Healthy Kids • YMCA Child Care
3 activities that will spark your kids' imagination and give you some time to yourself
16 April 2020 - by YMCA of Greater Toronto
This is the time of year we’re supposed to be escaping our winter hibernation and venturing into the great outdoors. It’s so important that we stay strong and continue staying home — and we at the Y want to make that feel a little easier for you and your family! Here are three classic games you might normally play with the kids outside, but can be just as fun indoors.
1. Fort building
You’ve got all your supplies within easy reach: blankets, sheets, cushions, chairs, sofa — maybe even your dining room table! Use the furniture to stake out the sides of your fort and drape the blanket or sheet across the top, using a broomstick or curtain rod to prop your “roof” up. Make the inside cozy with some cushions and more blankets, and you’re all set!
The nice thing about this one is that it instantly puts the kids in quiet-time mode. Before you know it, they’ll be “camping in the forest,” “riding around in their spaceship,” and using their imaginations to transform their blanket structure into countless other things. And quiet time for the kids means a few moments of relaxing “me time” for you.
2. Hide and seek
Hide and seek is just as much fun to play inside as it is outside. The rules are simple. The first person who is “It” closes their eyes and counts to an agreed upon number while everyone else goes and hides. When “It” finishes counting, they “seek” the others. The last person to be found becomes “It” and it’s their turn to let the others hide and then seek them out.
Dial it up a notch for older kids by turning off all the lights, or trying some of these fun variations.
3. Scavenger hunt
Also known as a treasure hunt, this game sends the kids off in search of a series of clues, each of which guides them to the next. It's usually a great way to get them running around the backyard, but here are some cute clues, designed as riddles, that will turn your home into an exciting new adventure. Try to make them at least a little challenging; you want your kids to get a bit of a brain workout in while they’re playing, and you don’t want them to finish so fast that you don’t get a chance at taking a little break for yourself!
Before they set out in search of the “treasure” you’ll have waiting for them at the end of the hunt, make sure you set some rules. Most importantly: no running in the house! :)
1. Fort building
You’ve got all your supplies within easy reach: blankets, sheets, cushions, chairs, sofa — maybe even your dining room table! Use the furniture to stake out the sides of your fort and drape the blanket or sheet across the top, using a broomstick or curtain rod to prop your “roof” up. Make the inside cozy with some cushions and more blankets, and you’re all set!
The nice thing about this one is that it instantly puts the kids in quiet-time mode. Before you know it, they’ll be “camping in the forest,” “riding around in their spaceship,” and using their imaginations to transform their blanket structure into countless other things. And quiet time for the kids means a few moments of relaxing “me time” for you.
2. Hide and seek
Hide and seek is just as much fun to play inside as it is outside. The rules are simple. The first person who is “It” closes their eyes and counts to an agreed upon number while everyone else goes and hides. When “It” finishes counting, they “seek” the others. The last person to be found becomes “It” and it’s their turn to let the others hide and then seek them out.
Dial it up a notch for older kids by turning off all the lights, or trying some of these fun variations.
3. Scavenger hunt
Also known as a treasure hunt, this game sends the kids off in search of a series of clues, each of which guides them to the next. It's usually a great way to get them running around the backyard, but here are some cute clues, designed as riddles, that will turn your home into an exciting new adventure. Try to make them at least a little challenging; you want your kids to get a bit of a brain workout in while they’re playing, and you don’t want them to finish so fast that you don’t get a chance at taking a little break for yourself!
Before they set out in search of the “treasure” you’ll have waiting for them at the end of the hunt, make sure you set some rules. Most importantly: no running in the house! :)
