Make the most out of the lockdown with these playful past-times
After spending weeks in lockdown at home already, many families will have exhausted the board game collection and be wondering how many more games of snap they can handle.
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No need to be bored or frustrated during coronavirus quarantine. Help is at hand. Here are 12 quick and easy games the whole family can play:
BOBBING FOR APPLES
In a large tub filled with water, put some apples in and let each player dip their faces into the water as they try to pick up an apple only with their mouths. It’s a rainy day favourite — with healthy food as the reward!
Age: all ages
Indoor: 2+ players
SOCK BASKETBALL
Create your own NBA game by taking aim at the basket with just a rolled-up pair of socks. Once you get it in, move a step back and see how far you can go. Add to the fun by laying down masking tape for the lines to throw from.
Age: 4+
Indoor: all ages
BRITISH BULLDOG
A group game where one person is ‘in’ and calls ‘British bulldog!’ — the group has to run from one side of the yard to the other with the bulldog catching whoever they can!
Age: 6+
Outdoors: 6+ players
BLINDMAN’S BLUFF
Blindfold one person and spin him/her a few times. He or she must try to catch the other players who are moving around the blindfolded person making noises. When the blindfoled person catches another player, he/she must guess who it is. If they guess correctly, the caught player gets blindfolded and the game continues.
Age: 4+
Indoor or outdoor: 4+ players
PILLOWCASE RACES
Each player puts their legs into the pillow case, holds on tight and jumps their way like a kangaroo to the finish line!
Age: 4+
Indoor: 2+ players
STATUES
Get the kids dancing by playing some music - when you stop the music, everyone has to ‘freeze’. The slowest to stop leaves the game, until there is a winner!
Age: 3+
Indoor or outdoor: 2+ players
MINI GOLF
A great way to recycle your tin cans, set them up around the house. If you don’t have golf putters, you can make one out of a cardboard tube (andeven make flags out of ice block sticks and paper).
Age: 4+
Indoor or outdoor: 1+ players
WHAT’S THE TIME MR WOLF?
One player starts as Mr Wolf, who stands at the opposite end of the yard, with their back to the other players. All players then yell “What’s the time, Mr Wolf?” and Mr Wolf can say any time on the clock — which corresponds to the number of steps the children take (eg. 3 o’clock = 3 steps towards Mr Wolf).
The question is asked until Mr Wolf decides to say “Dinner Time!!!”, when the player who is Mr Wolf can turn around and try to tag a player before he or she returns to the starting line. If successful, the tagged person is the new Mr Wolf.
Age: 4+
Outdoor: 3+ players
CHARADES
Prepare some cards with age-appropriate words, names, places, movies and books - and have the kids take turns silently acting out what’s on the card. Use a stopwatch to track the time and whoever correctly guesses the answer gets to go next!
Age: 8+
Indoor: 2+ players
SARDINES
A different take on ‘hide and seek’, where all children except one count to 20 together while the other child hides. The other children separate to find the hidden child — when one of them finds ‘the hider’, he or she joins the hider. The game continues until the last child discovers the hiding place — with all children squished in like sardines!
Age: 4+
Indoors or outdoors: 4+ players
DUCK DUCK GOOSE
Have the kids sit in a circle as one player walks around the outside, tapping each one on the head saying ‘duck’ with each tap. When they choose to say ‘goose’, that player has to stand up and chase the other — the tapper has to get back to the empty spot without being caught.
Age: 4+
Indoor or outdoor: 4+ players
JUGGLING
If you don’t have juggling balls, you can make your own by stretching the opening of a balloon and filling it with rice until it’s just the right size for little hands. Fill another two balloons to the same size. The rubber acts for good grip and will help your kids focus on co-ordination.
Practice with one balloon first. Practice tossing one item (underhand) from hand to hand in an arc, keeping hands at waist level and elbows at sides and the tosses at an even height.
Add the second item. ...
Add the third one, and they’re juggling!
Age: 8+
Indoor or outdoor: solo
* These games have been provided free from https://www.budgetdirect.com.au/interactives/kids-games/
Originally published as Make the most out of the lockdown with these playful past-times