Robin Hood Tech / Play together
Free outdoor team games for adults: a ready-to-run 45-minute session
By Robin Hood Tech · Published 1 November 2026
A few people, a patch of shade and some paper. Here's a complete session you can run without buying a game kit.
These five games are for 4-16 adults in two to four teams of roughly equal size. They suit friends, a small club or an informal workplace get-together. We combine familiar memory, word and observation game formats with our own prompts and scoring. No running, tackling, blindfolds or physical contact is required.
Your organiser pack
Download the two-page A4 pack with the session plan, host prompts, rules and a four-team score sheet.
Download the free organiser packNo registration or equipment purchase required. Use paper and pencils you already have. Venue, transport, refreshments and printing costs are separate.
Set up before people arrive
Choose a permitted area where the whole group can sit or stand comfortably without blocking other people. Ask the venue about bookings and group activities. Agree on a small boundary, a finish time and a place to pause. Bring paper, pencils, a timer and water. No one needs a smartphone; the host can keep time.
Make two to four teams, usually two to four people each. Choose one host to read the prompts and apply the same scoring checklist to every team. The host can play casually, but should not compete in a memory round after seeing the answers. Participation is optional and people can take a scorer or reader role.
The 45-minute running order
| Minute | Activity | Points per team |
|---|---|---|
| 0-5 | Welcome, team names, boundaries and comfort check | No points |
| 5-11 | Memory postcard | Up to 6 |
| 11-17 | Silent season sort | Up to 6 |
| 17-23 | Picnic rescue pitch | Up to 6 |
| 23-28 | Water and rest break | No points |
| 28-36 | Six-word story circle | Up to 6 |
| 36-42 | Pattern detectives | Up to 6 |
| 42-45 | Share favourite moments and total scores | Maximum 30 |
1. Memory postcard
Allow 6 minutes. Bring: Paper and pencils.
The host reads the six-item scene twice: a striped towel, a yellow cup, a red kite, a blue hat, a picnic basket and a green ball. Teams listen without writing, then have 90 seconds to draw or list what they remember. Do not repeat the list during that time.
Scoring: One point for each correctly recalled item, including its colour or pattern where specified. Maximum 6.
Make it work for your group: A spoken answer counts. Nobody is judged on drawing ability.
2. Silent season sort
Allow 6 minutes. Bring: One pencil and paper per team.
Give every team these six words: summer, spring, winter, autumn, holiday, picnic. The host announces the goal: put all six in alphabetical order. Teams have 90 seconds to agree without speaking, using pointing, writing or gestures. Reveal the answer together.
Scoring: The order is autumn, holiday, picnic, spring, summer, winter. One point for each word in the correct position. Maximum 6.
Make it work for your group: Keep everyone seated and allow speech if silent communication is not suitable.
3. Picnic rescue pitch
Allow 6 minutes. Bring: Paper optional.
The imaginary picnic has lost its blanket. Each team gets two minutes to invent a solution using only three imaginary objects: a cardboard box, a wooden spoon and a tea towel. Give a 30-second pitch. Nothing is built or purchased.
Scoring: The host awards one point for including each object, one for explaining how the group would sit, one for keeping the imaginary space tidy and one for finishing within 30 seconds. Maximum 6.
Make it work for your group: One person may read a team-written pitch. Judge the agreed checklist, not confidence or humour.
4. Six-word story circle
Allow 8 minutes. Bring: Paper and pencils.
The host supplies six words: garden, shade, bottle, surprise, friend, home. Each team writes a four-sentence story using all six words, then reads it to the group. Allow three minutes to write and the remaining time to share.
Scoring: One point for each supplied word used in the story. Maximum 6. There are no bonus points for performance or spelling.
Make it work for your group: Dictate to a teammate or tell the story aloud. People can pass on reading.
5. Pattern detectives
Allow 6 minutes. Bring: Paper and pencils.
From your agreed meeting area, each team identifies six visible things: a curve, a straight line, a repeated pattern, a bright colour, a shadow and a sign of human care. Use a different example for each. Spend three minutes looking, then point out or describe the finds.
Scoring: One point for each distinct example the group can identify. Maximum 6. Do not walk away, pick up objects or photograph anyone to prove an answer.
Make it work for your group: A teammate can describe the view. Substitute a host-provided drawing if the setting cannot be seen comfortably.
Keep the scoring simple
Each round is worth six points, so the full session has a maximum of 30. Write scores on the organiser sheet as you go. Ties are shared wins; there is no extra race or sudden-death challenge. For a cooperative version, skip the rankings and ask every team to complete all five rounds.
Change the session to suit the group
For a shorter session, pick any three games and allow about 25-30 minutes including a break. If reading, hearing or vision makes a prompt difficult, agree on an equivalent before the round. Let people answer verbally, write, draw or dictate. Use the same available adjustment for every team. These suggestions are not a claim that one format suits every access need.
Keep paper secure and take it home. Do not use amplified sound, mark surfaces, move park furniture or reserve public space informally. Move indoors with permission or postpone if conditions are uncomfortable. Nobody needs to be photographed, share personal information or perform alone.
Games, not a hosted service
We're providing a free plan you can organise yourself. We are not supplying a facilitator, venue booking, insurance or promised team-building results. This session is separate from the Robin Hood app and is not a pilot invitation.