Hobbies And Interests
Memory Games with a Twist
Play a game that will amuse the girls and teach them more about one another. If you have five girls or more in the group, have them sit in a circle facing one another. Ask who has a good memory, and have her start the game. Instruct the first girl to give the name she would like to have rather than her real name, and then tell something interesting or strange about herself. For example, she could say, "My name is Anastasia Adams and I like to color my hair to match the seasons." The next girl in the row must repeat this information, and then add her own name and strange hobby and so on, until the first girl must start with herself and repeat all of the names and strange interests. This game can produce a lot of laughter, but no boredom.
Guess Who Answered
For three or more girls, you can get them playing a guessing game and see how well they know their friends. Give each girl five to 10 slips of paper and tell them to write a question onto each, such as, "If you could meet any celebrity, who would it be?" or "What futuristic invention from movies or books would be great to really have?" Have the girls throw all of their questions into a basket. On each girl's turn guessing, she pulls out a question and read it aloud. Her friends write down their answers and pass them all to a "reader," who reads them all aloud. The guesser attempts to identify which friend answered what. She gets a point for each correct guess.
Funny Football
For more active girls, set up goals at either side of the yard. Tell them this is a game of American football mixed with soccer. The rules are played like soccer, but they must use an American football. Hilarity will ensue when the kicked ball bounces in unusual ways all over the yard. This game levels the playing field for those girls who are not as athletic, as even star soccer players won't be able to track the ball well nor keep it going in a straight line, and can work well for two or more girls.
Messy Summer Fun
For an activity that's good for a group or just one to two girls, you can make your own slip-and-slide with a twist. Get about 50 feet of tarp and lay it across a level or only slightly sloped yard. Get a bit of vegetable oil, along with the makings of a banana split such as whipped cream and chocolate syrup. Spread these items on the tarp, along with a sprinkler, and the girls can take turns running and sliding along the banana split slide. After the outdoor fun, and after hosing them down, bring the girls back inside to make real banana splits.