Games are loved by kids, especially amidst all those tedious hours spent in attending classes and doing homework at home. However, if you think games are just a way to pass time for kids, you are far from the reality. There are some games which can be beneficial for your kids from other perspective than enjoyment. Games like dodgeball and Hopscotch are ideal if you want your kids to have sharp thinking capabilities and analytical skills along with a fit body. You can try some variations with popular kid’s games to give your toddlers multiple benefits.
Hopscotch in a different form
This is a very popular game for toddlers for sure. You can try some diversions in the game to make it more interesting as well as challenging for the children. It can be played with a chalk and open space like a driveway. Draw the well known squares in 2:1:2 ratios. Ask the kid to hop on two feet first, followed by one foot and revert to two feet again. It may be a tad tricky for kids but they will pick it up. There is actually no fixed rule and you can come up ideas.
Playing with Alphabets
Playing with alphabets can be quite exciting for your toddlers. You can use chalk and thinking ability to write alphabets and words using both hands. This makes the players to use both sides of their heads. Trying variations like using words from reverse and side wise can make the thing even more interesting. It may be hard for kids to achieve desired results in the beginning but the fun will be more.
Pick-up Sticks with Twist
The tried and tested pick-up sticks game can be made different by using your toes. This can make the kids giggle or burst out with laughter. It will make hem exercise with their legs and toes like never before. If they can play these games regularly, who needs to run or work out at gyms? For the benefit of kids, you may use larger sticks. You my even use colored sticks to add variation to the game.
Crazy Jacks
You can make some variation to the well known jacks game and make it a movie alternative on rainy day. All you need to do is add a few more rubber bands to the ball you use. Once you do that, no one can predict bounce trajectories at all! This will further help enhance mind body coordination in the players.
Bouncing Boxball
Similar in nature to table tennis, this is played with two sidewalk squares but you can also use a couple of chalk squares painted on pavement. You can try playing with another player with a ball and replacing paddles with hands. The rule is every player should stand behind a square and stepping into it is not allowed. You have to put the ball in the other player’s square so that he can’t slap it back. The hitting rules are like table tennis. You can involve your kids with his or her friends in neighborhood.
Tap-Out Tag
Tap-out Tag is a game that is used to assess a kid’s motor skills and memory while allowing him or her to burn energy. You will require three different hued markers and nine plastic lids. Segregate lids into three piles evenly. Using markers, write X on lids in such a way every group of Lids get X of each hue. In backyard, make a few base areas and keep each group of lids in every area. The players need to pick a color pattern and have to get to base and with hands tap out the pattern.
Evans is a blogger and he is currently associated with PrincetonaveMontessori.com which is a leading Preschool in Thousand Oaks CA.