Unplugged Life: Our Favorite Backyard Games!

  1. Four Square:

    1. GAME RULES:

      1. Find the Set Up HERE

      2. Server (Royalty) must put one foot behind the service line

      3. Everyone must Hit UNDERHAND

      4. Ball must bounce ONCE and only ONCE in your square before your strike it (including on the serve)

      5. If someone makes a mistake you rotate up and that person goes to the back of the line (outside the #1 square)

      6. Server takes care of any arguments (unless it involves the server – then vote as a group, or play rock paper scissors)

      7. Inside lines are out, Outside lines are in Why? Because inside lines are shared, while outside lines are not shared so you know who’s square it bounced in.

      8. You can move anywhere outside the square or in your section of the square

      9. If it bounces in your square you MUST strike it

      10. Server Must Ask “Are you Ready” before serving

      11. No Carrying, Stalling or Holding – you must Strike or Hit the ball

      12. YOU ARE OUT IF:

        1. The ball in your square bounces 2 times or you hit it before it bounces

        2. You hit the ball out of bounds

        3. You hit the ball to an inside line

        4. You hit the ball Overhand

        5. You hit a ball that was another players ball (it bounced in their square and you hit it before it bounced a 2nd time)

        6. A ball bounces in your square an you are unable to get to it before it bounces a second time

        7. Some other game variations that we sometimes learn:

          1. VARIATIONS:

            1. Around the World: Server must call “Around the World.” You can go to the right or the left, they must go around the square in a circular rotation. Anyone can say “reverse” BEFORE you strike and go the opposite direction, if you don’t say it before the strike the server can call you out (ie. If you call it while you are hitting the ball). If Server calls “Around the World No Reverse” you can’t reverse it

            2. War or Battle: Server must call “War” or “Battle” and declare their opponent. War – Server wars with one person (2 square) until someone misses. Battle – Starts just like war, but someone can call “BREAK” before they strike the ball and then switch to battling with a different player in another square.

            3. Cherry Bomb: You are allowed to use overhand hits (except on the serve) Underhand hits are also still allowed.Manhunt

  2. Capture the Flag:

    1. Set Up: Divide the playing field OR hiking trail in half and designate two small “zones” on both sides to hold people who are tagged. There can also be a designated circle on each side where the flag is placed.

    2. Each team tries to take the other team’s flag and return across the center line without being tagged.

    3. When guarding the flag zone or the holding zone, a defender must be at least 2’ away from the zone boundaries.

    4. If a player is tagged while on their opponent’s side they are must go to the holding zone on their opponent’s side.

    5. If a player who has stolen the flag is tagged, the flag is returned to the flag zone, and the player goes to the zone.

    6. A player can be freed from the holding zone when a teammate crosses the center line and tags the player; both players then receive a free walk back to their side.

    7. A player can only free one teammate at a time.

    8. If an opposing player can get both feet into the flag zone without being tagged, they can remain there without safely (without getting tagged) before attempting to cross the center line.

    9. Variations

      1. Limit the number of players allowed in the circle at one time.

      2. Allow a player in the circle to throw the flag to a teammate.

      3. The flag must still be carried over the center line however.

      4. The players in the tagged zone can join hands and reach out of the zone to make it easier to be freed.

      5. Similarly, all players in the holding zone are freed when a player makes it across to rescue them.

      6. For extended games, allow players to hide their flags in plain sight in a designated area.

  3. Kickball

    1. Field Diagram

    2. How to Play:

      1. Play begins with the pitcher rolling the ball smoothly to home plate. The kicker must kick from behind home.

      2. If the ball is kicked and rolls out of bounds before going past first or third base, it is called a foul and the kicker must try again.

      3. Kickers must run the bases in order and may stop at any base and wait to run again at the next kick. There, however, must be only one runner on a base and they must remain in order. No runner can pass the person in front of them.

      4. A run is scored for the kicking team when a base-runner touches all 4 bases, in order, without being called out at any time.

      5. A runner advances one base on an overthrow to the base player.

      6. Teams switch sides after three outs or nine runs are scored. Outs are granted when:

      7. The pitcher controls the play of the game. Play begins with the pitcher rolling the ball to the person up to bat, the kicker. Play stops when the ball is thrown to the pitcher.

      8. The kicker kicks a fly ball and it is caught before it touches the ground. Note: When a fly ball is in the air, the base runners must remain on base until after the ball is caught (called tag-up) before they can advance to the next base.

      9. The base player has control over the ball and a foot on the base before the base-runner reaches the base.

      10. The base-runner is tagged on his/her body by a fielder with the ball before s/he arrives at the base. Note: If the base-runner must advance because of another runner or kicker behind, it is called a force-out and the fielding team only has to tag the base to call an out. If there is no runner or kicker behind, it is not a force-out and the fielder with the ball must tag the base-runner.

      11. One base-runner passes another.

      12. A base-runner intentionally interferes with a fielder who is trying to recover the ball.

      13. Three fouls by an individual kicker equal an out.

      14. If a ball is touched by a member of the fielding team before it bounces, it is a fair ball.

      15. For safety, there is no sliding or throwing of the ball at a player. (or do… depending on the age and skill level of the kiddos)

      16. At the end of the game, have each team do a cheer for the other team, and have teams form lines to high five each other!

  4. Dodgeball

    1. Playing Area: Dodge ball can be played indoors or outdoors. The ideal playing area is a rectangle identical to a volleyball court that's 60 ft long by 30 ft wide.

      The court is divided in half by a center line. An "attack line" is marked 10 ft from the center line on each side of the court. The attack lines are parallel to the center line and extend the full width of the court. There is also a 4 ft-wide "neutral zone" extending across the playing area at center court to separate both sides.

    2. How to Play: There are ENDLESS VERSIONS OF THIS GAME. The basic idea is that there is a non-zero number of balls, and if you are hit with a ball you are out. Kids can come up with as many rule variations based on theme or skill level they want. Here are some fun options:

    3. Dodgeball is played with 2 teams of 6 players if the game is played indoors and 10 players for outdoor competition.

      1. The object of the game is to knock all of your opponents "out" of the game without being eliminated yourself.

      2. Starting Play: The game begins with the "opening rush."

      3. All 6 dodgeballs are lined up along the center line; 3 on one side of the center hash mark and 3 on the other side.

      4. Players position themselves behind their respective end lines.

      5. On the official's signal, both teams run to center court to get their balls.

      6. Eliminating Players

        1. A player is "out" if:

          1. He gets hit by a ball below the shoulders – The ball may not hit the floor or wall first.

          2. She drops a ball that’s thrown to her.

          3. His ball is caught by another player.

          4. She steps out of bounds – During play, players may only leave the playing area to retrieve a ball, and they may only leave through their end line. They must also re-enter the game through their end line.

          5. He crosses over the neutral zone – Players may step safely into the neutral zone, but they may not step over the neutral zone line on the opponent’s side of the court.

          6. She slides or dives head first into the neutral zone.

          7. A ball hits him and another teammate (they are both out).

          8. She gets hit by a ball rebounding off of a ball lying on the court.

          9. He hits an opponent in the head with the ball.

          10. Blocking - Players can defend themselves by blocking a ball coming at them with another ball, but they have to maintain control of the ball they are blocking with. If they drop the ball, they are "out."

      7. There are 3 types of dodgeball games, each with slightly different objectives:

        1. Elimination Game: The game is played until all members of one team have been eliminated. The first team to knock out all of its opponents is the winner.

        2. Timed Game: The game is played for a pre-determined amount of time or until all members of one team are eliminated, whichever comes first. If there are players remaining when time expires, the team with the most players still on the court wins the game.

        3. Scored Game: A scored game can be played either as an elimination game or a timed game. Teams earn points for the number of players still "in" at the end of each game.

      8. Variations

        1. Bombardo, Dr. Dodgeball, Gaga, and many more!

  5. Hide and Seek

    1. This is another classic game with so many variations that it is hard to know what the original version is!

    2. Basic: Seeker counts while the other’s hide, the Seeker finds the hiders, the last one to be found gets to be it! (or gets to pick who is it, depending on what the winner wants)

    3. Basic with Base: Same rules, except the hiders can try to escape their hiding spot to tag a base selected before the game starts.

    4. Sardines: One person hides while everyone else counts. They split up and look. Once a seeker finds the hider, they hide WITH the hider. The last seeker to find them all loses!

    5. Fox and the Goalie: Also known as Manhunt, Fox and the Goalie involves one person hiding, everyone else seeking. Instead of the game ending when the fox is found, however, it is not over until the Fox is CAUGHT by the seekers. This can be played with a base, but is often just “go until you’re out.”

  6. TIPS

    1. All you need is a ball. Kickball is about the right size, but smaller is fine for small hands. If you are playing with smaller children, a softer ball is preferred.

    2. All the kids stand in a circle with plenty of space to swing their arms. One person has the ball.

    3. To throw the ball AND catch the ball, you have to be airborne. Therefore, the game starts with the initial ball thrower jumping in the air and throwing the ball to another person. (do not spike the ball unless it is agreed upon beforehand, it’s not fair)

    4. The person who is being thrown the ball has to jump in the air, catch the ball, and throw it to another person before they hit the ground.

    5. Once a person is “out” you do not close ranks, but continue to throw with that space empty. That way it becomes harder to throw it to another person as the game goes on

    6. A person is out if:

      1. They are the catcher and fail to catch the ball while they themselves are airborne.

      2. They are the catcher and fail to throw the ball before they hit the ground.

      3. They are the thrower and fail to throw to another person.

      4. They commit an illegal throw: The throw is too hard, too high, too wide.

    7. The winner is the last one in the circle

  7. Jumping Rope Games

    1. Double Dutch

    2. Red Hot Chili Peppers

  8. Volleyball

    1. Depending on age, this game can be quite complex! But the basic idea is this:

    2. Volleyball is a game played by two teams, usually of six players on a side, in which the players use their hands to bat a ball back and forth over a high net, trying to make the ball touch the court within the opponents’ playing area before it can be returned.

    3. To prevent this a player on the opposing team bats the ball up and toward a teammate before it touches the court surface—that teammate may then volley it back across the net or bat it to a third teammate who volleys it across the net. A team is allowed only three touches of the ball before it must be returned over the net.

    4. Here is an amazing article with graphics where they get more technical: ARTICLE

  9. Steal the Bacon

    1. How to Play:

      1. Divide everyone into two to four groups; each team sits on a boundary line.

      2. Give each player a number, each group should have a one, a two, etc.

      3. Place the “bacon” in the center of the playing area and assign each team one goal line at either end of the playing area.

      4. The adult calls out a number and all students with that number run to pick up the “bacon.” Once they get better at this, you can start saying things like “all even/odd/prime numbers!” or even “the sum of…. 3 and 1!” but make sure everyone is relatively aware of how to do simple math or what even/odd/prime numbers are.

      5. The person who gets the “bacon” first tries to run across his/her team’s goal line without being tagged. The person whose number was called who did not get the “bacon” should try to tag the other player before they get across the goal line.

      6. Once someone is tagged or gets across their goal line, the round is over. Everyone who played in the round give each other high-five’s and they go back to the boundary line with their teams.

IF YOU ADD MORE GAMES LIKE THIS IN THE COMMENTS, WE WILL ADD THEM TO OUR BIG LIST!! Please help us collect fun outdoor games for our kids to play. After all, OUTDOOR IS BEST! Whole body play is good for number sense, emotional resilience, physical health and fitness, sensory issues, and attention spans! Also they’re just super fun.

Hurray!

LJ

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Save The Date: Summer Camp Teaser

The Summer Camp you remember that your kids will never forget…

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Kids need to be outside. They need to run under the trees, chase each other, skin their knees.

They need to play with rules they make up themselves.

That’s why Common Ground is hosting a classic summer camp that is perfect for any kid from kindergarten to rising fourth grader.

1 in 12 kids are as fit as the average child 35 years ago. Their attention spans are suffering under a sedentary education style. Sensory training, emotional regulation, physical stability, these are as key to learning as letters and numbers, and much harder to master after age 5.

We believe in exploration, reasonable danger, and dirt. Our weekly themes are designed to teach kids about the world and their own abilities. There will be projects, games, and field trips! We are also looking to do swimming lessons.
We will be outside as much as possible, allowing kids to foster independence through child-led lessons that encourage enthusiasm for holistic learning.

KEEP AN EYE OUT! We will begin registration in the next few weeks! Think Capture the Flag. Think trail running and skipping stones in the creek. Think sweat and dirt and sunshine. Your kids deserve a camp experience like you had.

LET’S GO OUTSIDE!

Ms. LJ

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Common Ground: Winter Activities and Winter Attire

We are looking at A LOT OF snowy days coming up this winter!!

And we cannot wait for all of our outdoor winter adventures. There will be some days that are too wet or too cold! We will have little movie and popcorn parties and days where we do art while the weather outside is frightful.

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But more and more studies are coming out showing how essential outdoor play is to our kids, and how the loss of consistent outdoor playtime is absolutely detrimental to their holistic well being. Kids are meant to play. They are meant to get dirty and windswept. They are meant to eat snow, trip in their swishy snow-pants, to fall down and find they can get back up again.

Play to Learn, Learn to Play Examples:
1. Building an Igloo with Friends: Promotes core strength, cooperation, simple machines and tools usage, basic engineering, imaginative play, patience, sensory endurance
2. Snow Walking and Rolling down Hills: Inner Ear training, strength training, leg and inner core training, aerobic workout
3. Snow Writing: Using natural tools to promote fine-motor practice. You can also use markers to do color work.
4. Winter Walk: Aerobic Exercise, Seasonal Cycles and Lessons, basic biology flora/fauna studies

Our preschool teachers are especially focused on “Kindergarten-Readiness.” This involves working on letters and numbers and pre-writing skills, but it also involves physical health and social-emotional independence. Outdoor lessons and games help cement fine-motor and gross-motor work. Operating in varying weather helps develop their sensory resilience which is essential for increasing attention span inside and outside of the classroom.

What do we always say? NO BAD WEATHER. ONLY BAD CLOTHES!
Is you child really set up for this winter? Here are items that we have on our student supply list that we highly recommend purchasing as soon as possible:

  • Kids Snow Boots — Snow comes in all different shapes and sizes, but it is always cold and always wet. An insulated, water resistant boot that goes high up a child’s leg will keep them warm and dry while they play. PLEASE NOTE: While rainbows will keep a child’s foot dry, they are not properly insulated and do not offer any protection against the cold. Snow boots are most appropriate in cold, wintry weather.

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  • Snow Gloves — Snow gloves protect against the cold, but they are also water resistant. Cotton gloves, while warm, will become wet very quickly and will do more harm than good when trying to keep your child’s hands warm. Please make sure they have snow gloves available.

  • Snow Pants — Snow pants are key to making sure a child is warm and happy for a longer period of time. The water resistant fabric makes sure that the pants they wear to school stay as dry as possible so fewer clothing changes are required.

  • Thermal Underwear — We recommend these over sweat suits because they keep a child warm without overheating them or keeping their sweat in. These are perfect for layering winter clothes and helping a child regulate their body temperature while they play rough outside.

We will keep you all posted on our winter lessons and activities! Stay safe!!

— LJ and the Common Ground Crew

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Unplugged Life: No Bad Weather, Only Bad Clothes

Our Rising Stars this week took a nature walk and, under the cloudless blue November sky, they read “Corduroy” in an open field. Our teachers Ms. Petty and Ms. Vanessa heavily utilize the outdoors in their carefully constructed curriculum (this week’s theme is Friendship!) to ensure that the children are free to learn and play while adhering to our COVID-19 safety measures.

While we have been adhering to health code, however, we find that children who get plenty of sunshine and activity are also better listeners with longer attention-spans. We are encouraging our teachers and our parents to utilize the outdoors as much as possible in all of their activities year-round, whether or not there is a pandemic.

“But Ms. LJ, the weather has been fabulous!” you say, “How can we take our children out all the time when it gets cold and dark and wet?”

Repeat after me, because I forget too: THERE’S NO BAD WEATHER, ONLY BAD CLOTHES!

There’s no bad weather! Okay, watch out for tornadoes and hurricanes… and if there is lightning RIGHT next to you definitely find a safe space ( Go HERE For instructions on how to calculate the distance between you and a lightning strike) but barring exceptional highs and lows, most weather is perfectly fine for kids and adults of all ages!
In fact, occupational therapists encourage parents to take children outside in all seasons to help brain development and mitigate sensory issues that are on the rise in children.
For more on outside play and holistic healthy development, check out this CoordiKids Article

Need some tips for Good “Bad Weather” Gear?
Our Supply Lists include clothing pieces suitable for battling the elements.

TIPS

  • When it comes to jackets, make sure you have a LIGHT JACKET , a HEAVY JACKET, and a RAIN JACKET. We recommend with any raincoats you buy that they are knee-length! The bigger, the better, to protect them when they splash.

  • Crocs make excellent shoes, especially if you are planning to get wet or muddy. They are “feet-shaped” which provides extra comfort to growing kids. Here are some RAIN BOOTS  they make, along with their classic style.

  • Extremities get cold first! Make sure you have appropriate gloves for the weather. If they are too heavy or unwieldy, your child may not want to use them and it makes outside a frustrating experience. If it is snowing or wet outside than cloth gloves may not be enough, and the adventure will be short and painful on little fingers! Check the weather, and tuck the right pair in your kids’ coat pockets!

  • When it is really hot and bright outside, make sure your kids clothes are lightweight and UV-protected! SUNHATS are perfect for littles to protect their sensitive eyes while outside so that they stay focused and happy! SUNSHIRTS and SUNSUITS are key for needed extra (and adorable) protection.

OUR BIGGEST, MOST IMPORTANT TIP!!!
All of our teachers dress for the weather. It helps them stay comfortable and fun and safe. Kids can tell what their adults are feeling, and if you are excited and ready for adventure, no matter what the weather report says? They will be too. SO PUT ON YOUR RAINBOOTS AND GO STOMP IN SOME PUDDLES!! The mud washes away. Memories build a bright future.

— MS LJ


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Life, Unplugged: The Night Sky

Common Ground Friends…

It is COLDER. DARKER. GRAYER.

We know coming home after the sun sets can really sap everyone’s energy. At 6:30 PM you still have to do dinner, night time rituals, morning preparation, and there’s always dishes… It’s hard to avoid handing out tablets or throwing on The Magic School Bus. Crafts and games can be amazing, and we will be posting on this blog on those another time, but this particular blog is about the magic and majesty of simply…
Looking up.

You can enchant your child with their night sky any time of year. You can do it with or without a telescope.

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  • Help them track the phases of the moon with this amazing (and free!) MOON CHART.

  • Introduce them to constellations with this super cool (and free!) set of Constellations worksheets (Found HERE)

  • Use this (free!) App to explore your night sky! (of course, then it’s not COMPLETELY screen free, make sure they’re looking up instead of at the phone or tablet)

  • Teach them The Moon Phase Game by Ms. LJ! (if you watch it beforehand, you can play with no screens!)

  • Listen to Gustav Holst’s Planets Suite while you fill out your moon chart.

  • Is your kid developing a passion for astronomy? Purchase a kid-friendly telescope!* For less than 100 bucks you can offer years of incredible family experiences and create new traditions.

    From today until the new year, there are so many glorious events happening right above you. Here are only our favorite three, you can find the full list here. (There are three other meteor showers between now and January 1)

  1. November 11, 12 - Northern Taurids Meteor Shower. The Northern Taurids is a long-running minor meteor shower producing only about 5-10 meteors per hour. This shower is, however, famous for producing a higher than normal percentage of bright fireballs. The Northern Taurids is produced by dust grains left behind by Asteroid 2004 TG10. The shower runs annually from October 20 to December 10. It peaks this year on the the night of the 11th and morning of the 12th. The thin crescent moon will not be much of a problem this year leaving dark skies for what could be a really good show. Best viewing will be just after midnight from a dark location far away from city lights. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Taurus, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

  2. November 30 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse. A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through the Earth's partial shadow, or penumbra. During this type of eclipse the Moon will darken slightly but not completely. The eclipse will be visible throughout most of North America, the Pacific Ocean, and northeastern Asia including Japan. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information)

  3. December 21 - Rare Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. A conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn will take place on December 21. This rare conjunction of these two planets is known as a great conjunction. The last great conjunction occurred in the year 2000. The two bright planets will appear only 7 arc minutes of each other in the night sky. They will be so close that they will appear to make a bright double planet. Look to the west just after sunset for this impressive and rare planetary pair.


After you’ve come in with a little more wonder (and dappled cheeks!) you and your kiddos can make up your own stories and constellations while making hot cocoa. You can talk about what you wished for on the falling stars. You can read a book about your favorite planet, or just talk about your favorite part of the evening. Anything you do is fine, because you did something fantastic together.

GO START YOUR NEW TRADITION!

— The CG Crew

*Common Ground is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

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