Games for Girls & Guys

Water Games

• Water games are popular with guys and girls during summer break. One game called Chicken has two pairs of girls and guys in waist-to-chest-high water of a swimming pool. Each girl sits on the shoulders of a guy. The guys walk toward each other and when they get close the girls try and knock the other off of the guys&' shoulders. Another pool game is called Marco Polo, in which one person counts to 20 under water while raising her fingers in the air to let others know the count. Then the person who is "it" keeps her eyes closed and yells out, "Marco," and the others reply by yelling, "Polo." By listening to the other players&' responses, the "it" person chases them until she tags someone who is then "it" for the next round.

Scavenger Hunt

• A scavenger hunt is a good way for both boys and girls to have fun. Hide clues around the house or in a park nearby. Each clue leads to other clues (and perhaps includes a small prize). The final clue leads to the grand prize. Both girls and boys enjoy this activity. Try pairing up one girl with one boy on each team. They can work together to find the clues and the prizes. This can help teach them that the different genders aren&'t necessarily that different after all: they both like to have fun.

Video Games

• There are interactive video games now that are targeted to girls as much as guys. Some involve physical activity as well. For instance, there are dancing video games that come with a floor pad; if you dance the correct moves at the correct rhythms, you get a high score. Other games include a diverse variety of sports games and entertainment arts like singing or playing instruments.