of playing a game of freeze tag. In freeze tag, once a player is touched by "it" they become frozen and most remain in place until unfrozen by another player. Toddlers will benefit from the social aspect of the game, using teamwork and there creativity in order to untag frozen teammates and avoid getting frozen themselves.

Classic children's games such as hopscotch are great ways of teaching a toddler to follow directions. In a game of hopscotch, toddlers can jump though numbered squares using there feet. Hopscotch is also a great way of developing gross motor skills, those related to the large muscle groups in the body and will also help a toddler develop there balance and coordination. Parents can draw out eight or more squares and number them in order, also helping there children to learn how to count while they play.

During the summer months, some of the most popular outside games for toddlers are water activities. Inflatable swimming pools are great for families with limited space or just prefer the convenience of having a smaller pool that toddlers are less likely to get injured in. Simple toys can be added into the pool to get hours of structured play and help a toddler develop there imagination, and ability to pretend.

A water slide is great fun for children and a water bouncer is a great toy for playing games of catch in the pool. Diving rings can be used for playing ring toss games or help a child develop there strength and confidence in the water while teaching swimming. Pool dive toys that look like dolphins, sharks, fish and other water creatures mimic real creatures and are fun to watch while teaching children about how these creatures look and move in the water.

There is no limit in the type of outdoor activities available for young children to play. Sandboxes allow children to learn to build and create. Popular sports such as basketball and baseball help children to challenge themselves and learn new skills.