My 4-year-old daughter made up this game, and I thought it was rather clever! As I blow bubbles, she pops them with her finger and says a number, starting with the number 1. As the bubbles float by, she pops them and counts the next number, and the next, until she forgets what number she was on or can't count any higher. Because the bubbles come out ... Read More >
Have you noticed that little kids love sparkly items? With this activity your child can pretend to be a pirate searching for lost treasure or an archaeologist searching for ancient artifacts. Take some little rocks and spray paint them gold. Older children can "help" with this part of the activity. Then bury the "treasure" in a box of sand. Give your child a small shovel ... Read More >
Have your child help you mix together bubble solution, water, and food coloring in an empty plastic water bottle. Your child can then shake it up or squeeze it to see lots of colorful, bubbly fun. This activity is a great way to teach about colors. But you can also use it to teach critical thinking: What will happen if we add more bubbles? What ... Read More >
Looking for something new and different to encourage learning while playing outside with your child? Create your own "learning board" out of sand. If you do not have a sandbox, purchase some sand and place it in a large, flat container like a baking pan. Help your child collect small items from around the yard. Use each item to press into or drag across the sand. ... Read More >
After the cold weather is over, invite the children to explore in the backyard with you. Buy a children's gardening set (trowel, spade, gloves) so that they can help you clear the dirt in order to prepare the soil so that you can plant pretty flower seeds or tomatoes. Go to your local nursery together to pick out plants and seeds. Kids LOVE helping in the garden. Read More >
Who needs to go to the forest or the beach for a camping trip? Take your tents to the backyard and experience a night under the stars. Put some hot cocoa in a thermos and bring out some special treats, such as s'mores cookies. Tell stories around an outdoor lantern. Sing lots of silly summer camp songs from your childhood. Just don't forget to turn ... Read More >
Would you like a less frustrating or time consuming option to scrapbooking with all those stickers and special paper? I did, so I decided to simplify the memory capturing process by making my photo albums more about the subject than the display. I bought a photo album, 8x8 or 4x8, and some self-adhesive ribbon and vellum quotes about children. With your child's help, you can border the ... Read More >
Loosely hide some tempting objects in your garden for your toddler to find and investigate. For little ones, you might use bigger objects and give a few hints; older children will enjoy more of a challenge. Try a folded-up dish towel with some toys hidden inside, a box to open with a snack inside, an upside down basket to turn over and discover a favorite stuffed animal 'hiding,' ... Read More >
What child doesn't love hide-and-seek? Here's a fun variation to play with a group, inside or outside. While the group counts to 50, one person goes to hide (find a place that's big enough to fit the whole group). When the group is finished counting, everyone spreads out to look for the hider. When you find the hider, quietly climb into the hiding place, too. ... Read More >
Take your music and dancing outside for a change! With an extension cord or an outside outlet, you can play your kids favorite music or some of your old favories (we've played Abba, Billy Joel and the Eagles) and have a backyard dance party. I have found that it helps to place an object - a small blanket, ball or riding toy in the center of ... Read More >
On a nice sunny day, let your kids strip down to a diaper or undies/swimsuit and let them fingerpaint outside. Have paper ready, but you can also let them paint on your kiddie table or let them paint themselves. My kids painted their whole bodies and all our kids toys outside. Then when we were done, they helped hose down all the toys and ran through the ... Read More >
Who needs a watering can in the summer when your child can water the pots/plants with a homemade watering can? You kids will love doing this! Take an empty and clean gallon-size plastic milk jug. Poke holes towards the bottom of the container with a hammer and nails. Then take your watering can outside, fill with water, and let your child have fun watering the flowers, ... Read More >
Mix together 2/3 cup of dishwashing liquid (Joy or Dawn work best), 1 quart of water, and 1/3 cup of glycerin. Stir with a whisk to combine all ingredients. Then pour a small amount of the liquid into a bowl or bowls for the kids to use. Use your imagination when finding bubble makers -- plastic berry baskets are great for making lots of little bubbles and ... Read More >
This is a game of chase for older kids that is best played outdoors at dusk or even night. If kids are uncomfortable in the dark, divide them up into pairs to keep each other company. Choose a spot for the base. Pick one person to be the seeker and give that person a flashlight. The rest of the group hides while the seeker counts. When the ... Read More >
Let your child 'wash' his or her 'car.' Kids enjoy washing their ride-on cars and scooters, and this will entertain them for at least 15-30 minutes. Keep an eye on the little ones if they may drink soapy water. You also don't have to use soap -- this activity is just as much fun with only the garden hose Read More >
Kids love to paint and will be so excited to paint their own body!! This activity is perfect for a warm day outside! To create your own body paint, combine non-toxic, washable powdered tempera paint and baby shampoo. Then head outside and let your child go to town painting himself and you, if you're brave! Read More >
Play a traditional game of tag; however when the child is touched or "tagged," they have to crouch down. When someone leapfrogs over them they are free. Read More >
Paint pictures on white paper using different colors of popsicles. You can use this activity to illustrate the concept of melting ice turning into water. Read More >
At a birthday party or special event, this game is sure to be a hit. Get a bag of marshmallows, some string, a safety pin, and a whipped cream, like Cool Whip. Take the string and cut about a 2 foot piece. Put a knot at the end, and at the opposite end place the safety pin. Take the end with the safety pin and run it through the middle ... Read More >
Next time you and your kids play tag, try this fun variation: When a child is caught, he or she has to put one arm against something (a wall, a chair, and so on) to make a tunnel. When another child runs under the tagged child's arm (or tunnel) then he or she is free. Read More >
Best played outside, but can also be done indoors if you clear a big enough space. You are the 'sculptor' and your child will be the 'statue.' Gently swing your child in circles (either by holding under their arms or just by holding hands) 2 or 3 times, calling out the name of an animal or object. When the sculptor lets go, the statue must come to ... Read More >
A new twist on the old game of tag - great for all ages and sure to get your blood pumping. Get a bunch of stickers, any kind will work but I use sheets of colored adhesive dots that are inexpensive and can be found at office supply stores. Place the pile of stickers within easy reach of everyone, then distribute one sheet to each person. Spread ... Read More >
At my daughters' preschool, the teachers occasionally sprinkle large sequins in the sand area. There are so many fun theme sequins like hearts, flowers and even dinosaurs! The kids love "treasure days" and they get a Dixie cup or small Ziploc snack bag to collect their treasures in. You can recreate this preschool activity at the park or in your own sandbox. When the treasures are ... Read More >
A great twist on an old favorite: With four people, have two hold a hoop between them. Have the other two throw the ball back and forth through the hoop. If someone drops the ball or throws a uncatchable pass, he has to then take a turn holding the hoop. Read More >
Do a simple relay game by designating a start and finish line using jump ropes or cones. Split up teams according to how many kids there are. Three or four to a team is most appropriate for preschoolers. You can use beanbags, party horns, small sticks or even just a light tag to cue the next runner. When each child has their turn, have them sit ... Read More >
Put a large non-breakable bowl or bucket on the ground and ask your child to throw a ball in it. If she gets the ball in, ask her to take a step back and try again. See how far away she can be and still hit the target. For summer time fun, fill the bowl with water for fun splashing. Read More >
A classic game that never grows old. One person is 'It' and he or she chases the other players in an attempt to tag them. When players are tagged, they're frozen in place and can only be freed when another player crawls through their legs. The game gets hilarious when you try to crawl through your 4 year olds legs! Read More >
Make a megaphone at home to show your child how his voice changes when using it. Simply find a large piece of thick paper or poster board, roll it up, and tape it. Take turns with your child speaking & listening. This is even more fun in the backyard. Read More >
Make sand at home! Half the fun is creating, and half is playing with the material. Mix all listed ingredients together in a plastic bin, and then give your child small containers, shovels, funnels so that they can dump and fill. Toy cars and bulldozers are also a lot of fun. Read More >
Take either two bowls or buckets and a big sponge. Fill the first bucket with some water, but not all the way full. Have your child soak up the water with the sponge and then wring it out in the empty bucket. See how many times or how long it takes for them to empty the first bucket and fill the second using only the sponge. Read More >
This game is great in the early morning or late afternoon, since shadows are longer at that time of day! Designate one or two children as "it" and let them run around trying to tag players by stepping on their shadows. After a few minutes, let the players switch roles. Read More >
Using various household or backyard objects, develop a running, jumping, ducking course for children to run around in the backyard. The kids can have a race or run just for fun! Read More >
My one-and-a-half-year old was having difficulty with the concept of 'stop' so now we play a game where we say, 'run and run and run and stop' while we are out, in order to practice. You can also try walk and stop, slide and stop, tiptoe and stop. They learn new vocabulary for movement and also practice the word and concept of stop. She now understands what ... Read More >
You need to have three or more people to play pickle. Set up two bases a distance apart so that children have to run between the bases. Two people are the catchers and the rest are the runners. The catchers pass a ball back and forth and the runners try to steal the bases as the catchers throw the ball, hoping they don't get caught in a pickle. The catchers ... Read More >
Grab a handful of water squirters from your bucket of bathtub toys -- one for each person playing -- and fill a bucket with water. Once outside, have every person fill up his or her squirter with water from the bucket, and then on the count of 10, start the game! The goal is to squirt all of the other players so that they will be "out." ... Read More >
My son plays this at school - a different version of the traditional 'Freeze Tag.' One player is chosen as 'It,' and chases the other players in an attempt to tag them. When tagged, you freeze in place with your arms above your head (fingers touching) and begin to 'melt' like a candle, slowly sinking your body to the ground. Other players can free you by touching ... Read More >
"You can't come to my birthday party!""You're not my friend!"
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