Over the past few years there has been an uptick in innovative outdoor games that are modernized versions of older classic games.

The updated versions of these classic games have gained widespread popularity as many people have realized the danger of kids, teens, and adults spending too much being sedentary, sitting on their behinds playing on their phones or video games instead of being outside and getting healthy exercise.

We all know how hard it is to unplug. All the cords and wires in our lives seem to resist us pulling on them, just like dragging a garden hose that snags on every obstacle in your yard. We yank and yank, but technology won’t turn us loose! And our kids are the most susceptible.

One way to fight this tangled mess is with outdoor games that show kids how much fun there is to be had playing outside and away from the stranglehold of wires, screens, and like buttons. So fight we will. And some of the weapons we will use to cut cords are listed below.

These innovative outdoor games were classics a few decades ago but have now been infused with modern twists to make them even more fun. Before you decide it’s too late for your kids because they are hooked on video games and phone apps, give them a chance. You will be surprised how powerful playing games can be in the great outdoors. Mother Nature has been around a lot longer than Apple or Mark Zuckerberg.

She will be around long after they are but dust and ashes.

Glow in the Dark Jump Rope

Younger kids love jumping rope. Group games and contests make for hours of fun. But what about nighttime? Since technology isn’t all evil, kids can now jump rope at night with a glow in the dark jump rope. You can buy glow in the dark jump rope on amazon. Buy one for solo jumping exercise or buy a few for glow in the dark jump rope fun with friends. For you parents with little time to exercise, consider jumping rope for cardio. It is one of the most intense workouts you can get without going anywhere.

Modern and SAFE Glow in the Dark Lawn Darts

Let me tell you something about lawn darts. They were a bad idea back in the day. Why? Well, giant darts flung high into the air can land on a human head and result in emergency room visits. Luckily we have evolved since the 1980s and now lawn darts are safer, and more fun. The new modern glow in the dark lawn darts (you can find them on amazon) are the most fun to play after dark with their glowing features. No kid can resist playing games that light up the night at a BBQ, camping trip, or sleepover. Best of all, there are no cords to get tangled up and stop working after a few weeks of kinks.

The Water Bomb Game

Creators of innovative outdoor games know that kids love water and lots of surprises. They mixed the two together and came up with a super fun water bomb game that is perfect for summer fun (you can find the “Water Bomb Game” on amazon). If you parents remember how much fun musical chairs was, then you will get the feel for this game quickly. The children gather in a circle, passing the ticking water bomb around until it goes off and soaks the unlucky young-gun holding it at the wrong time. Or you can combine some music and when it stops, the kid holding the water bomb has to hold it knowing it will explode on him at any moment.

Diggin Slimeball Dodgetag

As a young boy some of my favorite activities were throwing rocks, playing tag, and dodgeball was the best game ever created. Sure I skinned my knees with tag, got punished for “wasting rocks” by a truly evil babysitter, and had more than a couple dodgeball concussions. But I had a blast! A modern version of all three activities is now available thanks to some genius selling on Amazon. “Diggin Slimeball Dodgetag” has to be more fun than shooting little digital soldiers on a tiny screen with groups of online jerks armed with filthier vocabularies than a drill sergeant.

Inflatable Backyard Bowling

Who doesn’t like bowling? But who doesn’t hate loading up the car to drive to a bowling alley to pay high prices for dirty shoes and maybe two games? Now that modern “engineers” have figured out how to inflate a bowling ball, every family has access to 24/7 bowling. And it can be done outdoors with an “inflatable backyard bowling set” (you can find it on amazon). Innovative outdoor games like this can be played at the beach, lake house, or at backyard get-togethers.

Don’t think you are an oddball if you want to free your family from the clutches of modern technology. You fight the good fight. You’re not alone. According to this Daily Mail article, herds of humans are going back to the basics of life. They too are weary of cords squeezing the life out of them and their family like a hungry boa constrictor.

Capture the Flag REDUX

To wrap up our list of modern outdoor games to help kids unplug, we must mention glow in the dark Capture the Flag REDUX.

Capture the Flag REDUX came to be from a simple improvement to a classic game that stood out from a childhood memory. Little did we know that our modern version of Capture the Flag would be one of the games that is spearheading the fight to free young minds and bodies from technology overload.

Unplugging is not easy. The easy thing to do is the passive option of sitting still, letting YouTube, SnapChat, and Netflix wash over us. There’s nothing wrong with those three services… in moderation. It’s up to parents to make sure these types of services stay in their place and not become addictions.

That’s not a simple task, but neither is raising kids in the first place!

If you enjoy glow in the dark games, check out our online game store.