Let's Roll

By David Hawkins

One of the easiest ways to give your kids a head start in life is simply to play with them. Luckily, that’s what do dads do best! Rough & tumble play has been shown to help children manage their emotions, display fewer negative behaviours, and to become more popular with their friends.

Let’s take a look at another simple and super fun game that you might like to try out with your kids at home.

Our last rough and tumble adventure (back in the autumn issue) was a free-for-all wrestling tournament, that had dads and kids letting loose and working with each other to come up with cool but safe moves. With the arrival of spring, warmer weather and plush green lawns, let’s try a rough and tumble game that you can play in the soft grass and which requires your child to put in a little more strategic thought.

Steam Roller is a game of strength and ingenuity! Dad and the child lie down, flat on the ground, on their backs. To win Steam Roller, the child has to roll their body like a rolling pin and flip Dad over onto his tummy. Meanwhile, Dad wins if he can end up on the other side of the child.

The great thing about Steam Roller is that it forces children to think about what they are trying to achieve and how to approach it. If they just roll toward Dad, they will either find that his body creates a dead-end barrier or they end up rolling right over the top of him!

The child will need to explore what happens when their body moves in each rotational direction and how this affects Dad. Which way will Dad roll? Will he move at all? Can the child stop him rolling over the top and winning? There needs to be a balance between attacking and being defensive.

Here are the top tips for making the most out of the "Steam Roller Game"

Step 1: Don’t squish your child (too much)

We all know that Dads weigh a lot more than kids, so it is really important to take extra care when rolling over the top of children. Roll with your arms stretched above your head so that you can lift up onto your elbows and knees as you go over them. Kids LOVE to be squished but only a little bit.

Step 2: Take turns at winning

There is no way that a little kid can win against their father in this wildly imbalanced weight and size contest. But a critical part of rough and tumble play is ensuring that children get to win about half of the time. Losing helps them to learn about ‘good sportsmanship’ and managing their emotions. Winning lets them feel like they have defeated a giant! 

Step 3: Be supportive

Children need to feel like they have earned their win. Give them hints and tips as they try to figure out how to flip you over. Help them to understand some basics about leverage, weight and tactics.

Step 4: Remember to smile and laugh

Don’t forget that this is supposed to be lots of fun for you as well. Show your child how much you love playing with them by smiling, laughing and cuddling. Tell them that you love paying with them. Rough and tumble play doesn’t have to be a BIG event all of the time. In fact, research shows that children benefit from little bits of play, on a regular basis. Try to fit in a few minutes of Steam Roller every couple of days.

David Hawkins is a Peninsula-based stayat-home-dad who realised that he needed to improve his Dadding. So he set himself the simple task of being an Awesome Dad. He now challenges all dads to be awesome dads, by doing something out-ofthe ordinary with their kids.