Quizmaster & Answermaster

Because all good games have funny titles.

ADDED December 19, 2008

To play this game you need two people the first person is the Quizmaster the second the Answermaster.  The Quizmaster asks the questions and the Answermaster answers the questions.  This game is fantastic for all ages because the questions can be tailored appropriately to make it easy for everyone to win.  It also can be played as a group activity to include many more kids if needed.

First the person who is the Quizmaster thinks of two or three things that have one thing in common, for example shark, octopus and sea cucumber. Next the Quizmaster poses their question to Answermaster,” What is the same about these three things, a shark, an octopus and a sea cucumber?”  At this point if you have a group of kids, in an orderly manner everyone in the group takes a turn giving their best answer to the Answermaster. When all the answers are tallied the Answermaster tells the Quizmaster the answer, “They all live in the ocean”.  Now the Quizmaster becomes the Answermaster and it is their turn to think of of two or three things that are the same.

The game works great using a variety of topics and the questions can range from very simple to extremely difficult, here are some starters:

Quizmaster question:
What is the same about these three things red, blue and green?

Answermaster answer.
All three are colors.

Quizmaster question:
What is the same about these three things truck, car and van?

Answermaster answer.
All three are cars.

Quizmaster question:
What is the same about these three things elbow, toe, and nose?

Answermaster answer.
All three are parts of your body.

Quizmaster question:
What is the same about these three things sleepingbag, tent and flashlight?

Answermaster answer.
All three are used for camping.

Try it today and use the comments section to let us know what you little Quizmasters come up with!  

ages 4-12, educational, good any time, good at home, good for a group, good for a restaurant or public place, Good for bathtime, good for mealtimes, good for the car, may rile them up, no 'props' needed, quick activity, rainy day fun, see our disclaimer, verbal activity,

Indoor Holiday light show

Create a light show at home.

ADDED December 16, 2008

This time of year some people choose to create very elaborate Holiday light shows on the outside of their house but very few create this type of intricate display inside their house.  Today’s activity is silly and rowdy but as always we’ll try to add a little learning to the fun.

I will usually start this activity by playing some festive music, all good light shows have music.  Really any music will work, but try to pick something with a strong beat or peppy rhythm.  Then flick the lights on and off with the music creating a rhythmic syncopation.  While the lights are flicking on and off take turns pretending to see the different colors of the light show.  For example you can say, “I love to see the red lights” or “Oh my, the blue lights are so very pretty”.  

You can also mention some colors that your kids might not know yet to stimulate imaginations and expand their vocabulary, words like Amber, Cerulean and Vermilion.  Imagination is key to the success of this activity.

When the light show is in full effect let your kids have a chance.  Explain how they can listen to the music and anticipate the beats as they create their own light show.  Who knows you could be preparing them for a career at the “happiest place on earth” or just helping to expand their vocabulary by using Saffron in a sentence.  Have fun and let us know if the neighbors slow down as they drive by.

-P

ages 2-8, educational, good at home, may rile them up, no 'props' needed, quick activity, verbal activity,

Words that end with A and T together

Fill in the blank and turn on the fun

ADDED December 05, 2008

Have you ever noticed how many three letter words end with A and T together?  Using A-and-T-ending words, we created a fun game that you can play with your kids in the car, at dinner, before bed, and beyond...
 
First start with the word "CAT."  Spell the word (C-A-T) and then ask, "Can you think of any other words that end with the '-AT' sound?"  

If you think it will help the activity along, provide more examples of words that end with -AT.  Words like hat or rat.  

Once you and your kids have thought up many, many words that end in -AT, start at the beginning of the alphabet and work together to add the -AT sound after every letter in the alphabet.  (This sounds like it might take a while but it is faster than you think.)
 
In our house, when we have finished going through the alphabet and laughing at all the funny made-up words like "jat" and "qat," we move on to other ending sounds like -AN.

Have fun, and please let us know if you can find the meaning of the words "yat" and "yan!"

ages 2-7, educational, good any time, good at home, good for a group, good for a restaurant or public place, Good for bathtime, good for the car, may rile them up, no 'props' needed, see our disclaimer, verbal activity,

Huggy!

A nice monster

ADDED December 04, 2008

Huggy is a very nice monster, just listening to his name you can discern he likes to be hugged.

When you hear him say, “ Huggy” you have to hug him or he will repeat his name over and over while chasing you.  Huggy is very fast.  If you like to be chased please don't hug him.  He only stops repeating his name and chasing when he gets a hug.  Beware if you let him into your house you will have to give him a lot of hugs.  I would suggest only those who are not stingy with hugs invite him in.  

 Moms can be Huggys, Dads can be Huggys even kids can be Huggys. They all are very polite and if you don't want a hug they will not hug you and but be aware they can be persistent in their pursuit of hugs.

Should you let Huggy into your house today?  He really is a nice monster.

ages 3-12, good any time, good at home, good for a group, may rile them up, no 'props' needed, quick activity, see our disclaimer,

Look the moon!

I'm sleepy already.

ADDED November 17, 2008

Here at TIF, we really like the moon, it's big, bright and looks like a big ball.  We shared "First to find the moon" a few weeks back , and today we have another moon activity called "Look the moon."  This activity is best played at night just before bed time; it is a simple activity that even the smallest kids will enjoy so much.   We just know you will be playing every night.
 
First, you need to find a pillow or stuffed animal to play the part of the moon.  Once everybody is in agreement about who or what will be playing the moon, on to the fun. Next make the moon rise in the sky. And when the moon rises everybody puts their head down on a pillow, the floor, or an available shoulder and goes to sleep. Then when the moon lowers on the horizon everybody opens their eyes slowly, stretches and wakes-up.  Then rise the moon and repeat!
 
Try it tonight, remember "when the moon is up heads go down." Good night moon!

 

 

ages 2-7, may rile them up, see our disclaimer,

House band

Rock the house

ADDED November 07, 2008

Some days kids need an opportunity to be loud and rowdy.  With a few simple household items, you can make a little band that will make the neighbors consider calling the cops.
 
Collect a tissue box, the tube from an empty roll of paper towels, two plastic cups, two spoons, two pencils or even two Hot Wheels cars. Anything percussive will work perfectly.
 
Once you and your child have collected the necessary instruments, crank up your favorite music and play along.  Try and play with the percussion if possible.   If you don't have any musical training, it's not a problem; this activity is about noise, fun and creative instruments.
 
Rock it and make some noise!

ages 2-7, good at home, may rile them up, quick activity, rainy day fun, see our disclaimer,

Don't spill the tickle!

Training program for young mimes

ADDED November 05, 2008

At night when I am putting my kids to bed, I really don't need much of an excuse to tickle them.  However in my quest for more inventive ways to tickle and make them stay up past their bed time, I created a mime-inspired game called "Don't spill the tickle."
 
It is really easy to play:  cup your hands and pretend you are holding a tickle. Carefully pass it tickle to your child, being very careful not to spill the tickle.  After the tickle has been successfully passed, now it is their turn to pass it back to you. When they are passing, even the smallest bit of shake or wobble will cause the tickle to spill and result in a good tickling.  While the tickling is going on, encourage your child to grab the tickle and pass it back to you as fast as possible in order to stop the tickling.  When the tickle is back under control, keep passing it back and forth until it inevitably spills again.
 
I like this game because if your kids don't want to be tickled, they will be very careful not to spill the tickle.  But if they do like to be tickled, then of course there will be a big spill!

good any time, may rile them up, no 'props' needed, quick activity,

Savings plane

When you are done clipping, coupons make some fun!

ADDED November 04, 2008

At our house, coupons come in the mail on Tuesday.  After looking through the bounty of savings brought by the postman, we have started a tradition that has really become a soaring success.  We make airplanes out of the coupon pages.
 
I believe the simpler the plane the better, so we usually make the basic model.  The basic model is best because it is very easy for the kids to make and we can make a fleet very quickly, giving us more time to fly.
 
After heading outside and giving our planes some air-time, we will ground the fleet and head off to the recycling bin and wait till next Tuesday.
 
We like this idea because it is a quick activity, and it is great fun to make something fun out of what would otherwise just be simply recycled!  To the skies!

 

good at home, may rile them up, quick activity,

The Big, Big-As-The-House, House-Sized Board Game

New fun with the toys and stuff you already have.

ADDED November 03, 2008

My kids and I have been playing board games for while now and this activity is a new twist on a old favorite, the board game.  With this activity, we will take a few items that you already have and use them in a different way to create a giant board game that can be played literally all over your house.  This game is as big as the house!

To play this game you need at least 20 blocks or Legos and a pack of playing cards or dice.  Each player will also need to select a favorite toy to use as a 'marker', like a bear, doll or action figure.

To start, create a trail around the house with the blocks.  Make it huge -- this is a house-sized game.  Each block in the path will be a space for your game. You and your kids can make the path go under chairs, around furniture, and upstairs.  Send your path thru the tub, slide it down the stairs, you can even make it go outside. Just make sure everyone knows where the trail starts and where it ends.

Each player will draw one card from the deck and then move the number of spaces on the card. For example, if you draw a five, move five spaces; if you draw a king or ace, move eleven spaces.  (Alternately you can use dice to come up with a number of spaces to move.)

Then add some fun rules of your own, at my house each player has to act like their marker when they are moving (roaring and snorting animals are best). Another rule we like to add is anytime your marker lands on the stairs you get to slide to the bottom, this often ends in a lot of stuffed animal tumbling action that is a crowd favorite.

Now that you have your giant, house-sized board game set up, play it!  And when you are done, change it and play again, then tear it down and play again tomorrow!  Also if you have a house that is over 10,000 square feet make sure you limit your game play to just a few rooms, like the ballroom and salon.  And make sure you stay away from the grand piano and elevator.
Have fun!

good at home, good for a group, longer activity, may rile them up, rainy day fun, see our disclaimer, verbal activity,

Hug Fight

A really nice kind of fight

ADDED October 23, 2008

Everybody has heard of pillow fights, water balloon fights, and even the perennial favorite from cafeterias across the land: food fights.  

But have you ever heard of a "hug fight?"

Hug fights are best at night, right before bed.  They are actually very peaceful, gentle, and don't take a lot of effort.  To have a hug fight, all you need to do is call out "Hug Fight!" and everyone in the room hugs the person or people closest to them.  After a few seconds someone else yells "Hug Fight" again, and at this point you need to switch and hug someone else. Keep yelling "Hug Fight" until everyone in the room has been sufficiently hugged.

I like to do this at night as we are putting the kids in bed, because I get a really good tight hug from everybody.  And it's fun to yell at night.

Why not have a hug fight tonight with the ones you love?

good any time, good at home, may rile them up, no 'props' needed, quick activity, see our disclaimer,

Book in review

A little review to help your little readers

ADDED October 20, 2008

Use this out loud reading activity at home to help your new readers (and even older ones) review words that cause stumbling.  It's called "The Book in Review," and it's not a game, but a way to build a familiarity with newly learned words.

Here is how to do it:  As your kid is reading a book out loud, keep a mental list of what words are new or that might need some review. When the reading is done, close the book and give your child a pop quiz on the tricky words.

Make it fun and, if you're up for it, make it a little bit like a game show.  Find a page that has a troublesome word, point to it and ask in a booming voice, "What is the word?"  If they get the word right, cheer and whoop.  Make "jackpot" sound effects and an all-around big deal.  

Then move onto another word and repeat the question.  If your child gets the word wrong, have them work on figuring it out, and keep that page marked for further review and move onto another word.  When your kid gets the next word right, quickly turn back to the word they previously got wrong, review it again until it is correct.  In the end, when you are finished with the review,  carry your young reader on your shoulders like they are champs that just won the big game.

Try a review with your little readers today. (But don't practice this book review with your significant other unless you are able to lift them up on your shoulders!

ages 2-8, educational, good at home, may rile them up, no 'props' needed, reading activity, verbal activity,

A Monster at the Fork Store

Bon Appétit! Well, almost.

ADDED October 17, 2008

Sit down on the floor of a room or the grass of your yard.  Tell your little one that you are a nice, healthy human being and as such, you are exactly what monsters like to eat!

And tell your child that, for the moment, he or she is the monster.  Have your kid come and pretend to eat you.

But wait!  Wait! As the monster approaches and is about to take a bite, stop and remind your monster that yes, even monsters need forks!  So, point to another place in the room or the yard and say, "You have to go buy a fork from the fork store!"

Once that 'purchase' has been completed and the monster returns for another attempt, ask the monster to go buy a spoon before starting the meal.  And ketchup.  And a napkin. And a place mat.

The trick is never to get eaten by thinking up more stuff for the monster to purchase.  Even better, try to have the monster come up with ideas as to what will be needed for the meal.

This is a fun, silly game that will provide a reason for kids to run around and release some energy.  Also, kids like acting like monsters, and adults enjoy not being eaten.

And don't forget to send the monster for a bib, eating humans can be messy business!

ages 2-7, good at home, good for a group, may rile them up, no 'props' needed, quick activity, summer activity,

Your own Freaky Friday!

Fun weekend bedtime activity.

ADDED October 10, 2008

Weekend bedtime is a great time to play this fun game.  (The weekend part for this suggestion is key, because it might rile your little ones up just a bit.)  But the joy on my kids' faces makes any rowdiness well worth it.

This game started one night as my lovely wife and I were putting our kids to sleep.  My beautiful spouse said, "Can you put me to sleep instead? Can you two be the Mom and Dad?"  Being the opportunists all kids are when it comes to staying up late, both kids in unison said, "OK!"  They quickly turned off the lights and closed the door, leaving the room dark.
 
I could see their shadows under the door wondering what they should do. They were the parents now. What exactly do parents do after the door closes?
 
I waited a few seconds and started to cry, then asked for water and said I was scared. Each statement caused a flurry of activity:  water was poured, questions were asked, hugs were given -- and each time the light went off very quickly and the door was closed.

Then I would get out of bed, and they would gently put me back in.  My wife would lose her blanket, and they would find it.   I would ask if I could eat a fried egg, and they would tell me it was best to eat eggs in the morning. It was so much fun, we played for about 10 minutes, and then the real parents put the real kids to bed.
 
My kids had a lot of fun pretending to be the parents, and they ask at least once a week if they can put me to bed.   Most of the time I say, "No, Not tonight, its to late."  But when I do say yes, they are thrilled.
 
Try tonight and have your own Freaky Friday style fun.  And try to stay in bed, okay?

ages 2-8, may rile them up, no 'props' needed, quick activity, see our disclaimer,

Mirror dance

A dandy dancing distraction.

ADDED October 07, 2008

During the course of the day, we all have places to be and things to do. However getting these things done is not an easy task with a little one nipping at your heels. Sometimes kids need a little distraction so Dad and Mom can get dressed, put the dog in the car, or just make lunch.
 
So what my wife and I will do with our little ones is put them in front of a mirror, turn on something with a beat, and let the mirror entertain.  All kids love to look at themselves in the mirror, and when you add music and dancing, a winning combination is guaranteed.  Also, an added bonus is how cute it is to see your little one dancing and smiling in their own musical world.
 
A mirror is also a great entertainer of older kids as well:  they too love to watch themselves dance and move to the music.  My kids literally have spent hours dancing happily away to the smooth beats. Making up plays, stories and even trying to act-out the sounds from a cartoon sound effects.  So no matter what your kids age, crank up the tunes and dance the afternoon away it will be time well spent.

info@todayisfun.com.

good at home, good for a group, may rile them up, quick activity,

Beware the Bopper!

A semi-magical method of ousting kids' extra energy

ADDED October 03, 2008

 

This is a quick and easy way to get kids' bodies moving.  It is particularly useful for times when you sense the kids have a lot of pent-up energy and are on the verge of acting rambunctious anyway.

First, you need to get yourself a Bopper.  This can be any household object that would be good for bopping the kids on the head:  an empty paper towel tube is ideal.

Tell the kids you recently picked up a Bopper at the special Bopper store.  Show them your fine new acquisition and, while you're at it, explain how the Bopper works...

When you say the name of an object or animal and then touch the top of a kid's head with the Bopper, the kid turns into whatever you said!

Try it out yourself.  It really works.

I like to start off by turning the kids into the craziest, wildest things imaginable:  a cheetah, a helicopter, an amped-up jumping bean.  

Encourage the children to really create the thing you name with their bodies.  For example, with a helicopter, I need to see propellor blades straight out and spinning.

And here's the trick:  after a couple of minutes of wild re-creations, I move to "medium" for a few minutes, and then I conclude with five minutes of "quiet and mellow."

For "medium," the kids could be a car, a raindrop or a dog.  You get the idea.

For the very popular "quiet and mellow" category, I bop them and conjure up:  a turtle, a snail, a clock pendulum, an opening and closing door, a chair (inanimate objects are great), or an ice cube.

And now, the grand finale:  when I sense that the kids have got some energy out and are getting pretty mellow, I tell them we're having a contest.  I bop them on the heads, tell them they're rocks, and whoever can remain a rock the longest wins!

Ah, but in such instances, I am really the winner!  Bop on, people!

ages 2-8, good at home, good for a group, may rile them up, not good for a restaurant or public place,

Close Out Sale at the Hat Store!

Tons of fun with head gear

ADDED October 01, 2008

 

How many hats does the average family own?

Our family is a bit above average in that department, I think.  A quick tally of the hats in this house revealed an amount weighing approximately three and half tons. 

If you're similarly blessed with too many hats, why not turn them into a fun activity?

Assemble all your family's hats somewhere that's easily accessible for kids:  on a bed or sofa.

Each kid gets a turn to visit the store.  What works really well is if a parent is in the other room -- that way the kids can get the hat on, then march away and show off each "new purchase" from the hat store.  "Look at my new hat!"

If you have a digital camera handy, it adds to the fun to snap a pic of each new hat on display.

When each hat receives its fair share of admiration, it's time for the kid to return to the hat store.  Oh, and scarves and gloves are fair game to be retrieved from the hat store, too.

Are you guys ready to have some fun in your house today?  At the drop of a hat!

ages 2-7, good at home, may rile them up, not good for a restaurant or public place,

Tip Toe Practice

Sneaky stealthy and most important SILENT fun

ADDED September 30, 2008

 

If you have a pre-schooler in your house, have you ever lain in bed early in the morning and wondered if instead you actually had a wildebeest living with you?  Or an elephant?  Or some other loudly clomping beast of the jungle?

We have wood floors, two darling but heavy-stepping children, and a Mom who likes to sleep in whenever possible.

So in honor of sleeping in, and daring the impossible, we present Tip Toe Practice.

First step:  have a tip-toeing demonstration with your little ones.  (Kids seem to like this word, too, by the way.  There's something kind of funny about it.)

Secondly, try this game:  Sit cross-legged on the floor of a hallway, with room to get around you on either side.  Close your eyes and have your kids try to tip toe by. 

If you hear the tip-toe-ers, let out a loud monster growl and -- with your eyes still closed -- grab them.  If you're right, the kids get another chance to try to sneak past you. If you're wrong, your kids will be quite proud of themselves (and delighted to see you growling and grabbing at nothing.)

It's a fun, vaguely educational activity, and it provides hope for Mommy's pleasant Saturday morning.

And just think:  maybe when they're teenagers, this Tip Toe Practice activity will help them sneak back into the house after curfew!  Oh, wait a minute . . .

(For more fun quiet games we've posted try our 1, 2, 3 Quiet Game or What do you hear?)

ages 2-7, good at home, may rile them up, no 'props' needed, rainy day fun,

Backwards Breakfast

Mix up breakfast -- no blender required!

ADDED September 22, 2008

As we all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day and here at TIF we agree but we also think that breakfast should be fun. So try this entertaining idea today and show your kids what a Backwards Breakfast is.

We all know what backwards day is (the hilarious joke that is played on playgrounds worldwide) however until a few days ago I was not sure what a Backwards Breakfast was. Thankfully my daughter made up this idea and shared it with me. Now we will have a Backwards Breakfast a few times a week.

So as parents all you have to do is ask your kids if they want a backwards breakfast.  Then put the cereal where the toast and fruit should go and put the toast and fruit where the cereal goes. This is what it looked like at my house.

Let us know what your Backwards Breakfast looked like at
info@todayisfun.com.

ages 2-8, good at home, good for mealtimes, may rile them up, no 'props' needed, see our disclaimer,

HOW TO ENTERTAIN KIDS -- WHAT DO YOU GET....

A fun problem solving activity.

ADDED September 09, 2008

Most things here at TIF are absurd and amusing.  What can I say -- we like to have fun. We revel in the ridiculous and savor the silly.  Today’s idea is no different.  I like to play this game in the car when everybody is buckled in, a little bored, and ready to get to our destination. It is called, "What do you need to get…?" 

I will ask my kids simple questions like, ”What do you need to get an egg?”
The answer is not as easy as it might seem, and there are many right answers: you might need a chicken or a store or even a hand to pick up the egg. The fun comes from the imagination used thinking up silly answers. Or the questions can be of a more educational nature, ”What do you need to get 5?”  The answer again is many things: 2+3=5 or 9-4=5 . . . and even 5 birthday parties is a correct answer. Or the question can be even more silly like, ”What do you need to to get to Hawaii?” An airplane, wings, a boat, or even money would all be answers!

This is a great activity because the kids have to figure out the answer, and the adults have to be a little creative as they try and stump them with more and more outlandish questions.

What do your need to get…
Toast.
A carrot.
A car tire.
A book.
Sand.
Seatbelt.
A dog.

Try it today and leave us a comment letting us know “What do you need to get…?”.

ages 4-12, good for home, good for mealtimes, good for the car, may rile them up, quick activity, see our disclaimer, verbal activity,

KIDS GAMES -- What do you throw?

Family fun throwing activity

ADDED September 07, 2008

This is a good game for little ones that are still working on their throwing and kicking.  It is simple, fun, and -- as with all activities at TIF -- you can use what you have to make your own fun with no purchase required.

Here is what you do: get out every throwable and kickable item that you can find in your garage. Line them all up on the grass (like I did in the photo) and start tossing and kicking.  And when you have kicked, tossed and thrown everything in the line have your kids collect everything and do it again. Who knows, you might have a professional horseshoe player on your hands!

Side note about the items in my photo, if I do it again I would recommend not using a horseshoe. Even after explaining that you do not catch a horseshoe, my kids insisted on throwing it to me, thankfully it was made out of rubber.

Send us a photo of what you are throwing send it to info@todayisfun.com.

 

ages 2-7, may rile them up, quick activity, see our disclaimer,

KIDS GAMES -- INDOOR BOWLING

Yet another way to ignore what Mom always said about playing ball in the house

ADDED September 03, 2008

What you will need for this game:  a ball.  Some paper and crayons.  Some chairs are optional.

Do you have those things on hand?  Okay, you're ready to go.

First, have your kids create some art on five different pieces of paper.  The art can really be whatever they want:  princesses or pirate ships, gorillas or Grandma.  

When each piece of paper is sufficiently beautiful, number each one with a number from 1 to 5.  It doesn't matter which piece of art gets which number.  

Lay the five pieces of paper on the floor in a row.  

Your child will kneel down a little bit away from the papers and roll the ball over to them.  The goal is get the ball to roll and stop on top of the page with the highest number (that is, five).

If your child is having a hard time making the ball stop on the pages, you can arrange some chairs to help keep the ball in place.

Remind your kids to keep the ball on the floor, and have fun.  

This game is also a fine opportunity to teach your kids the phrase, "That's how I roll!"

ages 2-7, good at home, may rile them up, see our disclaimer,

Kids Games -- Sprinkler Hokey Pokey

And other sprinkler amusements

ADDED August 18, 2008

It's still Summer and it's still warm.  One easy way to cool the kids down, without schlepping them off to a water park or beach, is to turn on the sprinklers and let them run around in the spray.

I am a person who likes to get my money's worth, so I want my children to get as wet as possible while the sprinklers are on.

To extend the fun and make this more than just merely running around, I try to create some games for the kids in the sprinklers.  

One game is "Sprinkler Hokey Pokey."  Call out body parts that the kids must douse in the sprinkler spray:  "Everybody stick  your right foot into the water."  (For each body part named, the kids have to run to a different sprinkler  -- they can't stay stuck in the same place.)   I try to be as complete (and as tricky) as I can while calling out what to soak:  shoulders, hair, belly button, elbows, back of the neck, and so forth.

Another method of making the kids as wet as possible is calling out things for them to find and go touch.  I tell everybody to go touch a pink flower, or a broken brick, or the kid nearest them, and so forth.

Oh, and one last thing here:  as far as I'm concerned the trick is to get the kids as wet as possible, while staying perfectly dry myself.  If you can swing that, I feel it'll be a successful outing.

ages 3-12, may rile them up, summer activity,

How to entertain kids -- Clap, stomp, hop

Combine follow the leader and outrageous antics for a fun time

ADDED August 13, 2008

As the final days of summer are waning and the school year is approaching fast sometimes a little boredom combined with the need to run around can create a powder keg of childish energy.  When this perfect storm is about to strike we will head outside for a game that combines follow the leader and the outrageous antics of a game show into one kid friendly activity that is sure to get the wiggles out.
This game seems to work best when we are walking somewhere but it certainly can be played in the yard or living room with equal success. 
First everyone stands in a circle and chose someone to start, there are three moves that the leader can chose from and they can be played in any combination, either clap, stomp or hop. Say the leader starts with a hop, stomp, hop and while they are doing their moves they need to say what they are doing, “hop, stomp, hop”. When the leader finishes they say "next".  This is the cue for the group to do what the leader just did, so they all say and do a little, “hop, stomp, hop”. When they finish they say "next". And the next person in line is now the leader and they get three moves, any three moves they might chose to go for a stomp, stomp, clap or hop, clap, stomp or even hop, hop, hop, whatever moves they chose the group follows and you keep going around the circle until everyone is worn out.
Remember you can do the moves in any order and even repeat moves but you only get three moves so use them wisely.  As your players become more advanced you can make up moves to trick the group, try hop, bark, balance on one leg or jump, roll, give a high five.
The reason we like this game so much is its simplicity kids love copying their parents and they love to have fun and be silly.

Try a little hop, hop, act like a hippo today and leave us a comment, it’s easy and fun or email info@todayisfun.com don’t forget to tell a friend about us. Today is fun!

ages 2-7, good at home, good for a group, may rile them up, no 'props' needed, quick activity, see our disclaimer, summer activity, verbal activity,

Animal Action

A game that gets the kids moving and exercising some creativity

ADDED July 22, 2008

I recently caught my lovely spouse playing this game with the kids.  I immediately decided to steal the idea and put it up on this site, as this activity fits with our theme this week (simple and fun) and it's a great way of expelling some of the kids' energy out before bed.

To do this one, you chant the following words:  

Animal action, animal action, animal action.

Everyone act like a __________.

And you fill in the name of the animal.  The kids' job, of course, is to make their bodies into the shape of the animal you named.  They then run around in that shape, making the noise of the animal.  

The point of this exercise is not accuracy.  In our house, elephants, octopuses and guinea pigs seem to resemble each other very closely (and they all seem to growl ferociously, too, for some reason).  Instead, the goal here is to look at the different things we can do with our bodies, and to get those bodies moving!

Have fun, but be careful.  You never know when you'll encounter a snarling octopus or a ferocious guinea pig.

ages 2-7, educational, good for a group, may rile them up, summer activity,

Fishing for fun.

Entertaining activity with rowdy results.

ADDED July 13, 2008

Here is a fun game you can play in the back yard, park or pool. All you need is a kid or two, bait and tackle not required.  

I start by saying, “ I think I am going to go fishing”.
I pretend to throw my line in the water and reel one of the fish in.
As my fish comes in I will ask it, “You don’t look like a fish what are you?”

This is the part I like, hearing what I have reeled in and believe it or not I have reeled in everything from an old shoe that claimed to be just my size to a white blood cell.

Since I am a catch and release fisherman now comes the part they like a gentle toss back into the ocean.

As the game continues I will mix it up and not throw back things that are interesting to encourage the kids to use their imagination. Once I even reeled in the Mayor, she seemed to be wise so I kept her for a while to help me decide what to do with my catches.

It is fun and educational. They get to use their imaginations and verbal skills as they listen to each other and think up more and more outlandish things for me to catch. And I also have a lot of fun listening to what I have caught.

Drop us a line and let us know what you catch info@todayisfun.com and remember Today is Fun!

ages 2-7, educational, good at home, good for a group, may rile them up, no 'props' needed, quick activity, see our disclaimer, summer activity, verbal activity,

Machine Assembly

Put together some fun for the kids

ADDED July 08, 2008

For this one, you will assemble a machine using the materials you have on hand:  the kids.  Machine assembly is great to do during playdates at your house, because it's more fun with more kids to be the parts.

Tell the kids that they're going to be parts of a machine.  In a machine, each part does one specific action, over and over.  That's how machines work -- a machine part never changes its action.

Ask each child, or machine part, to show everybody what action they make.  (You  may want to demonstrate with an example, using your hands, arms, legs.) After each child has had a turn to invent an action, you "assemble" the machine.  That is, tell the kids stand close together, so that they're almost interacting, kind of like the workings of a real machine.  You can turn the machine on and off with your voice, or by tapping the buttons on top of the heads.

During the summer, it's fun to make a water machine outside in the yard or wading pool.  Each kid uses a water toy as part of a specific action:  squirting, pouring, dumping, etc.

At our house, we have one rule with the water machine.  You can really do whatever you want as part of the water machine . . . as long as you don't get me wet!

ages 3-12, good for a group, may rile them up, summer activity,