Six Fun Games to Play with your Kids at Home

As a mother of three, I know firsthand just how difficult it can be to keep little ones entertained. After nearly two years of intermittent lockdowns, many parents may find themselves at their wit’s end trying to find outlets for their darling children’s seemingly boundless energy. If you’re anything like me, then you’ve already gone through every appropriate movie and show on Netflix twice over, and you’ve read every story that could be deemed safe three times over that. But don’t worry! Here are six fun games that I have compiled that require little more than imagination a few common household items:

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1. Tape Maze What you will need: -A roll of painter’s or scotch tape

-A wide section of floor -(Optional) A ball of some kind

Instructions: 1. Using strips of tape, mark out the lines of a maze on your floor. Make sure there is enough space for your child to walk comfortably within the corridors you’ve created. 2. Encourage your child to solve the maze! 3. For added difficulty, you may give your child a ball to roll or bounce as they work their way through the maze. Ask them to do so without letting the ball cross over any lines. Even setting aside the benefits of having a complex sigil on the floor of your home, this game helps your child’s imagination grow and teaches them basic problem-solving skills. 2. Sock Basketball What you will need: -A pair of socks (CAUTION: NOT STOCKINGS) -A laundry basket or waste bin -A few small objects such as shoes or blocks

Instructions: 1. Roll up the pair of socks together to create a soft, yet throwable ball. 2. Using whatever objects you have on hand, measure out appropriate distances for your child’s age. 3. Assign point values based on the difficulty of the shot. 4. Start throwing! This game is an excellent way to foster a healthy competitive spirit between your children. If your household is weak enough that there is only one player, keep track of the score for fun!

3. I Spy

What you will need:

-Just the players, and a sharp pair of eyes for each!

Instructions:

1. The first player secretly chooses an object in the room and provides the rest of the group with a simple, one-word descriptor (e.g., “I spy something golden”, “I spy something obscene”)

2. The other players take turns guessing in rotation. In the interest of fairness, limit how many guesses each player can take, and make sure that they know not to shout out their guess before their turn.

This is perhaps the easiest and most versatile game on the list. In the average household during the New Normal, the possibilities can be literally endless! One helpful tip is to make sure each player knows not to select things that are too obvious, and to not select things only they can see.

4. Screamin’ Mimis

What you will need:

-A closet with a lock

Instructions:

1. Disconnect all landlines and gather up all cell phones. Hide them in a place your children can’t access.

2. Tell your kiddos that they cannot, under any circumstances, leave the house.

3. Lock yourself inside the closet. Take a few deep breaths.

4. Scream.

5. Sob.

6. Scream.

7. Sob.

8. Scream out every hate you have held within your heart.

9. Sob for every agony you have ever experienced.

10. Wail and shriek at the top of your voice until your throat is torn and raw.

And that’s it! The game is won when you can successfully calm down your terrified little ones.

5. Hide and Go Hunt

What you will need:

-The players

-Your home or an open area with plenty of hiding spots

-(Optional) An invitation to a malevolent entity

Instructions:

1. Select one player to be the quarry.

2. The quarry finds a place to hide while the rest of the players count together to EXACTLY thirty-nine (no more, no less)

3. The hunters split up to try and find them.

4. When a hunter finds the quarry, they join them in hiding. Together, they find a new place while evading the hunters.

5. The game continues until all players are hiding together.

The invitation to the Entity is entirely optional, as their kind are always attracted to games like this. The game is won when all players successfully hide from It! This teaches your little ones extremely valuable skills for surviving in the New Normal.

6. Dance for God

What you will need:

-A number of small to medium stones

-One child

-Duct Tape

-A dark night

-An open field

-(Optional) A flashlight

Instructions:

1. Wake your chosen child up from their sleep in the dead of night. Tell them you have a special surprise.

2. Lead them quietly out into a nearby field. You must walk there.

3. Use the stones to construct a circle wide enough for you to stand and kneel comfortably in.

4. Use the duct tape.

5. Stand in the circle of stones. Turn thrice deosil and speak the words. You know them. You’ve always known them.

6. When the lights come, prostrate yourself within the circle.

7. Do not lift your head. Do not look. No matter how they beg. No matter what you hear, or in whose voice it is said.

8. The duct tape will almost certainly fall off. The screams will be overwhelming.

9. Do not look.

10. When the lights fade, lift your head. Go back home.

11. Pray.

I don’t think I need to explain why this game is so wonderful! You’ll see. Everyone does, eventually.

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There you have it! Hopefully, these five games will ease some of the tension and boredom in your household. I know that these activities have kept me and my two children entertained for hours at a time, and I can personally attest to how useful they are in encouraging ingenuity and imagination. Thanks for reading, and I’ll be back for more Tips and Tricks for Parents when the seasonal depression lifts!

Submitted by Rothilda Omslot, in Tips and Tricks for Parents