With the springtime weather upon us, now’s a great time to get outside and enjoy the warmer days. Here are some ideas for games that will burn off extra energy!
Hopscotch: Grab a piece of chalk and a rock and get ready to have a wonderful time making a hopscotch grid. You can make your grid as big or as small as you want – or even an interesting shape!
Red Light, Green Light: This game requires no set up and no equipment. The stoplight person stands at the finish line and turns their back to the player(s). The player(s) stand on the starting line. The stoplight says “Green light!” and all the players must move toward the finish line. If the stoplight yells “Red light!” the players must freeze. If the stoplight catches a player moving, the player returns to the starting line. The first player to reach the finish line becomes the stoplight.
Simon Says: This is an old favourite! Explain that your child needs to listen carefully to your instructions. They have to do what you say, if you say “Simon Says” first. If you DON’T say Simon Says, your child shouldn’t do the action. You can make this game as simple or as challenging as you want, by making the actions more or less straightforward, and slower or faster as you like.
Chalk Obstacle Course: Using the sidewalk or your driveway and a piece of chalk, you can make a simple and fun obstacle course. Draw different shapes for your child to hop on. Draw wiggly lines for your child to walk along. Make a small maze for your child to walk through. The possibilities are endless!
Basic Bowling: Grab six empty plastic soda bottles and fill them with a small amount of water. Set them up in a pyramid. Grab a squishy or bouncy ball and roll or throw it at the bottles. See if you can knock them all over at once and get a strike!
Bean Bag Toss: Set up hula hoops on the lawn and get some beanbags or balls to throw in to the hoops. You can designate each hoop with a point value if you like, or just see how many beanbags or balls you can get into the hoops.
Hot & Cold: Hide a toy or treasure in your yard or at the park and see if your little one can find it. Say “hot” if your child is close to the toy, “cold” if they’re far away and “warm” if they’re getting closer. Give lots of praise when your child finds the treasure!
For more fun and fantastic ideas, be sure to check the Sing to Say blog, and follow us on Instagram!
