Hobbies And Interests
Hand and Foot Match
Give each child eight sheets of cardstock and a shallow plate of paint (each child should have only one color of paint, but different children can have different colors). Write the child's name at the bottom of each sheet of cardstock; then each child should make four handprints and four footprints, using a separate sheet for each print. When dry, shuffle the cards and give each child a pile with the cards facedown. One child must turn over a card from his pile and place it faceup in the center of the group. The next child must do the same, placing her card on top of the previous one. As the pile in the center builds, the children must look out for cards that match--that is, two handprints with the same child's name or two footprints with the same child's name. When a match occurs, children must shout "match" and the first one to cover the pile with her hand gets to claim the pile and add it to her own. The winner is the last child left with any cards in his own pile.
Paint Blowing
Give each child a straw and a bowl of thin nontoxic paints. Roll a long sheet of paper across a flat surface. Sit the children in a row along one edge of the rolled-out length of paper. Instruct each child to drop a blob of paint in the center of the paper in front of them and then to use the straw to blow the paint as far as they can. Award prizes for the longest paint streak and most interesting shapes.
Egg Painting
Although usually associated with Easter, egg painting games can be played at any time. Give each child a cold, hard-boiled egg and nontoxic paints. The children can paint the eggs with any design they wish. As soon as the paints are dry, take the children and their eggs to the top of a hill where they can let the eggs roll down. The winner is the child whose egg rolls farthest before breaking.
Animal Costumes
Pick an animal theme such as bugs, dinosaurs or big cats and provide each child with a plain white T-shirt and fabric paints. Place the T-shirts faceup on a flat surface with a layer of absorbent paper between its front and back to prevent seepage. Each child can then paint his own animal "costume" based on the theme, such as red with black spots for a ladybug costume, green scales for a dinosaur or stripes for a tiger.