13 Easy Pioneer Games And Activities For Old-Fashioned Fun

Simple and fun Pioneer games and activities so you can have some good old-fashioned fun! 

SIMPLE PIONEER GAMES 

Do you want to play some pioneer games to celebrate Pioneer Day? Or having a pioneer era celebration? Here’s a roundup of simple pioneer games you can play with minimal effort. 

That’s the beauty of pioneer games is that they don’t require any fancy toys or supplies. Chances are you have all the equipment to play these games in your garage or house already. 

RELATED: 10 SIMPLE PIONEER DAY CRAFTS, FOOD, AND FUN  

1) TUG-O-WAR

Tug-o-war is a simple 1800s game. All you need is a rope or jump rope to play and at least 2 players.

How to play: Divide into 2 teams. Designate a center line. Have one person act as the referee. On “Go”, each team tries to pull the other team across the center line. 

Supplies needed: 

• Rope or jump rope

2) JACKS PIONEER TOYS

How to play jacks: The object of the game is to bounce a ball, pick up a certain amount of jacks, and catch the ball before it bounces again.

1. Spread 10 jacks on a hard playing surface.
2. On the first round, each player must pick up one jack with the bounce of the ball. Players can move the picked-up jack to the opposite hand and keep going. If all 10 jacks are picked, that player moves to round
3. On the 2nd round, players must pick up 2 jacks per bounce of the ball. If a player successfully picks up 2 jacks per bounce and gets all 10, they move to round 3.
4. Continue with each round.
5. The first player to complete all 10 rounds wins.

Supplies needed: 

• Jack with bouncy ball 

3) JUMP ROPE 

How to play jump rope: For a single player, hold the rope and jump over it as you move your arms in circular motions.

For 3 players, have 2 players hold each end of the rope. They move the rope in circular motion while the 3rd players jumps over it.

Supplies needed: 

• Jump rope 

4) RED ROVER PIONEER GAME 

How to play Red Rover: Divide into two teams. Team members hold arms and spread apart. One team calls out, “Red Rover, Red Rover, Send (name of person on other team) right over.”

The player that is called over must run from their team through the arms of the team that called them. If they break through, they get to return to their team. If they don’t, they join the team that caught them.

Repeat until there is only one team left.

Supplies needed: 

• At least 6 people to make 2 teams
• Area to run, preferably grassy 

5) HOPSCOTCH 

Supplies needed: 

• Sidewalk chalk to create hopscotch squares 
• Sidewalk or driveway

6) PIONEER SCAVENGER HUNT- PIONEER GAMES LDS

 Pioneer games for youth are a fun way to teach kids what pioneer life is like. If you’re looking for a Little House on the Prairie online game, this pioneer era scavenger hunt is perfect!

Just print off the pioneer clues and have youth search for the next one. Each clue shows kids what pioneer life was like.

7) STICK PULL 

Stick pull is a very simple game between 2 players and stick. Here’s a video that shows how a stick pull works. 

Supplies needed: 

• Stick or pole
• 2 players

8) WHEELBARROW RACES 

Wheelbarrow races are great for any age!

How to do Wheelbarrow Race: Grab a partner. One player gets down on the ground on their hands and knees. The other team member grabs their legs and lifts them up.  Race to the finish line. 

Supplies needed: 

• At least 4 people 
• Grassy area

9) MAKE HOMEMADE BUTTER

Making homemade butter is a fun pioneer children activity. All you need is a mason jar, heavy cream, a pinch of salt to make your own butter. More details here.

10) POTATO SACK RACES PRAIRIE GAMES

How to do Potato Sack Races: Players hop in a potato sack or empty pillowcase and must hop to the finish line. The first player to cross wins.

Supplies needed: 

• Potato sacks or pillowcases

11) 3-LEGGED RACE PIONEER CHILDREN’S GAMES

How to do 3-legged races: 2 players stand next together. They tie their middle legs together at the ankle, creating 3 legs between the 2 of them. Repeat for each team.

Players must race to the finish line. The first team that crosses wins.

Supplies needed: 

• At least 2 people
• Ribbon or rope to tie legs together

12) KICK THE CAN

How to play Kick the Can: One person is “It.” They place an empty tin can in the middle of a driveway or field. They count to 20 while everyone else hides.

The person who is it tries to find the other players. The hidden players try to run and kick the can over before getting caught.

Supplies needed: 

• Metal can

How to play checkers: follow the directions on the game box to play. The object of the game is to capture the other player’s checker pieces.

13) CHECKERS 

Supplies needed: 

• Checkers game 

OTHER PIONEER DAY IDEAS: 

• Homemade Butter in a Jar Recipe 

• Easy Whole Grain Corn Bread Recipe

• Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches

• Pioneer Day Treasure Hunt