Use nature to create art, and keep your classroom from getting messy. Give each child a large sheet of paper and a peeled crayon. Show them how to make crayon rubbings by placing the paper over a textured object and rubbing the paper with the side of the crayon. Encourage children to make rubbings of sidewalks, playground equipment and the sides of buildings. You may also do painting projects outdoors. Spread out a length of paper, paint the children's hands or feet, then have the children press them all over the paper.
A game of catch is easy to arrange and can teach children about force and aim. Bring a few soft balls outside. Start by having pairs of children toss the balls back and forth. Once everyone's warmed up, have the children stand in a circle and toss the ball to whoever they want. Children must first say the name of the person to whom they're throwing. Make the game more complicated by adding a second or third ball. Children will need to pay close attention when several people are throwing balls across the circle.
Get children moving and keep them cool on a hot day. Fill several spray bottles with water. Explain that you're going to play tag, but instead of touching each other, the person who is "It" must spray another child with water to tag her out. On a hot day, the water will dry in minutes. Once the "It" child has tagged everyone, a new child gets to spray. Explain that spraying each other in the face is off limits. This game should be played in a fairly open area. Set up a second activity for children who don't want to be sprayed.
Encourage teamwork and creativity by organizing a game of pretend. Gather the children who are interested in playing. Come up with a pretend idea. For instance, they might all be dinosaur babies or explorers who have found a new land. Let each child choose a name for her character, then set out to play. You might declare a picnic table to be a secret cave or a play house to be a hiding place for the dinosaur babies. Children should end up running around the playground together as they make up new details.