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Here are some simple games to get your kids off their screens and enjoying some good old fashioned fun these school holidays.
Follow the leader: Line the children up and show them how to play that old favourite, follow the leader. Try to move in lots of different ways such as skipping, jumping, walking sideways, walking backwards, taking little fairy steps or big giant steps. Once they’ve got the hang of it, pass the lead over to the first child and let them at it.
Wacko: A variation of skittles: Save up your 1.25 litre or similar plastic bottles – at least six, up to 10. Pour about a cup of sand into each bottle so they don’t topple easily. Draw a large circle on the concrete or pavement with chalk, or make a circle on the lawn with string or the hose. Place all the bottles inside and take it in turns to roll a basketball or similar along the ground to knock out as many bottles as you can outside the circle.
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Hey, Mr Crocodile: Choose one child to be Mr Crocodile, or play it yourself for a while! The rest of the children line up on the other side of an imaginary river. Then they begin to ask Mr Crocodile if they can cross the river. Mr Crocodile replies YES, but with a condition. Make up a funny poem: “Hey Mr Crocodile, can we cross the water, to see your lovely daughter, floating in the water, like a cup and saucer.” Mr Crocodile replies, “Yes, but only if you are wearing red (or shoes, a hat, hair ties, earrings, shorts, bracelets etc.)!”
Number plate bingo: If you going on a journey try this one. You need a piece of paper per child for this game. Before you leave home write the letters of the alphabet from A - Z in capital letters on the paper (or have the children do it). When they start to become restless on the trip hand them out. They then have to cross off the letters of the alphabet as they spot them on cars, trucks and buses. When they spot it first they can yell it out to be verified by others. Alphabetical order is optional.
Garden detectives: Play a guessing game in the garden is a good option if you have an older child to help out. Tell them you are thinking of something they can all see. Provide a few clues if necessary and then it is up to them to ask the questions until they get the answer. This game can be played in the car, at the park or anywhere with a number of children. The child who guesses correctly takes the next turn.
Go op shopping: Ballarat has quite a few good op shops. Bundle up the kids, give them one, two or five dollars and take them out. They’ll love rummaging through the toy, book, shoes and clothes section to see what they can find and will surely find a treasure.