7 Fun Running Games that Spice Up Your Training With Friends & Kids

One day, your kids will grow to love running just as much as your do. Until that day arrives, the best way to get your little ones excited about lacing up their running shoes is to make a game out of it!

Gameifying a physical activity is a great way to get your little ones away from their screens and willingly into the backyard to burn up all that pent-up energy. 

Whether your kids already love outdoor games and exercise in the sunshine or are reluctant to put down their screens, check out these super fun running games below that will make running fun! 

1. Tag

Requirements: Large open space

How to Play:

Tag is a game that needs no introduction. All that is required to play is a competitive attitude and a lot of built-up energy! One person is ‘it,’ and the other players must do their best not to be tagged. Once you are tagged, you’re ‘it,’ and the game starts again. 

The great thing about tag is that there is no real ending. The game ends when everyone is exhausted! 

2. Kick the Can 

Requirements: An empty aluminum can

How to Play:

This game is part hide-and-go-seek, part capture the flag. The game starts as your classic hide-and-go-seek game. One person is the seeker; the others hide.

Place a can at the home base that is in the open. When the others are found, they must go back and sit at the home base.

What makes this game a little bit more exciting than your average hide and seek game is that one of the hiders has the opportunity to stealthily run and kick the can, which allows all of the found players to run and hide again! 

3. Pony Express

Requirements: Large open area with a marked oval, two objects used as a baton

How to Play:

Divide players into two teams and place them in a line on opposite sides of the circle/play area. When the game starts, players run in the same direction around the circle to pass the baton to the next player in line.

If an opposite team member catches up with a competitor, that person is out. The game is over when the rest of the players have run around the circle. 

4. Last One Out

Requirements: Large open area

How to Play:

Last One Out is running laps with a fun, competitive edge. This racing game is simple enough for kids of all ages to learn, but your bigger kids may want to get in on the action too! 

Make a track in your yard, and run as many laps as players. If you have five teammates, they will run five laps. At the end of every lap, the last person to cross the finish line is out.

The winner gets serious bragging rights and a great workout!

5. Red Light, Green Light

Requirements: Large open area

How to Play:

What’s great about this classic game is that it’s excellent for all age groups, and it’s super easy to learn. One player stands at the opposite side the yard, yells out ‘green light,’ and players sprint to make it to the caller.

Once they yell red light, players must freeze in place. If the caller finds that someone moves, they are out. The last person to make it to the caller is the winner. 

6. Scavenger Hunt

Requirements: Large open area with plenty of landmarks, optional objects to hide, pen and paper

How to Play:

Create a list of items to find in your yard. They can be landmarks (like a bench), more vague clues (something red), or objects that you hide in unique locations.

Announce your first clue, and watch your little ones scramble around the yard as they frantically find clues. The game ends when all of the clues are found. The player that discovered the most clues is the winner. 

A scavenger hunt is an excellent game because it provides a great workout to burn up a lot of energy, but it also keeps their mind engaged!

7. The Candy Hunt Game

Requirements: Individually wrapped candy, large open area

How To Play:

This is a great game reserved for parents that have a tough time getting their little ones outside for some exercise and fresh air. If the previous games don’t appeal to your kids, it may be time to bust out The Candy Hunt Game.

Place pieces of candy on the ground in an open field. Make sure you also place a bucket for each player at the starting line. Once the timer begins, they will run into the yard and pick up one piece of candy at a time to drop off in their bucket. The player with the most candy at the buzzer is determined to be the winner!

It’s not a game you will play all of the time, but it’s a great way to show your little ones that playing outside and running around can be fun! 

Game Ideas for the Winter

Not every day will be sunshine and 70 degrees, so what can you do to keep active and keep your kids running in the winter?

If the snow is piling up outside, bundle up and take advantage of it! Build a snowman or an igloo, have a snowball battle, or head to the local sledding hill. 

If it’s too cold to get outside, it’s time to get creative. Turn your living room into an obstacle course, hold an indoor scavenger hunt, host a dance party, or bust out the movement video games like Just Dance or Ring Fit Adventure (all found on the Nintendo Switch).