Activities for Kids

Different Ways to Play Hide and Seek

By

The traditional way to play hide and seek never gets old, but you may want a change if it is requested every day. Here are a few ways to play hide and seek with a twist while staying in the backyard.

Have the kids pick out some toys that are not too small and are allowed outside. While they cover their eyes and count, you hide the toys around the yard. You can let them run around loose and try to find them or play hot and cold if they are having a hard time. If the kids don’t understand the concept of hot and cold, you can use different words “you’re getting closer” or “you’re getting farther away.” Or give away little hints they have to figure out.

Sardines is a fun variation on hide and seek. You will need a few kids to play (at least three or four). The person who is designated as “it” does the hiding instead of the counting. Once the allotted time is up everyone has to try and find the hidden person. As each child finds the person who is hiding, instead of calling out they found them, they hide with them. This continues until all the kids are in one spot. It can get really squishy playing this game – just like in a can of sardines.

Chain hide and seek is also best if at least four children are participating. As the person who is “it” finds the other kids playing, they have to hold hands and form a chain until everyone is found. Falling down and giggling are sure to ensue as the kids try to run around while holding hands. This is a great one to play in the park. Involve all the kids in the park and see how long the chain can get.

Bug Bingo

By

Don’t worry; this doesn’t involve catching bugs just finding them. You will need a piece of paper for each child that is playing, crayons or pencils and stickers. Divide each piece of paper into nine squares with three columns and three rows. The middle square is a free space.

In each of the other eight squares draw a picture or write the name of a bug that can be found in your backyard. Send the children out with the stickers and their bingo cards to find the bugs. As the child finds each bug, they can place a sticker on the appropriate square. The only rule that should be reinforced is that the bugs are not to be touched (or squashed, squished, etc.).

To make the game longer or shorter you can either have the children find all the bugs on the page to win or like in traditional bingo the first person to make a line on their card wins. Once you put the effort into the game cards you may want to spend a bit of extra time and money to have them laminated. They can be re-used over and over again.

When they are laminated, you can choose to use a marker or crayon instead of stickers to check off the bugs that are found.

A good list of bugs to put on the cards:

* Ladybug
* Ant
* Caterpillar
* Worm
* Bee
* Spider
* Wood louse
* Beetle
* Butterfly
* Any other bug or insect that can be easily found in your yard.

Different variations of this game include using leaves or flowers instead of bugs. A prize for winning the game can increase the fun for the kids. It doesn’t have to candy or a toy, even letting them decide what video to watch or have for dinner can be enough of a prize for a child.

Activities for All Ages

By

If you have children that are not very close in age or run a daycare with a wide range of ages it can be tricky to plan activities that will engage everyone. But it is not impossible.

There are activities that can be planned that everyone can participate in at their own level or ones where the older children can help the younger. Don’t despair about the age gap or feel that you need to plan something different for everyone. Follow the tips below as a guide or starting point to including everyone in your summertime activities.

Indoor or outdoor crafts are perfect for kids of all ages. Provide the materials and general instructions and see the different masterpieces that will be created. When making crafts keep in mind that the instructions are more of a starting point. Let kids use their imagination to make it all their own. You will be pleased with the results when fewer parameters are put on a child’s imagination when creating artwork or other hands-on crafts.

Old-fashioned games of hide-and-seek or tag are games that children of all ages will enjoy. The added benefit of the physical activity will run of some of the abundant energy children possess. By participating yourself you can fit in your own exercise for the day too.

Let older children help facilitate the summer activities that you plan. By engaging the older children to help the younger they will feel a sense of responsibility and importance. This is a summer activity in itself, teaching leadership to children will help in many aspects of their lives.

When the situation warrants it, let the older and younger children do their own things. But don’t feel that you can’t combine the activities too, it is easier for you and great for the kids.

X