10 Outdoor Games for Teenagers (Cost, Group Size, and Duration Listed)

Entertaining and inclusive outdoor games for teenagers include: Capture the Glow Jug, Newspaper Hockey, and Water Balloon Shave. Below, we have the list of 10 outdoor games for teenagers for birthday parties, summer camps, special event days at school, and more.

Back to Back

Cost: FREE
Group size: Any even number of players
Duration: Varies

How to Play: Start by having all participants pair up. Each pair sits on the ground with their backs and elbows touching. The pair needs to stand up this way, without their backs losing contact. The pair then joins other groups, and they all sit down and stand up, maintaining contact. This way, all the players eventually form a big group. If group members’ backs lose contact, they are disqualified.

Crab Soccer

Cost: About $10 to $15 for a soccer ball
Group size: Any even number of players
Duration: 30 minutes

How to Play: Divide the participants into two groups and assign each player a number. Each group will stand on one side of a field, using two chairs as goalposts. One player will announce a number, and the team member assigned with that number will come forward and kick the soccer ball. The process is repeated for a specific period of time (usually about 30 minutes), and the team that scores the most goals wins.

Frisbee Golf

Cost: Around $35 for a set of four discs or $40 and up for all the equipment needed to play
Group size: Any number
Duration: Variable

How to Play: Frisbee golf is just like regular golf but with discs instead of balls. The goal is to complete each hole in the fewest throws. This game shares the same joys and frustrations as regular golf but is much cheaper to play. Many cities have free courses to use at the park.

Caterpillar Race

Cost: FREE
Group size: Any
Duration: 10 minutes

How to Play: Divide the participants into small, equally-sized groups. Each group should sit on the ground in a line. Then, each player places his or her legs around the waist of the player in front of them. The group as a whole now resembles a caterpillar. Only the first player can have his or her feet on the ground. Using only your hands, the team must scoot its way to the finish line. The first caterpillar to cross the finish line wins. Make it more challenging by adding an obstacle course.

Ice Cream Whistle Race

Cost: Around $10 for a 12-pack of plastic whistles with lanyards + the cost of ice cream
Group size: Any even number of players
Duration: <5 minutes

How to Play: Make small ice cream balls with whistles inside them. The point of this game is to find and blow the whistle only using your mouth while keeping your hands behind your back. Shove the whistles full of ice cream to make this challenge much harder. The player who blows his or her whistle first wins.

Capture the Glow Jug

Cost: About $12 for a 25-pack of large, vibrant glow sticks. Repurpose two water bottles or purchase some for about $1 each.
Group size: Any number of even players
Duration: 30+ minutes

How to Play: Capture the glow jug is just like capture the flag — but the goal is to capture a clear water container filled with one or more glow sticks inside. Divide the outdoor space into two areas. Before beginning the game, each team decides where to hide its glow jug. Once the game begins, the goal is for each team to try to capture the others team’s glow jug and bring it back to the home base. Only one player can guard the glow jug at a time. Two-hand touch and a player is out — he or she must go to the other team’s prison until rescued by a teammate.

Newspaper Hockey

Cost: About $5 for a roll of duct tape + $6 to $10 for a baseball
Group size: 20
Duration: About an hour

How to Play: This game is similar to normal hockey. The only difference is that each team is given a pile of old newspapers and some duct tape, from which they must make their own hockey sticks. Then, using a baseball, two teams play a normal game of hockey. Why use newspapers? Because you can find them for free, and the game will not be as rough. With real hockey sticks, people can get hurt, but when each player must construct his or her stick out of newspaper, the game becomes safer.

Water Balloon Toss

Cost: $15 to $30 for rapid-fill water balloons
Group size: Any size, multiples of 4
Duration: Variable

How to Play: Divide the participants into groups of four. Give each group a blanket or a large towel and a water balloon. Members of each group will hold the four corners of the blanket or towel and toss the water balloon. Each team that drops the balloon is out of the game. Each toss must go up at least six feet. The team that lasts the longest wins. To make things more exciting, make it a race with at least one toss every 10 feet.

Beach Ball Race

Cost: $10 to $25 for a 12-pack of squirt guns + $6 to $10 for a pack of two beach balls
Group size: Any size
Duration: Variable

How to Play: Form two teams and have the players stand behind their respective beach ball. With the water guns loaded, players shoot the balls and try to send them over a target line. The team that does this first wins. Pro tip: By giving them under-powered water guns, the players are forced to communicate and work together; they will need to all squirt at the same time in order to get the ball moving.

Water Balloon Shave

Cost: Around $10 for 100 latex balloons, $6 to $10 for a pack of single-edge razors, and about $5 to $10 for a two-pack of shaving cream
Group size: Any even number of players
Duration: 10 to 30 minutes

How to Play: Divide the group into pairs. Each pair must blow up a balloon, draw a face on it, lather it with shaving cream, and shave it with a straight-edge razor. (Make sure you trust the teens not to cut themselves with the razors.) When the balloon pops, the team must start over again. The first team to finish wins.

Every great group needs a group name. See our articles: School Group Names and Group Names for Four Friends