Old School Party Games

Here are some ol d school part y games for you r chil d’s ne xt bi rth day part y – these may take you back to you r chil dhoo d!

Ping Pong Ball

Two children sit on opposite sides of a table on their knees with their arms behind their back. A ping pong ball is placed in the middle of the table. When the judge says GO, they both try to blow the ping pong ball off the opponents’ side of the table. Fire Department Break up the children into two equal teams and have them stand in a line. One end of the line has a bucket and the other has a measuring cup. All of the children are given empty paper cups. The children then attempt to pass the water from the bucket down the line to the measuring cup. The team that transfers the most wins. Hot Potato

All children should sit in a circle with one standing with his/her eyes closed. The players sitting in the circle pass a ball to each other. No player can hold the ball for more than a second. At any point the standing player can yell ‘HOT POTATO!’ and whoever is holding the ball at that time is the out! Back Up

Break children into two equal teams. Two teammates sit back to back. When the game starts, the children lock arms and bend their knees. They then attempt to stand up with

out using their hands. Whichever team can stand up first wins. Freeze Dance All children begin dancing when the music is playing, but when the music is turned off by the judge they must freeze in place. The judge determines who was still moving and eliminates those children. Ice Cube

Hand out ice cubes to everyone. When the game starts, players can try everything they can to melt the ice cube quicker than their opponents. They can rub it between their hands or on their shirt, or blow on it. Whoever melts it first wins! No cheating (you cannot put it in your mouth to melt it). Source: www.shutterfly.com

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Ideas for Your Kids this Housebound Holiday

#JoziMom Trace y, is a forme r communic ations speci alist and globet rotte r and no w also a content cont ributo r to Thin gsToDoWith Kids. She sh ares some tips and insi ght on ho w to maste r this lon g house -boun d holi day. H aving a week or four of uninterrupted time with your kids will give you a wonderful opportunity to observe how they have grown and developed while also giving you a chance to give them your undivided attention (in-between working from home of course) and learn how to play with your child with stimulating activities that will boost their development and strengthen your bonds.

Now for some entertainment ideas to select from for all ages that will provide great opportunities for stimulation, fun and lovely holiday bonding while still allowing you some wellearned time to get your own things done! Get cooking and baking

Many fine motor skills are strengthened and refined while baking and cooking or preparing food. Babies and toddlers will also be more likely to try some new foods if they have helped to prepare them with you so this is a great activity for fussy eaters (many toddlers eat while preparing the meal). Put on a show

Through music, children learn essential skills for language development and early social, cognitive, and communication learning. The planning and practising will keep them busy for some time while giving you a chance to have an uninterrupted conversation. Pull out any musical instruments so that they can include singing and dancing in the act and find dress-up costumes to add to the entertainment. Encourage the older kids to help the little ones get involved in this great, creative fun and don’t forget to make a huge fuss of your budding stars when the show is over. Age-appropriate chores - Family chore time

It may be holidays but since it’s a critical no contact time, many of us lose our trusted helpers as they too have to be home with their little ones. But the chores still need to get done. Household chores are a great way to get your little ones to help out while stimulating Gross Motor

Development and providing Sensory Stimulation. “Pushing” and “pulling” chores such as vacuuming, sweeping mopping, wiping down table tops, packing and unpacking the washing machine are good examples.

The key is to make it fun so hold competitions and allow the winner of the day to choose a special treat. Independent Play

Fostering independent play takes time and patience. But once it’s mastered this allows for so much extra time for moms and dads to get some free time in or to work. “In our house I find LEGO is great for independent play and I taught my son (5yo) how to play solitaire too,” says Tanya Badenhorst - editor of Things to do With Kids. On a more personal note, while we agree on the LEGO, I find in our house independent

play comes mostly from imaginary play, colouring in and Play Station. I find PlayStation uses fine motor skills and problem solving and ensuring the game is age appropriate can give hours of problem solving fun. Try Cars3 or Peggle. Other simple and fun things to do with your kids this holiday: Go on a picnic: You don’t have to go far to have a picnic – your own garden is a great option. Let your kids help you pack the picnic basket from whatever you have in the fridge. It’s amazing how much more fun it is to snack in the outdoors! Go camping: Build a tent indoors or outdoors with blankets and sheets. Once the tent is up, make a password so only you and your kids can enter. You can even choose to sleep in the tent that night making it even more fun. Do a treasure hunt: Make a treasure map out of brown paper with clues to find some treasure you have hidden somewhere in the house or garden. Even the smallest treasure, when found, will be greeted with much excitement. Make a robot: Don’t throw away present boxes from the deliveries you are going to get or from the empty cereal boxes. Fantastic robots can be created with some glue, finger paint and a just a little imagination. Do a puppet show: Make sock puppets by gluing wool on the top of an old sock and using a permanent marker to draw eyes, nose and a mouth. Go on a colour hunt in the house: Collect objects of a certain colour. The winner has collected the most objects in the set time. Build a garden patch: Dedicate a small patch in the garden to the kids and create an outdoor play area. Fill with pots, a small rake, bucket, spoons, utensils and solid plastic toys like animal figurines. Plant flowers, herbs and lettuce - anything that grows quickly and gives them the satisfaction of having produced something. If your kids are small, just give them a spade, put on their old clothes, and let them loose. Visit www.thingstodowithkids.co.za for more great ideas.