Fun games

We played hide and seek with the girls tonight and it was hysterically fun! They hid pretty well (with a parent) but couldn't resist jumping out of hiding and yelling "found you!" when sister would come searching. It was pretty awesome.

What are some other fun/goofy games that the 2-4 set might understand? What a blast!

 

Freeze tag is always good for a laugh around here. Or any type of tag, for that matter. Scavenger hunts. Dodge ball is a ton of fun too.

 

We have played "Simon Says" with great results.

 

I started them on I Spy out of desperation at dinner one night (we were in a restaurant and the service was slow). We also play "Bear" a game made up by my husband (based on the Bear Hunt book). The babies hide under the covers and the bear has to find them. When he does, the babies yell really loud then giggle. Usually mommy has to hide with them and sometimes it is baby bear who finds everyone.

 

Simon Says. The Rhyme Game (started off as my tricking them into learning how yo rhyme, now they just love the game).

 

I second Simon says, hide and seek, tag, I also just chase them around roaring like dinosaurs. I also sing all the nursery rhymes they know wrong and make them correct me...the boys really giggle at this bc they understand ..."Itsy bitsy elephant" anyone?!

 

Red Light green light. Regardless of if they stop, the running tires them out and it is always good for giggles, especially if someone does manage to stop in a silly position.

 

I have this saved from a mom here (do not know who) from years ago!:


So, yesterday evening after dinner the girls and I were outside playing. We saw a plane in the sky and the girls were fascinated. So, it got me thinking, "let's pretend to be a plane". So, I spread my arms wide, ran around in big circles, attempted to make engine noises and then said "fly like a plane" (I have to keep the words simple still as they are not yet 2). They quickly imitated me, ran around in circles, giggled and loved it. Then they asked for more. So, I said "fly like a bird" - so we flapped our arms and ran around the yard/driveway etc. They still asked for more. So we proceeded to "march like an ant", "jump like a frog", "run like a horse" etc. This went on for a good 30 minutes. They absolutely loved it (so did the neighbour who was watching us and laughing). I'll definitely be repeating this little game again.

hey do follow directions now so we play "Simon Says"- they think its hysterical if I take one of their dolls and make her tell them to touch their nose, their toes, etc etc. We also play follow the leader. I'll get down on the floor and crawl and then they will, I'll (aheam, try to..) do summersault and then they will (Meara actually does!), etc etc.

We also sing and dance to music (my music!), and they love to play with paint and sidewalk caulk outside. They still rip up paper so we paint and draw on the patio and then wash it away.

The other thing I reserve for "special" times when mommy needs them to be occupied and not fighting is I bring out catalogues like one step ahead or something with kids in it. I make sure to take out the the staples and then I let them have them. Meara LOVES to point out all the babies and rip the pages, Ana just loves to flip through methodically and look at every picture. I used this the other night when I was having my new couch delivered. Of course the room was covered in little pieces of paper, but it kept them occupied in the other room while I dealt with the delivery.

I just recently made an apple pie while the girls were awake (usually all intensive cooking is done at night). They sat in their high chairs and "helped". I gave them each a suction cup bowl full of flour and crisco and they kneaded their dough while I did mine. Then they had dough to play with and throw around while I finished up.

We also paint the house with water a lot. Oh, they've recently started playing with flashlights. I turn the lights off so it's dim and then we shine flashlights on different things and I name them and explain about the object. My girls are just starting to talk so they don't name things, but I bet it would be even more fun with older toddlers.

Mine love to clean too. So much that DH went out and bought them little brooms (handheld ones w/ their own dustpans) and a toy vacuum that really picks things up and a mop set... We always give them a wipey each when we clean and they will clean the coffee table, TV, their table, the floor, etc..... They always clean up their own messes too, it's great!

They love the "ring around the posie" song and will spin forever, when I say 'Falldown!' they collapse in a ball of giggles. Their other favorite 'activity' song is the Hokie Pokie. they LOVE the Hokie Pokie, especially when Mommy plays along!

I love the idea of flying like a plane. that's a GREAT activity I think I'll try that tomorrow. We could've used that today when we were all cooped up in the house.... Also like the idea of helping to cook. I'll definetly have to try that one.

Oh, I took their little table, rocking chairs and table chairs (4 total) today and a bedsheet and made them a 'fort'. They had a great time crawling in and out, playing peek-a-boo, hide n seek, etc... Kept them occupied and mommy happy anyways....

My DH recently came up with the idea of taking masking tape and making an obstacle-type course on our carpet. For example, he put several horizontal lines of tape in a row and had them jump from one line to the next. He made all sorts of designs for them to follow. We've also done vertical lines for them to walk on like a balance beam. The possibilities are endless! This is great especially if you're stuck indoors for a while and need some physical activity. The masking tape is so easy to come off, too (at least for our carpet). Perhaps you should do a small test area on your own carpet to be sure.

Fill a shallow plastic bin or even a big pot, or huge plastic bowl (I use TWO to avoid conflicts with MY twins - they are brutal with one another) with dry beans, or rice, or small pasta shapes and give them spoons, cups, funnels, etc -- let them go to town like they would in a sand table. I lay a vinyl table cloth down first to make cleanup easier!

Shaving cream painting: simply give them a dollop of the white stuff and let them smear it on a table and then draw in it with their fingers. Great sensorial project!

Water painting. Got a chalk board? Give the tykes Q-tips, or paint brushes or sponges cut into sizes appropriate for little hands to hold like fat crayons, and let them dip their implement in a shallow bowl of water and paint away. It dries quickly and they can begin again. Give them Big (adult house painting) paint brushes and let them paint bricks, sidewalks, etc. (I would use new ones exclusively for this purpose to avoid having any yucky stuff left behind on used ones.)

Painter's or masking tape can be your best friend!
Make a roadway that winds through a couple of rooms on which they can drive toy cars. (it will even stay in place on carpet long enough to get some enjoyment out of this kind of activity)
Define a 'play house' on the floor. Make a bed, stove, whatever they're interested in, with the tape. Requires them to use their imaginations!
Make an obstacle course: Two lines in a row to jump over. A circle to walk around. A double line to define a 'balance beam.' etc.

Give the baby a bath. Lay a towel down on the kitchen floor and let them help fill a little plastic tub say around 18"w x 10"l x 10"d. A little water, a wash cloth and a towel -- I swear --- boys and girls alike will wash and wash and wash (plastic, of course) baby dolls. (or alligators ) Or let them do the 'washing up' in these tubs with plastic plates and cups.

Colored pom poms from craft store, muffin tin. Put 12 pom poms in a bowl. Show them how to put one pom into each cup of the muffin tin. They may put all of the poms into two or three cups at first, but one day they'll be grouping them by color into rows! It sounds like a simple task, but I've seen children work at this for a long time and come back to it again and again. Like I read in another recent thread, "Take them out, line 'em up, put 'em back!"

Keep a basket full of things to open and close. An old fashion change purse. A small bag with a Velcro closure. A plastic bottle with a screw cap (non-choking size). A small box with a simple top that lifts off. Etc... Bring it out, and show them how to do each one and then let them give it a try.

Cut a square of several different colors of construction paper and give one piece of color paper to each child and have them bring you an object of the same color. In the beginning when they are still little, you can scaffold for them by strategically placing objects in their line of sight or even just putting a bunch of objects together on a table, or in an area defined by that versatile painter's tape, across the room from you. It's great to get children this age up and moving - even if it's just across the room a few times.

Let them help prepare snack and/or lunch as much as possible. Help them slice a banana with a blunt knife. Let them place the chicken nuggets on the plate or baking sheet before cooking. If you can stand it, let them pour water from a small pitcher into child size cups. Squeeze ranch dressing from the bottle onto the plate for their carrots. Let them help peel and pull apart oranges. Let them make the pancake mix. Simply let them portion out the raisins or crackers on their plate.

 

Lol Nicole! It's Leighann!

Great list of ideas!! I may use some!

 

Ha! Just read through and saw the names! Leighann! You inspired me with that post that I have had it saved in my docs all this time!

 

Woah! Those are awesome, thanks! Leighann, too?

 

Reading through that I have NO recollection of typing all that out. I do know I do/did some of those things but I think some were from other moms too .

I still love "baby dance party". Rocking out to music after dinner with my girls is fun and tires them out!

 

Oh funny! That makes sense! I bet I copied the whole thread of activities that I liked and pasted them into a doc!

 

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One of my favorite games at the moment is Bash Street School Bus. It's incredibly immersive and keeps me hooked with its thrilling gameplay and strategic challenges Start things slow, and drive past the houses of Beanotown as you dodge cones and barriers. But be careful - roadworks are in season, and your route changes every day! Dodge the the diggers and dumpsters, or you'll get damaged - and you don't want to break drown in the middle of the road. Can you make it through the whole week, or will you flunk by Friday? Up the challenge by playing more weeks with increasing speed, see how long you can last driving the Bash Street Bus.

 

Recently, I've been diving deep into the world of Infinite Craft https://infinite-craft.gg/ , and I must say, it's been quite the journey. What sets this game apart is its perfect balance of excitement and strategic complexity. Every decision matters, whether it's crafting tools, building shelters, or navigating treacherous landscapes. Each play session presents new challenges and opportunities, making the overall experience incredibly engaging and immensely satisfying. Infinite Craft has definitely earned its spot as one of my favorite games.

 

I used to play it back in the day, it's a very addictive game.

 

my kids attend swimming weekly so we started a cool game "who holds breath longer". so nice to have a minute of silence