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Great Games for Children

Playing games gives children a break from their regular routine. Use your imagination to create indoor and outdoor games that will appeal to your children. These games will encourage children to explore their imagination, build physical endurance and keep them away from the TV or computer for a couple of hours. A few friends or family members are all you need to get started.

Crab Soccer
- Play an outdoor game of crab soccer with a group of children. Divide the players up into even teams. Place two cones on the end of each playing field for the "goals." Place the cones about 5 feet apart. Mark a playing area so everyone knows the bounds. All players will get on their hands and feet with their bottoms facing down, hence the name crab soccer. Use a soccer ball to try to score points in your team goal by kicking the ball. Players cannot use their hands. The first team to score five points wins the game.
Beanbag Toss
- Place several hula-hoops in the backyard, and mark a starting line about 15 feet from the first hula-hoop. Put a sheet of paper inside each hula-hoop with a point value on it. Hoops closer to the starting line should have a low point value and hoops further away should have a greater point value. Give each child five beanbags to try to toss in the hula-hoops. The player who earns the most points wins the game.
Tabletop Basketball
- Children can play a game of tabletop basketball using two 16 oz. plastic cups, a ping-pong ball and a paper towel or napkin. Tear the napkin in half and put a piece in the bottom of each cup to keep the ball from bouncing out. Put double-sided tape on the bottom of each cup and place the cups about 4 feet apart. The tape will keep the cups from moving around on the table. Each player will bounce the ball down to his goal to take a shot. When he stops to take a shot, he must dribble the ball before shooting. If he dribbles the ball once before he shoots, he will earn three points, twice for two points and three times for one point. If a player loses control of the ball when bouncing it down the court, or dribbling it, the other player will take over. The opposing player will also get the ball after a missed shot or a score. The first player to get 10 points wins the game.
Marble Game
- Teach children how to play the marble game with a plastic container, rubber band, paper towel and several marbles. Place a damp single-ply paper towel across the top of a plastic cup and secure it with a rubber band. Children will add one marble at a time until the paper towel breaks. Players must be gentle and cautious when adding the marbles. The player who breaks the paper towel is out of the game. Put another paper towel on the cup and keep playing with the remaining players until only one player remains. The last player remaining wins the game.

Kids Games