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How to Care for Others - Games for Kids

Children learn through play. Activities and games allow kids to develop skills like following directions, taking turns and teamwork. Many games for kids can be played indoors or out, and with children of various ages and abilities. Consider games for kids that do not require any expensive or breakable equipment and ones that adults won't mind joining in on to help facilitate the play.

Bean Bag Toss
- Often kids need to burn off some energy, although not all homes and yards have a large space for running around. Games such as Bean Bag Toss allow kids to use up some energy and practice skills like aiming and throwing. To make the bean bag, the Family Education website suggests you fill a child-sized sock halfway full of dried beans or uncooked rice, knot the open end and fold the cuff down. Set up a series of pails or baskets at increasing distances and have kids throw the bags into the baskets. Use large baskets, such as laundry baskets, for younger kids.
Simon Says
- Simon Says is a game that has been amusing children for generations. One child issues commands to a group of other children, such as, "Simon says touch your nose" and "Simon says take off your hats." If the child gives a command without saying "Simon says" at the beginning of the command, any children who follow the command are out of the game until someone wins. The winner gets to act as "Simon" next. Even parents and teenage siblings can join in, which can add to the fun if the younger children get to be "Simon."
Treasure Hunt
- Kids of any age might enjoy a treasure hunt that takes them through the yard or house. Provide a hand-drawn map along with some clues, and set kids loose in pairs or teams to find small hidden items. Consider having a themed treasure hunt, using sports items or paraphernalia from a favorite movie. Include a few fun snacks for the kids to find during the hunt. A variation on the treasure hunt is the hotter-colder game, in which one person hides an item and others try to find the treasure and are told "hotter" as they get closer to the item and "colder" as they move farther away.
Bowling
- Many kids enjoy setting up a series of objects and inventing ways to knock them down again. Instead of purchasing a cheap plastic set of kids' bowling pins and a ball, try a sillier homemade version of kids' bowling. Find ten unbreakable objects to arrange that can be knocked over by a kids' plastic ball. The Disney Family website suggests a mismatched set of items such as an empty milk jug, cereal box, an oatmeal container or a stack of empty pop cans. For an added challenge, use 20-oz. plastic bottles filled with water as pins.

Kids Games