Hobbies And Interests
Blind Man's Bluff
One person is the "blind man" and wears a blindfold over her eyes so she cannot see anything. She relies on her hearing. She spins herself around five times while the other players hide. Younger children can team up with older children or parents and hide together. When the blindfolded player is done spinning, she shouts, "Freeze." Everyone has to stop and stay where they are, even if they haven't reached their hiding spot.
The blindfolded player yells "blind man's" to which the other players respond by yelling, "bluff." The blindfolded person must listen carefully to find the players using only their voices. If the blindfolded player touches a frozen player, the tagged player is out of the game.
Board Games
Nearly every age group has at least one age-appropriate board game. Parents might get a little bored playing Hi-Ho Cheerio, Candy Land or Chutes and Ladders, but the preschoolers enjoy these games because they don't have to read to know what move to make, the boards are colorful and interesting and the games don't last for hours. Older kids and parents might enjoy a traditional game of checkers, backgammon, Monopoly or Yahtzee. Some other board games to consider include Life, Sorry, Trivia Pursuit and Scrabble.
I Spy
"I Spy" is a versatile game that works when you're inside on a rainy day, outdoors when the sun shines and in the car on a road trip. This game can be played almost anywhere and doesn't require any equipment. The first person sees something that everyone else can see and says, "I spy, with my little eye," and then something that describes the object, like its shape or color. If the first player sees a red heart, he would say, "I spy, with my little eye, something red." The rest of the players try to guess what the object is. The first person to guess correctly gets to "spy" something. The game is played as long as there is interest in it.
Simon Says
"Simon Says" is fun for kids to play with their parents because the kids get to tell the parents what to do. Someone stands up in front of the others. This person is "Simon." "Simon" instructs the other players to do something, like rub their tummies or jump three times. The tricky part is no one should follow the instructions unless they are said with "Simon says," like "Simon says rub your foot," or "Simon says turn around." If a player follows instructions that don't include "Simon says," that player is out of the game.