This article will help you learn the English names for common outdoor games, outdoor sports, and active recreational activities. These words are useful when you talk about hobbies, school games, summer activities, team sports, water sports, and extreme sports in English.
Outdoor Games and Sports Vocabulary
Outdoor games and sports are activities people play outside, often with rules, teams, equipment, movement, or competition. Some are casual games for children and families, while others are organized sports or adventure activities.
If you want a broader list of outdoor recreation words such as camping, gardening, picnics, playground equipment, and outdoor movies, see our lesson on outdoor activities vocabulary.
Common Outdoor Games
These are popular outdoor games that people often play in parks, playgrounds, backyards, schools, or summer camps.
- Tag
- Hide-and-seek
- Hopscotch
- Jump rope
- Tug of war
- Capture the flag
- Relay race
- Sack race
- Frisbee
- Dodgeball
- Kickball
- Kite flying
- Water balloon fight
Outdoor Team Sports
Team sports are played by groups of players. They usually have rules, goals, points, and a clear winner.
- Soccer / football
- American football
- Basketball
- Volleyball
- Baseball
- Cricket
- Rugby
- Field hockey
- Street hockey
- Ultimate Frisbee
Individual Outdoor Sports
These outdoor sports can be done alone or with other people. Many of them are used for fitness, practice, or competition.
- Running
- Cycling
- Skateboarding
- Rollerblading
- Golf
- Tennis
- Badminton
- Archery
- Horse riding
- Rock climbing
Water and Winter Sports
These sports are usually played in water, near water, or in snowy places.
- Swimming
- Surfing
- Canoeing
- Kayaking
- Sailing
- Water skiing
- Scuba diving
- Skiing
- Snowboarding
- Ice skating
Extreme Outdoor Sports
Extreme sports are exciting outdoor activities that often involve speed, height, difficult terrain, or a higher level of risk.
- Aggressive inline skating
- Base jumping
- Bouldering
- Bungee jumping
- Free climbing
- Hang gliding
- Motocross
- Mountain biking
- Mountaineering
- Paragliding
- Rock climbing
- Sand kiting
- Sandboarding
- Scuba diving
- Skateboarding
- Skiing
- Skydiving
- Water skiing
Outdoor Games and Sports with Meanings and Examples
Learn these outdoor game and sport names with simple meanings and example sentences.
Tag
Tag is a children’s game in which one player chases the others and tries to touch one of them.
- Example: The children played tag in the park after school.
Hide-and-seek
Hide-and-seek is a game in which some players hide while one player tries to find them.
- Example: We used to play hide-and-seek in the backyard when we were young.
Hopscotch
Hopscotch is a playground game in which players hop through numbered squares drawn on the ground.
- Example: The girls drew a hopscotch board on the sidewalk with chalk.
Jump rope
Jump rope is a game or exercise in which a person jumps over a rope as it swings under their feet.
- Example: She practices jump rope every day to improve her speed and coordination.
Tug of war
Tug of war is a team game in which two groups pull opposite ends of a rope.
- Example: Our class won the tug of war competition at sports day.
Capture the flag
Capture the flag is a team game in which players try to take the other team’s flag and bring it back to their own side.
- Example: The students played capture the flag during summer camp.
Relay race
A relay race is a race in which team members take turns running part of the race.
- Example: Each runner in the relay race passed the baton to the next teammate.
Frisbee
Frisbee is a game played by throwing a flat plastic disc through the air.
- Example: We played Frisbee on the beach all afternoon.
Soccer / Football
Soccer, or football in many countries, is a team sport in which players kick a ball and try to score goals.
- Example: He plays soccer with his friends every weekend.
Basketball
Basketball is a sport in which two teams try to score points by throwing a ball through a hoop.
- Example: The boys played basketball on the outdoor court.
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which players hit a ball over a net using their hands or arms.
- Example: We played beach volleyball during our vacation.
Street hockey
Street hockey is a sport played on a hard surface, such as a street or parking lot, using hockey sticks and a ball.
- Example: The kids spent the afternoon playing street hockey with their friends.
Running
Running is a physical activity or sport that involves moving quickly on foot.
- Example: She goes running every morning before work.
Cycling
Cycling is the activity or sport of riding a bicycle.
- Example: He enjoys cycling in the countryside on weekends.
Skateboarding
Skateboarding is a sport in which a person rides and performs tricks on a skateboard.
- Example: The teenager practiced skateboarding at the skate park.
Rock climbing
Rock climbing is a sport or activity that involves climbing steep rocks or cliffs.
- Example: He trained for months before the rock climbing trip.
Kite flying
Kite flying is a recreational outdoor activity in which people fly a kite using a string.
- Example: The family enjoyed kite flying at the park on a windy day.
Water balloon fight
A water balloon fight is a fun outdoor game in which people throw water-filled balloons at each other.
- Example: The children had a water balloon fight in the backyard on a hot day.
Swimming
Swimming is the activity or sport of moving through water using the arms and legs.
- Example: She goes swimming at the outdoor pool every summer.
Surfing
Surfing is a water sport in which a person rides waves on a surfboard.
- Example: Many people go surfing at the beach when the waves are high.
Canoeing
Canoeing is a water activity in which people paddle a narrow boat called a canoe.
- Example: We went canoeing on the river in the afternoon.
Water skiing
Water skiing is a water sport in which a person is pulled behind a boat while standing on skis.
- Example: He learned water skiing during his summer vacation.
Skiing
Skiing is a winter sport in which people slide down snow-covered slopes on skis.
- Example: She loves to go skiing in the mountains every winter.
Bungee jumping
Bungee jumping is an extreme sport in which a person jumps from a high place while attached to an elastic cord.
- Example: He tried bungee jumping during his adventure trip.
Paragliding
Paragliding is an adventure sport in which a person flies through the air using a special parachute-like wing.
- Example: They went paragliding over the mountains.
Skydiving
Skydiving is an extreme sport in which a person jumps from an aircraft and uses a parachute to land safely.
- Example: She was nervous before her first skydiving experience.
Related Outdoor Activity Vocabulary
Some outdoor words are not really games or sports, but they are useful when talking about outdoor recreation. For a full visual lesson, use the main Outdoor Activities Vocabulary page.
- Camping — staying outdoors in a tent or camper van. Learn more with this camping checklist.
- Fishing — catching fish with a rod, net, hook, or fishing line. See more fishing vocabulary.
- Picnic — eating a meal outdoors, often in a park.
- Gardening — growing and caring for plants outdoors.
- Outdoor movies — watching films outside on a large screen.
Outdoor Games and Sports Vocabulary | Video
Learn outdoor activities and game names with American English pronunciation.
Outdoor Sports Visual Vocabulary Practice (A2-B1)
Question 1: Look at the image. Type the correct English word.
Question 2: Which image matches the word "Rowing"?
Question 3: What is the correct English word for this image?
Question 4: Listen to the word and choose the correct image.
