Do you remember when we could have fun for free? Without paying to enter a fair or theme park? Without needing the Internet, batteries or electricity. When fun consisted of running about like a mad thing, laughter and imagination.
As the sun begins to shine and we can all get outdoors again, here are some brilliant, low-budget games what will wear the kids out, for free, this summer.
1. Hopscotch
A little chalk and a bit of paving can go a long way. This Victorian game is great for counting and coordination as it encourages throwing, hopping and numbers. Help your kids set up the squares and leave them to invent their own versions of this much-loved game.
2. Rounders
Requiring a decent amount of space, rounders is best played at the park or football field. This is ideal for large groups of children. If the age range is varied, team younger children with older kids and encourage guidance and support. This game is great for hand eye coordination as it’s all about throwing and catching, and the running will surely exhaust even the most active kids!
3. Five stones
Also known as Jacks, this is a great game for coordination skills. You’ll need five stones. The idea is to throw one stone and pick up the other four, while the first stone is still in the air, using only one hand. A tricky one to master, it keeps competitive kids engaged for hours. You can find an official Jacks game on the what2buy4kids site here.
4. Sardines
An alternative to hide and seek, in this version one person hides and the others must find them. When they do, they must hide with them – getting squeezed in like Sardines in a tin! The last person to find the hiders is the loser. The question is, do you have a hiding place big enough?
5. Tag, Tig, Chase or Stuck in the Mud
This game has many names! The premise: Two teams. One team or individual must chase the others, tagging them so they freeze on the spot. Members of their team can un-freeze them by running beneath their arms or crawling through their legs. A great warm up for sports, this game can be very tiring!
6. Egg and Spoon race
My top tip: boil the eggs! This makes for a much less messy afternoon should things so awry – and you know they will! Painting the eggs before hand adds an extra layer of creativity into the mix. On top of the eggs you’ll obviously need spoons and a race course. A few metres in the back garden or park will do the trick. You might like to take some ribbon or a skipping rope as a make-shift finish line. Don’t forget to reward your winners!
7. Treasure Hunts
Treasure hunts can take a little organisation but they’re not impossible to fathom. I recommend plotting a course first and then creating clues at various landmark stages. We recently published Easter Egg hunt ideas, which might inspire you. If you’re really serious, there’s nothing better than the Gotrovo Treasure Hunt Game. Adults set the treasure trail and kids follow picture, word, role play and riddle clues until they find the treasure.
8. Hide and seek
Your back garden, the park, the house, the garage… the opportunities are endless. Set your parameters, ensure the counter doesn’t peek and off you go on a game that – depending how skilled the hiders – can last for hours!
9. Skipping or Jump rope
Skipping burns serious calories and is great for coordination. No longer reserved for children and boxers, skipping is a great way to have fun with all the family. You’ll be amazed how tricky it is to re-establish those skills you had as a kid. Learning with your children can be incredibly rewarding and skipping ropes can be really affordable. If you’re struggling where to find some suitable skipping ropes we have some on the what2buy4kids website here.
10. What’s the time Mr Wolf?
A child is chosen to be Mr Wolf. They stand at least 3 metres from the other players. The others stand in a line and ask, “What’s the time Mister Wolf?”. Mr Wolf calls back an ‘o’clock’ between 1 and 12 and the other children take that number of steps toward the ‘wolf’. At a time that suits the wolf – usually when the other players are getting closer, they answer the question, ‘Dinnertime!’ and turns around to catch the other players. Whoever the wolf catches becomes the wolf on the next turn.
11. Sleeping Lions
The perfect way to relax children after a busy day. All but one or two players lie down and pretend to be asleep. The ‘hunters’ must move about the room and encourage the other players to move. They cannot touch them but they can talk to them and tell them jokes and so on. Any player who moves must stand up to join the hunters. Of course, if you’re trying to get the kids to relax, you might like to play ‘hunter’ yourself and make no effort to encourage them to move!
Lots of fun; I’m smiling at my own childhood memories. Which are you favourite free old fashioned games?
Written by Lisa Bradburn
Lisa is the managing director of what2buy4kids. Lisa’s wish is to make your job of finding a gift for the children in your life easier, or help you to take some of the time and frustration out of the search for that special gift for kids.
You can follow her on Twitter @what2buy4kids and Facebook
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