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7 Playground Games for Kids of All Ages

There’s no doubt that kids love free play time to run around and get all of their energy out! However, sometimes a structured game can keep the fun going in a big way. If you’ve been wracking your brain to think of some ways to keep the kids entertained on the playground, we’re happy to share some ideas. Check out our favorite playground games for kids of all ages!

At Adventure World Play Sets, we craft deluxe vinyl playsets that bring all of the fun of a public park to your very own backyard! However, these awesome playground games for kids are just as fun no matter where you are. Keep reading to see all of our favorite ideas — and even try designing your own backyard playset!

playground activities

Playground Activities for the Backyard or a Public Park

Sometimes all kids want is the simple joy of swinging high and racing down the slide. Other times, though, a great game suggestion from you keeps the outdoor fun new and exciting. Check out some of our favorite recommendations for playground activities based around a playset:

  1. Musical Swings — This playground game for kids is a true Adventure World Play Sets original. An update on the classic game musical chairs, the swings take the place of chairs while the kids try not to be the only one without a seat when the music stops. After each round, you can just loop one of the swings around the swing beam to take away one of the chairs. Generally, this game works best on a set with three or more swings side-by-side.

    See some of our most popular swing set models right here!
  2. Tag — While this is one of the most classic outdoor games of all time, it gets even better when a great playset is at the center. Whether the set serves as another obstacle to use when escaping a close tag, or you incorporate it as a base or safe spot, a playset gives your kids a fun environment to run around and hide in and makes the timeless game even more fun.
  3. Slide Races — Some of our playsets with slides come with multiple slides close together or directly side-by-side — and this playground activity makes use of that. Make it a competition to see who can slide down the fastest and climb back to the top to go again!
  4. Climbing Challenge — This is a great playground activity for older kids who want to test out their muscles and their agility. However, in order to make this game work, you’ll need a climbing swing set of some type — meaning it should be equipped with classic monkey bars, a rock wall, or something else. You’ll set the challenge of what the players need to do and add obstacles to ramp up the difficulty.
  5. Water Battle — Fill up the Super Soakers and split into teams because this is a recipe for endless enjoyment on a hot day! Just like with tag, you can play this game in an open field, but it sure is a lot more interesting with the backdrop of a great playset. The towers of your playset can serve as an awesome fort where they’ll soak their friends from above and take cover from blasts of water!
  6. Tic-Tac-Toe — There’s a good reason that so many playsets (both ours and those in parks) come with a built-in tic-tac-toe game. That’s because kids absolutely love it! Taking a few minutes off from the heart-pumping, high-energy activity to play a few rounds of this simple game is oodles of fun!
  7. Pretend Restaurant — Here’s a playground activity that puts kids’ imagination to work. The lemonade stand (complete with seating, signage, and a counter) is one of our most popular accessories. Parents tell us how much their kids love to pretend that they own their restaurant, taking orders and serving up whatever their imaginations tell them. This is a great game to get you involved as you can pretend to be customers, marveling at their service!

Design Your Own Playset Right Here

If you want to bring one of our park-worthy playsets to your backyard, we have some great news: you and your kids can design a 100% custom set tailored to the games they like and how they want to play! You can add the extra towers, swings, slides, accessories, and so much more that will make your set 100% one-of-a-kind and 100% perfect for your children. To make the custom design process easy and fun, we built our easy-to-use 3D design center — try it right here:

Try Our 3D Design Center

Enjoy All of These Playground Games for Kids in Your Backyard

swing set for backyard playground

We hope one or more of these playground games for kids caught your attention and that your kids love them. If you want to bring home one of our premium playsets, we’re happy to help.

At Adventure World Play Sets, we make all of our swing sets available to parents nationwide through our dedicated dealer network. The first step is to enter your zip code at the top of this web page. You’ll be paired with the experienced dealer who serves your area. They’ll help you pick your set (or custom design it) and get you the price to build it in your own backyard!

Find Your Playset Dealer
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Our Google Reviews

The best swingset company, in my opinion! We are an independent contractor that works for a lot of companies. Adventure world swingsets are built very well. They will last more than one generation.
Jay Flaud
Jay Flaud
2023-01-14
Reasonable price, great warranty, well installed. Kids will love it1
John Lippert
John Lippert
2022-12-29
Amazing quality! Definitely worth the purchase since kids play all day on it!
Isabella Laris Logan
Isabella Laris Logan
2022-11-07
Just got a wonderful playset for our preschool. It is fantastic!! It has been an easy experience.
Bethany Brown
Bethany Brown
2022-07-28
Great quality playset. Arrived quickly. Installation and communication through J&R Mulch Waynesboro PA was excellent
Allison Hickman
Allison Hickman
2022-06-23
If you ever need a swingset installed in your backyard or anywhere, you MUST get it from here.
Steven Rice
Steven Rice
2022-01-25
We have been trying to purchase one of these play sets for months and none of the dealers in our area will call us back about purchasing one. I wish the purchasing process was easier than "find a vendor in your local area". No one here wants to build them! The Happy Hideout looks like an amazing product for my toddler to grow into. I'm sad no one will build them or call us back. Edit: The company contacted me personally and found a vendor in my area!
Charlotte Doty
Charlotte Doty
2022-01-19
Great people to work with and high quality! Highly recommend, my kids love their new play house!
Ashley McGinnis
Ashley McGinnis
2021-12-24