Hobbies And Interests
Travel Match
Kids ages five to seven can become easily bored on long automobile trips. Travel match is a game that helps to pass the time. Prepare a deck of travel cards with pictures of street signs, types of vehicles, people and buildings. These may include stop, yield, no passing, speed limit and directional signs. The people category may be police officers, truck drivers and construction workers. Different color cars and types of trucks also may be included in the card game. Before the trip begins, deal five cards to each child. When a child sees an object that is in the dealt hand, the card is placed face up on the seat. The first child to be left with no cards, wins the game. Play over again, as desired, with a new set of five cards.
Fishing Game
The fishing game is fun for kids ages five to seven. One child or a group of kids may play. Create fishing poles by tying string to a long stick and attaching a small piece of refrigerator magnet to the end of the string. Cut out different color fish from construction paper and tape a small square magnet to each fish. The children decide what color fish they will try to catch and then go fishing. If a child is fishing for red fish and catches a blue one, it must thrown back in the box. The child continues to fish until the right color is caught. For older children, the turn is lost when they pull a fish of the wrong color. Parents or teachers can build some excitement by timing the game. For example, give each child his own fishing bucket and time the group so that the one who catches the most fish of his color in one minute is the winner.
Spoon Race Games
Two or more children will enjoy the spoon race game. Play the game with any round object balanced on a spoon. Give each child a large spoon and a round object, such as a plastic egg or a small rubber ball. The children must balance the object on the spoon while walking as fast as possible toward the finish line. The purpose of the game is to reach the finish line without dropping the item. If a child drops it, she must pick it up quickly, run back to the beginning and start over. The first child to reach the finish line with the round object on the spoon, wins the race. The game also may be a relay race for large groups of children. When a child reaches the finish line, the spoon with the object is handed to the next child who then races back to the start. This is repeated until all of the children on that team have had a turn. The team that finishes first wins. Dropping the object means that the child must return to the start position and begin again.