HT Games
Anywhere/Anytime Activity
Whether you're in a doctor's waiting room, an airport terminal, on a neighborhood walk or in a car, you may need an easy activity to distract one or more children that requires little or no preparation and equipment. One game that can be played with kids of any age is "I Spy." Take turns secretly selecting an object nearby and offering a clue; for instance say, "I spy with my little eye, something red." The child looks around naming red objects he sees until he finds the one you chose. Then it's his turn to select an object. As an alternative, instead of telling what the color of the object is, you could also offer the clue by giving the first letter of the object's name.
Outdoor Activities
Kids love being outdoors on beautiful spring and summer days and there are dozens of activities to keep them occupied outside. For one or just a few kids, activities like drawing on the sidewalk with chalk, learning to play hopscotch, going on a nature hike, playing catch, riding bikes and capturing bugs are entertaining. More involved activities for a group of kids include things like hosting a mini Olympics, playing kick the can, tag and scavenger hunts.
Indoor Activities
Kids enjoy nothing more than making a big, authorized creative mess; cover the floor with plastic, get some paper and let them go to town with finger paints. Scavenger or treasure hunts can be done indoors. Building a fort with sheets and cushions is great imaginative play. Hide and seek and dancing to music are fun for all ages; dancing can be turned into a game by randomly stopping the music and freezing in position until the music begins again. Charades and board games are also great ideas. Have a cooking lesson and bake some cookies that everyone can enjoy.
Party Activities
Creating and decorating name tags is a great way to make everyone feel welcome. A "guess how many" jar filled with marbles, beans, pennies or some other small object helps everyone feel immediately involved; guests write their name and guess on a small slip of paper and the closest guesser wins a prize at the end of the party. Group activities involve various games; some party favorites include musical chairs, pin the tail on the donkey, piñatas and scavenger hunts. Kids at parties also love arts and crafts like making beaded necklaces, pipe-cleaner sculpting or creating holiday decorations.