Child Care Choices Conference



Learning Objectives of This Workshop:

1. To learn new games.

2. To learn that competition is not the only game around.

3. To learn that there are games where everyone wins.

4. To learn that there are lots of games to be played with very little, if any, equipment.

5. To learn about game reversal.

6. To learn that it is O.K. to mash and mangle the rules of a game.

7. To learn that we all play games to have fun.

* Remember that you are very important to the development of children. Studies show that almost all of the potential development of a child’s brain has taken place by the time they are five years old. One of the best things you can do for a child, of any age, is to read to them as often as possible.

* These notes are designed to help you use your own imagination and create activities. These notes can be effective if you are willing to use your imagination, and say to your self, “ I could makes this work if I change this or that.”

CARDBOARD BOXES: Small, large, and extra large cardboard boxes can be use to build and create many different things. They can be used to build houses with doors, windows, and can be decorated. Use a number of large boxes, such as refrigerator boxes, and build a really big house. They can be in a corner and used as hideaways, caves, or hideouts. They can be used to build trucks, cars, or sleds big enough to sit in. The boxes can be pushed or pulled around, by attaching a string, or to make silly hats or a body costume. Connect several boxes to make a long tunnel. Boxes can be used in place of items such as dominoes or dice which are used for different games, but can be dangerous because they may be swallowed easily. With boxes you can create your own giant dice or shoe box dominoes.

SPEED SKATING: Have a child put an empty shoe box on each foot and skate or ski around on the carpet, or have them build a train and shuffle around the room.

SARDINES: A game reversal of Hide and Seek. Have one child hide somewhere. Have all the other children look for that person. When someone finds the person that is hiding, they hide with them in the same spot. The next person who finds them hides with them and so on until all of the children are hiding in one place with the last child looking for the whole group.

SCOTCH TAPE: Take a piece of scotch tape and stick it on to a child and allow them to the same to you. Next, name the body part as you stick the tape to their body. For older children place the names of the body parts on a small strip of paper with tape attached to it, and have them place it on the proper parts of their own or someone else’s body. This will help them to learn to read and learn the proper name for body parts. For an advanced version use the names of bones or muscles.

PIN THE TAIL ON THE DONKEY: For safety you can use a small strip of paper with tape on it instead of a stick pin. The child’s name is placed on each strip of paper. (This game can also be played just using the piece of Masking tape.) For a blind fold, a large brown paper bag may be placed over the child’s head. This game can also be played as Cooperative Pin the Tail on the Donkey by allowing the children to give verbal directions to the child wearing the blindfold. This could also be done in pairs.

MONSTER: This is a game I played with my two daughters when they were young. They would beg me to play this with them nearly every night. I would hide somewhere in the house, and when they were about to find me, I would jump out and scare the “living daylights” out of them. Then it was their turn to hide. They were sometimes very hard to find. They would be hiding in the washing machine, or behind the computer stand, or in the lazy Susan.

COLLECTIVE COLORING: Sharing is not an easy task to teach. With collective coloring use only one box of colors. Share the colors when needed or pass the pictures around allowing each child to use the color they have on all of the pictures.

“56”: The object of the game is for the group to get “56” by rolling the die and adding the dots. Anytime the number six or the monster symbol is rolled the score goes back to zero. For younger children you could go to “25”. You can have many small groups playing at the same time. If you don’t feel comfortable using a regular die, you can make your own by using a cardboard box about 8-12 inches square. Place dots on the sides using a black magic marker. For younger children use only dots one, two, three and some symbol for a monster to represent the number six.

FUNNY FACES: Have the children sit in a circle. Have them pass a small ball or object around while they are listening to music. One or two extra people (or you) are outside (or inside) the circle with hand lotion and cotton balls. When the music stops, who ever is holding the ball has some lotion and a cotton ball placed on their face. The lucky child who ends up with the ball more than once ends up with a creative funny face.

ICE SCULPTURES: Use rubber gloves, different size pans, Tupperware and other containers. Fill these with water and place them in the freezer or outside overnight in the winter time. The frozen shapes then can be used to build ice sculptures. The shapes can be added to the snowman when you build one. A lot of children have never built a snowman.

LEFT-RIGHT BEANBAG BAG: Have the children get into groups of two, three, four, or five. Have them sit facing each other sitting cross-legged with their hands on their knees. Place a beanbag or other object on the floor between them an equal distance away from all of the children. Call out the words “left” or “right.” They each try to grab the bean bag and pick it up with the correct hand. To add to the excitement, you can add different commands such as “both”, “neither” or “stop” to check to see if they are really listening. This game can also be done with one person holding the bean bag about two feet off of the floor and in between two children lying in the sit up position. The children compete to sit up and reach the beanbag first. For stronger children the game can be played in the push up position.

GIANT JACKS: We all know the game of “Jacks”. We don’t usually allow small children to play this game because of the small objects. This game can be played using a large rubber ball and bean bags or other objects which the children pick up. It can be also be played in a group with you throwing the ball up and call out the number of beanbags to be picked up by each individual child.

COOPERATIVE MUSICAL CHAIRS: This can be played using chairs, hoops, carpet squares, cardboard squares, or sheets of newspaper. We all know the game of Musical Chairs but this is another example of game reversal. In this version, the chairs or whatever you are using, are eliminated instead of children. The children simply start sharing chairs when the music stops, sitting on each others laps, or sharing the squares by standing on them with one or two feet. The game continues until everyone is sitting on only one chair. Even that chair can be eliminated, and they all end up sitting on one person who forms a sitting area by lying on their back with their knees bent. The first child sits on the knees and all of the others sit on each others knees respectively.

HAND AND FINGER PAINTING: We all have heard of finger painting but in this version we are painting each finger or the hand with a face. When they are through they simply wash their hands. Use watercolors or tempera and brushes. Have the child paint their non-dominant hand. Use a separate brush for each color so the colors don’t get mixed. This also teaches the children to share and take turns. You may want to do this outside, but it can be done inside also.

DOT TO DOT DRAWING: Have the children place 20-30 dots randomly on a piece of paper. Make sure that the dots are large and easy to see. Have the children use their imagination and connect the dots to form a picture. You could have the children exchange papers after they place the dots on each piece of paper.

TOOTSIE-ROLL: Have the children lay down on their stomachs, arms straight over their heads and roll like pencils. The can also join hands and roll with a partner. They can also roll in a large group by having the group lie down in a long line and have each child take hold of the person’s ankles in front of them and all roll together slowly. This can be done inside or outside.

FUNNY FACE II: Have children put Vaseline on different spots on their own faces and then have them stick their face into a pile of cotton balls.

ALUMINIUM FOIL: Have a child lie on his or her back and have another child cover their body with aluminum foil and press gently to from a body mold. You can tape sheets together to make bigger pieces. Children could do just the hand or face of a friend.

PENNY BUCKET COVER UP: Use a small fish bowl or a bucket. Fill the bucket or fish bowl with water and place a quarter on the bottom. Then give the children several pennies and have them drop them into the bucket taking turns trying to totally cover the quarter with pennies.

RIPPED PUZZLE: Have the children draw a picture on a piece of paper. Then have them gently tear it into 6-20 pieces. The number of pieces will depend on the ages of the children you are working with. Next, have them attempt to put the puzzle pieces back together. You could have them exchange pieces and attempt to put someone else’s picture back together. You could also cut the picture up with a scissors and then have them attempt to put it back together. The children can work individually or in groups or they can work together to figure out all of the puzzles one at a time.

BLANKET: A small blanket can be used to hide under. It can be used on top of a card table to create a fort or a hideout. It can be used to create a merry-go-round by having the children hold on to it and march around. If you have a large open area or wood floor, have one child sit on or lay on the blanket while the other children march around holding on the Merry-Go-Round giving each child a ride. It can be used as a small parachute to toss small stuffed animals into the air.

SNACK FOOD SCULPTURE: Use all kinds of snack foods, such as pretzels, bread sticks, rippled potato chips, corn chips, cheese curls, popcorn and so forth. Stick them together to form an edible sculpture. To make the eatable glue.: Mix three 8 ounce packages of softened cream cheese with 8 ounces of sour cream. Then blend in a package of dried onion soup mix. Use a plastic knife and a paper plate for each child. Let them build their own sculpture on a paper plate. Later they can eat for a snack.

STRINGING ALONG: To start, cut 75-100 pieces of string of varying lengths, and then hide them around the house or yard. Then, have the children attempt to find them and tie them together and make on long string.

PEOPLE SACK: Use an old bed sheet and sew it up like a sack and let the children see how many they can get inside. Kids love to squeeze together in small places. You could also use a large cardboard box for the same purpose. Remember trying to get as many people as you could into a phone booth or a Volkswagen?

GHOST: Divide the group into two teams and have one group leave the room. Then place a bed sheet over one of the remaining children and have that child go to the other group. The other group then tries to guess who is hiding under the sheet. Then, have the other group take their turn and repeat until everyone has had their turn. The child under the sheet can try to disguise who they are by raising their arms, to look bigger, or squatting down to look smaller.

SURPRISE TREASUR HUNT: Hide stickers, small prizes, tootsie-rolls, and other candy in a small swimming pool, or bucket filled with Styrofoam peanuts and let the children put their hands in and search for the prizes. This can also be done outside by hiding the candy in a giant leaf pile. You could substitute acorns and have the child turn them in to you in exchange for M & Ms or other treats.

BAND AID –BELLY BUTTON: Band Aids can be used to show your concern for a child. A Band Aid placed on a belly button can sometimes take care of a belly ache, because you have acknowledged the child’s feelings.

BREAD PANS: Bread pans and other containers like Tupperware can be packed full of snow and dumped out and used to build a snow fort, castle, or house. The size of the pan makes it much easier for a child to build a fort rather than rolling snowballs and trying to lift and carry them.

BOXING MATCH: Take nine cardboard boxes approximately 8-12 inches on a side. Lay them down in rows of three with the sides touching. Draw or paint a picture on all of the six different sides. Be careful when painting or drawing the pictures to keep all of the boxes in the original position when painting the other sides. After you have finished painting or drawing all six sides, mix up the boxes and have the children re-assemble the pictures.

BALLOON OR BEACH VOLLEYBALL: A Volleyball game can be played with multi-age groups using a balloon or a beach ball. Beach balls come in all sizes from 12-48 inches. Modify the rules to allow numerous hits or even bounces between hits. You could even allow catching and throwing it over. When playing indoors, use a string for a net and have the children play on their knees. You could also have the children sitting on chairs that are spaced close together on each side of the string. A balloon could be used to play “Wallyball”, the rules are the same as volleyball except it can also be played off of the walls and the ceiling.

SPOT CHECK: Place each child’s name on a strip of paper with tape on it. Place a penny on the floor. Have the children start behind a line away from the penny. Then blindfold one child and let them place their strip of paper, where they think the penny is laying on the floor. Each child then takes their turn. A blindfold can be easily made by using a Lone Ranger Mask and covering the eye holes.

SHADOW TRACKS: This is done by going outside intermittently on a sunny day and tracing the shadow of a tree, basketball pole, or flower. You could also place something along side of the driveway to do this activity. Sidewalk chalk or regular chalk can be used for tracing the shadow. In the morning, the object will have a long shadow. It will then get shorter during the day and get longer again in the afternoon. You could also place one or more objects in the middle of the driveway anytime during the day. This will allow the children to trace both the morning and afternoon shadow onto the driveway. You or another child could stand in the middle of the driveway in the same spot and pose and have the other children trace your shadow at different times of the day.

GOOD IMPRESSION: These are made by making rubbings of an object with textures such as a leaf. Place the leaf beneath a piece of white paper and use the side of a crayon to rub over the leaf or any rough textured object to make the impression.

SCOTCH TAPE TAG: Take strips of Scotch Tape and (loop) double it over and stick one or more on each child. Play a game of tag where the objective is to collect as many pieces of tape as you can, or change the rules so that they stick their tape on someone else.

CANDY HUNT: Hide Candy Kisses around the house or other areas and have the children try to find them. Give them each a container for collecting; or let half of the children hide the Kisses and then let the other half try to find them. After everyone has had their turn, they can share the candy.

SCARECROW STUFF: Have one child wear a pair of long johns and a baggy shirt over their clothes. Have the other children gently stuff the “scarecrow” with leaves. Take a picture if you like. Give another child the long johns and shirt and do it again.

PING PONG SWEETS: Place 10 to 15 plastic jars on the floor approximately 6-9 feet away from a throwing line. In each jar, place several wrapped sweets. Children attempt to toss the ping pong balls into the jars from behind the throwing line. When successful, the player receives a treat from the jar. You could fill the jars with water for a bigger challenge. Be sure to place the treats in a separate jar.

SNOW HUNT: This is similar to an archeological dig. Take 20-25 weather proof objects (plastic containers, Frisbees, blocks, etc.) and place them in an open area in the yard before a snowfall. When they are entirely buried, describe the hidden objects to see how many they can find. Give each child a small scoop or a small plastic rake and let the archeological dig begin.

HOT WEATHER TAG: Designate a playing area where children run from one line to another. Place one or two buckets filled with water in the middle of the playing area along with a stack of small paper cups. You will need one cup for each player. Choose two children to be “it”. Give them each a cup to start the game. When you say “It’s time to cool off” the rest of the players try to run from one line to the other without getting splashed. If they are splashed, they pick up a cup by the bucket and are “it” too. They are allowed only one cup of water each time the players run across the playing area.

HOT WEATHER TAG II: Set up boundaries and select one or more to be “it”. These people will be blindfolded and given a squirt bottle filled with water. These people attempt to “tag” the other children by squirting them with the squirt bottle as they move about within the boundaries. If they are hit with the stream of water, they receive the blindfold and are “it”. Or you can let the people who are “it” be “it” for a certain period of time and then change the blindfold.

FLASH LIGHT TAG: Same as above but only the person “it” uses a flashlight to hit them with a beam of light by turning on and off.

SPLISH SPLASH: Played like Duck, Duck, Grey Duck with the children sitting in a circle. The person who is “it” has a small cup with water in it. As they go around the circle, they sprinkle each person with water from their fingers they dipped in the water. When they get to the person they want to chase them around the circle, they dump the water on their head. You could use a squirt bottle and gently squirt each person once as they go by and squirting the person they want to chase them twice as they say “Grey Duck”. You can have them run around the circle twice to make it more challenging.

CLOTHES PIN TAG: Clip one or more clothespins on all of the children. Have all the children chase each other trying to remove the clothespins. If they get a pin or pins, they can place them back on themselves or give them to you and have the child who lost the pin come over to you for a replacement and send them back in the game. You could also play where they play until all of the pins are taken and given to you. No one is eliminated and everyone plays until all of the clothespins are retrieved.

THREE LITTLE KITTENS: This is a clothespin tag guessing game. Divide the children into two groups. Place the two groups at the opposite ends of the play area. Place one or two clothespins (mittens) on the backs of each of the children in one line. One child will have the “lost mitten” (no) clothespin. The team must know who has “lost their mittens”. The children with the clothespins walk forward to the other line, keeping their pins hidden. The waiting team takes turns guessing who has “lost their mittens.” When they guess correctly, the team with the “mittens” runs back to their line while the “guessing” team chases them back to their original line and tries to get as many “mittens” as possible. As the children move forward, they can chant, “Three little kittens, lost their mittens, and they began to cry, Oh mother dear, we greatly fear, that we have lost our mittens”.

LITTLE BO PEEP: Divide the children into partners. Blindfold one of the partners who stands behind a line. The other partner goes to a line on the other side of the play area but not directly across from their partner. Children without the blindfolds are not to move but will “baa.” The blindfolded partner will carefully move forward and try to find their “sheep” (partner) by the sound of their partners voice. When the blindfolded person finds their partner, they sit and watch until all the sheep are found. Sheep will need to “baa” repeatedly. “Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep and can’t tell where to find them; Leave them alone and they’ll come home, waggin’ their tails behind them”.

CATERPILLER: The children lie on the floor or on the ground side by side close together with no space between them. The first one in line rolls over the top of the others to the other end of the line and lies down next to that person and then the next person goes until everyone has had a turn.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE MARCARENA: 1. Place your right arm out palm down, place your left arm out palm down. 2. Turn your right palm up, turn your left palm up. 3. Put your right hand up on your left shoulder, put your left hand up on your right shoulder. 4. Put your left hand on the left side of your head, put your right hand on the right side of your head. 5. Put your left hand on your right hip, put your right hand on left hip. 6. Put your right hand on your right buttock, put your left hand on your left buttock. 7. Shake your hips in place three times. 8. Hop a quarter turn to the right and start over.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CHICKEN OR ALSO KNOWN AS DANCE LITTLE BIRD: 1.Begin with your arms by your side. If with a partner face each other. 2. Put your forearms up with your hands facing in front of you. Make a beak shape with your fingers and then a quack-like movement with thumb and your fingers. Do this four times to the beat of the music. 3. Place your thumbs in your arm pits. Flap your arms like a chicken. Do this four times to the beat of the music. 4. Bend slowly and wiggle your hips four times. 5. Clap your hands four times. 6. Link arms with your partner and turn twice one way and then twice the other. This completes the sequence. 7. (Chorus) All participants form a circle with right hands raised in center. Take 15 steps clockwise direction. Switch hands and repeat in counterclockwise direction. Use the 16 beat to change directions or to jump back into the position for the Chicken.

* Many of the above activities are in one of the following two books.

“The Outrageous Outdoor Games Book” and the “The Incredible Indoor Games Book” both by Bob Gregson.

* Parachutes are available at Sam’s Club or through School Discounts or Army Surplus stores.

The Macarena, Dance Little Bird, The Hokey Pokey, “Singing in the Rain” are available on a CD called “Rock N Roll Songs That Teach” from the Learning Station. They have many others that are great for interaction between you and young children. “All-time favorites Dances” which contains “The Twist, Limbo Rock, Chicken, (Dance Little Bird), Bunny Hop” and more. The “Everybody Dance” record has “Achy Break Heart, YMCA” and more. (KIMBO)

Raffi albums (and there are many of these). They are great silly sing-along for children of all ages. Distributed by KIMBO Educational P.O. Box 477 Long Branch NJ 07740 (201) 229-4949.

Gopher Athletic has parachutes and more. I would recommend a parachute of at least 12-20 feet in diameter. Their address is 220 24th Avenue NW Owatonna, Mn. 55060-0998. 1-800-451-4855.

Time Life Videos: Sing along videos 1-800-950-7887 or at

Good TV programs for kids PBS channels 2-1, 2-3 Lakeland Kids 22-3 Qubo 41-2

(songs) search for Giggle Bellies

Seasame

A wonderful pedal-less bike. A pre-bike, the child will by pass training wheels with lots of confidence. My Grandson learned on one of these and rode a pedal bike in twenty minutes.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. One age appropriate book a month is mailed into the home free of charge. Check it out.

It takes time to learn to be cooperative and considerate, particularly when other social forces are pulling in another direction. It takes time to develop feelings of trust and acceptance, more time for some kids than others.

Time lost with them is never returned, and spending time with them pays much greater dividends.

Young children love for you to play with them. They beam when you get down on the floor so that they can look into your eyes.

When you are little everything is up, life is up, your future is up. Everything you want is up. “Hold up, wait up, shut up, Mom I’ll clean up, please let me stay up.” Parents of course are just the opposite. Everything is down. “Calm down, slow down, come down here, sit down, put that down.” Quotes taken from Jerry Seinfeld “I’m telling you for the last time” Live on Broadway.

Ed Rajkowski: Physical Education Consultant and Games Presenter

Home phone: 320-251-0196

Home address: 3270 Little Rock Road NE Sauk Rapids, MN 56379

Email: ed.rajkowski@

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