RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT

To play, one person is chosen to be the traffic cop.
All the players stand on the starting line and the traffic cop has his back to the rest of the players.
When he says "green light," players try to run to the finish line.
When the traffic cop says "red light," he turns around and players have to stop in their tracks.
If the traffic cop catches a player moving, he sends them back to the starting line.
First person to cross the finish line wins and becomes the new traffic cop.

PIG RACE -

This game takes a little preparation but the kids love it. You will need a different color sheet of construction paper for each child. For a large group divide into groups and have elimination races. Out of each sheet cut 9 small squares and 1 large pig. Mark off an 8 step race track using pencils, napkins or whatever. Line the children up shoulder to shoulder behind the first step. Give each child a colored pig. Shuffle your little colored squares and draw them out one at a time. Whoever has the matching color pig takes a step when his color is drawn. The first one to complete all 8 steps wins.

DUCK DUCK GOOSE

This is an oldie but a goodie! Arrange the children in a circle, making sure you have lots of room. Designate the birthday child to be "it". She walks around the outside of the circle, touching each child and saying "duck" when she touches a child and changes the word to "goose", that child must get up and run around the circle trying to catch "it". If the "goose" doesn´t touch "it" before "it" sits in his place in the circle, the "goose" becomes "it".

TIME MACHINE- A GAME OF IMAGINATION

Turn a closet or bathroom into a time machine. Have the child go in, and when he/she comes out have a whole new "world" set up that´s a different place in time. You can use other toys for props. For example, if your child has dinosaurs, you can pretend to go back to the time of the dinosaurs. If your child has a lot of space/alien stuff, you can pretend to go into the future. If your child has cowboy stuff, you can go back to the days of the Wild West. For added fun, you can pretend that the time machine is "broken" and there is no way to get back to "the present." See how your child tries to "fix" the time machine.
As you can see, with a little imagination, there are many games and activities you can play with your child that don´t involve expensive toys. Most kids are thrilled to have some time with Mom or Dad anyway, and will find these games to be a pleasant change from the usual video or board game. If you use the toys your child already has for some of these games, they will also see those toys in a new light, and the toys will become interesting again. How elaborate you make these games depends only on how much time you have and how much clean up you want to have afterwards!
Contributed by Jennifer Spieler

HIDE AND SEEK

First you pick someone to be it (the person to seek) then he/she turns around and counts with their eyes closed at the "base" while the rest of the people hide. Then "It" says "Ready or Not, Here I Come" and rushes to find everyone. Then the people try to get to base without getting tagged or else they are "It".
If the person who is "It" doesn´t get someone in three tries he gets to pick a kid to be it!

RELAY RACES

Set up your relay race in the backyard. For example, first they have to hop like a bunny across the yard, where there is a skipping rope. Then they have to skip five times with the rope. Then they must jump over the three sand pails set a few feet apart, and hop back to the start. Use your imagination, keeping in mind the children´s ages and abilities.

ELEPHANT WALK

This game will develop your child´s large muscle groups. Have your child put her hands in front of her face like an elephant trunk. Start with a simple elephant walk. Then go through the elephant´s day. Stretch and pick leaves from high in the trees or grass from down low on the ground. Try a great big elephant hug! Your imagination is the only limit to this fun game, try other animals like a giraffe or hippopotamus!

CONCENTRATION GAME

Cut rectangular "cards" out of construction paper. Tthen cut slightly smaller rectangles from wrapping paper (two of a kind from each). Glue these smaller squares to the construction paper squares . Laminate and play Memory/Concentration. You can also use pairs of Holiday stickers to make the game seasonal.

SEED SORTING

Collect as many different types of flower, vegetable, fruit and grass seeds as you can (varying the color, size, shape, etc.) spread the seeds out on a tray and give each child an egg carton. Ask him to sort the seeds into the carton. Vary this activity for an older child by taping a picture of grass/flowers/plants in the bottom of each cup and help your child match the seeds to the picture.

KANGAROO TAG

Gather all the children in a circle, preferably outside. Show the children how to do a kangaroo jump (arms close to chest, palms facing downward, knees slightly bent). Tell the children that they are going to play kangaroo tag and explain that the mother kangaroo (the child who is "it") is searching for her babies (baby kangaroos are called Joeys). When the mother kangaroo tags a Joey, that child then becomes the mother and tries to tag someone else. Stress the important rules: kangaroos jump, but do not run, tagging should be done in a gentle way and everyone must stop when you tell them to stop.

WATER SPONGE RELAY

Need two buckets per team and one large sponge. One bucket will have water placed near the team the other empty off a distance.
Players must soak the sponge and carry it to the empty bucket and wring it out (filling up the empty bucket) then take it back to the next in line. Continue until all the water has been removed from the first bucket!

MEMORY GAME -

This is fun for all ages - just so they are old enough to write. Prepare a tray with about 20 objects on it. Give each child a pencil and paper. Hold the tray up so they can see it for about 30 seconds or so then remove the tray from sight. See who can name the most objects they saw in a 3-5 minute period depending on the age.

GAMES INTRODUCTION

There are games for everybody, games to suit our every mood. Silly games, thinking games, games of chance, games of skill, word games, memory games, matching games, trivia games, group games and solitary games...and each has its own merits.

Good games help to impart the skills of co-operation, competition, strategy and sportsmanship. They are useful as a pleasurable activity to exercise matching colors and shapes, counting spaces, memory, reasoning and planning ahead, as well as attention to detail. They also help a child understand that rules are necessary and helpful. Many games encourage group play and provide experience in winning and losing.

A growing number of co-operative games are available on the market. Parents may wish to consider these games for variety or as an alternative especially suitable for young players just learning to enjoy game play. You can adapt the rules of many games for preschoolers to a co-operative approach.

When selecting a game for a child or group of children, remember that it should be fun to play, yet challenging enough to be intriguing for the intended age group. Rules should be clear and easy to follow. Don´t be afraid to establish house rules to accommodate younger or less skilled players, or shorter playing time. The game board should be durable and uncluttered, and the playing pieces should be of a suitable size and weight. Fad games based on the latest popular licensed characters rarely have any lasting interest. On the other hand, a well-conceived game may become a classic and be enjoyed for years to come.

PAPER GOLF - game

The simplicity of this game is its charm. Since everyone has the same handicap-eyes closed-they can be competitive with the likes of Tiger Woods.
Paper
Marker
How to play:
Step 1: Create a "fairway" on a standard-sized piece of paper-a shape that is the boundary for the tee-off area and hole. Draw a small circle (the hole) at one end of the fairway.
Step 2: Place the marker point down at the tee (the other end of the fairway), close your eyes and try to draw a line to the hole. Lift your marker and open your eyes. That´s your "shot." (If you strayed outside the boundaries, add a stroke.) The next player then tees off on the same sheet.
Step 3: As with actual golf, the player farthest from the hole shoots first, and your score is the number of shots it takes you to reach the cup. Play nine holes or even 18 like the pros.

OLD CLOTHES RELAY -

This game is really fun to make a movie of and watch later. Especially if your projector or VCR allows you to run the movie backwards. Divide players into two equal teams. For each team have a suitcase or box containing a large shirt, shorts, boots and hat. In turn each player must put on old clothes and run to a certain point where they take the old clothes off and put them back in box, then run back to start where the next player repeats the process etc. until one team finishes and wins.

RING TOSS

Recommended for ages 5 to 10.
Game can be made easier or more difficult for different age groups.

Props:
Plastic Embroidery hoops
Large plastic lids - (cut out the center, leaving just the outside ring)
Number of small items (small enough to fit easily in the circle hoop). (You could even use small wrapped or unwrapped prizes (box of crayons, small Lego kit, candy or treats).

Directions:
Find a starting point for the children to stand. (Distance will depend on the age of the children). Items can either be scattered or in a straight line.
Give each child 2-3 rings to toss.

APPLE PARING - game

Kids will love the challenge of this game and the added bonus of their efforts...a scrumptious apple pie.

WHAT YOU NEED:
Potato peelers
Paring knives
Apples
How to play:
Using the peeler (kids) or knife (adults only), see who can produce the longest unbroken strip of apple skin. For an added challenge, see who can produce one that is both the narrowest and longest. Children must have adult supervision in this activity, due to the knives.

COTTONBALL RACES

Inside or out relay races are a hit. Easily brought together with simple household items a cottonball race is fast, fun and not messy at all. Use a tablespoon (or large serving spoon for a little one),and a cottonball (although you can vary this activity by using a grape, or a bead.) Use a hallway or a "loop" around the kitchen table. Remember that they are gaining skills in balance, judgement and if they´re squealing with delight, they´re doing it right!

DOWN, DOWN, DOWN - GAME

Start off with a tennis ball. Throw the ball until someone drops it. Whoever threw the ball tells the person who dropped the ball to get down on one knee. Next time- 2 knees, next time 2 knees and 1 elbow, then your out. You must stay in that position in order to catch or throw the ball. Very funny activity, and they get some exercise too!