Kids Games -- How long until we get there?

Now it's actually fun to hear this phrase in the car

ADDED August 18, 2008

 

The name of this game is, of course, a classic American kids' whine. No roadtrip is complete without hearing this complaint from the backseat - and without it being repeated every five minutes.

Well, why not turn it to your advantage? Why not make a game of it?

Since you're the adult and the person driving, you can make the best guess as to how long it will take you guys to reach your destination. So, make a guess, and announce it to your passengers. ("I think we'll be home in 20 minutes.")

This game is best played with two kids, one who can choose to say your guess is too low and the other to say its too high. I stick to my guns, and hope for my guess to be neither too high nor too low, but right on the money. The person whose prediction winds up being correct wins, of course. (If you have more than two kids in the car, you can figure out a way to make this game work. Teams of kids could hope for ‘too high, for instance.)

The true fun of this game comes after the guessing. My kids demand constant updates: they want to know how much time has passed and who is winning. We talk about how traffic and stoplights slow us down, making the trip longer. We talk about how a lack of traffic and good visibility helps us move along smoothly. (And we talk about speed limit laws - the reason we're not just putting the pedal to the metal with abandon.)

When you reach your destination, someone will have won and other people will have lost. Congratulate the winner, but here's another chance to help the kids be ‘good winners' and ‘good losers.' We're happy for the person who has won, of course, but it's just a car guessing game, and we'll do it all again during out next outing.

And in the end, everybody has won. You've taken the annoying whine and turned it into an entertaining game.

ages 3-12, good for the car, no 'props' needed,

HOW TO ENTERTAIN KIDS -- What do you hear.

How to entertain kids with silence.

ADDED August 12, 2008

Some car rides are rowdy. When a group of kids is going to a party or on an outing be prepared for a loud ride.  And when you mix in some sort of children's folk singer on the stereo be prepared for shrieks of joy and peals of laughter that only dogs can hear.

Today we have a quick idea that can quiet the car down, keep everybody entertained and it works with a group of kids or just a few.

What I will do to get everyone's attention is first I will put all of the windows in the car down.  The noise and sudden burst of wind will shock everyone into silence for a few seconds. When the group is quiet I will tell them of a new game we are going to play.  This is a quiet game and to play you need to be quiet and listen carefully, we are going to listen as we drive and we will tell each other what we hear.

Soon silence is all I here combined with an occasional, “Oh, I hear a horn and a truck” and “Oh there is a dog”.  

This is one of our favorite kinds of activities because it takes all of the rowdy excitement that kids have and transforms it into something structured with a little learning along the way. Try it and let us know how it works for you!

Commenting is easy and fun so let us know what your kids hear info@todayisfun.com don't forget to tell a friend about us. Today is fun!

ages 2-7, good any time, good at home, good for a group, good for the car, no 'props' needed, quick activity, see our disclaimer, verbal activity,

1,2,3 Quiet Game.

Quick game to help kids keep themselves quiet.

ADDED July 28, 2008

I am not sure who taught my kids this game, but I overheard it from the back of the car, and it is too good not to pass on. Try this game in the car, at dinner, even in a store when your little ones are getting a little too loud.

All I do is say "1,2,3 Quiet Game" and anyone within earshot must be quiet. Once the silence is broken by any noise at all the game is over and there are no winners or losers.  Amazingly, this game has a very calming effect on the noise that a small group of children can generate.

This game is not just a game that adults lead.  I also let the kids police the game: if someone is being too loud, all they need to say is "1,2,3, Quiet Game" and the other kid will quiet down. It works like magic.

The resulting silence, no matter how brief it may be, is nice.

Try it with your kids and let us know how it works!  And don't forget we are always available at info@todayisfun.com!

ages 3-12, 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, no 'props' needed, quick activity, see our disclaimer,

Eat It or Don't Eat It!

Yet another of our kids games that is easy, fun, and instructional

ADDED July 21, 2008

This is another very simple game. There is a certain, almost Zen-like beauty to the simplicity of this activity, as we'll explain in a moment...

You list a few things for your kids. They have to tell you "Eat it" or "Don't Eat It" for each. A plate of spaghetti, yes. An apple, yes. An entire house . . . absolutely not!

After your turn (try to rattle off about ten different items to ask about), your kids can take a stab at listing things for you to eat or don't eat.

Once your kids understand the concept, you can start to get tricky with them. For instance, "elbow pasta" is a favorite in our house. But just plain old elbows . . . don't try to eat those!

Of course, this is a very easy way to review for small children what people eat, and what they shouldn't. As a case in point, I always remind my little guy that crayons and Play Dough are on the "Don't Eat It!" list.

And now for the beauty of this game, as we mentioned above. The thing is, "Eat it or Don't Eat It!" is simple and engaging enough for small children that they can play it themselves, once you show them how. We have witnessed kids as young as four and two playing this game by themselves for ten to fifteen minutes at a time! And ah, what a sweet, peaceful, and relaxing ten to fifteen minutes that was.

Have fun, and at your next meal time, please stick to the "Eat It" list. No houses, no elbows, please.

 

ages 2-7, educational, good any time, good at home, good for a restaurant or public place, good for mealtimes, good for the car, no 'props' needed, verbal activity,

Counting everyday and everyway.

Daily fun with numbers.

ADDED July 15, 2008

Numbers are an abstract concept. Learning how to count to ten is the easy part but learning how to use numbers to count things this can be hard. Here at TIF we love numbers and we think that the only way to get good at something is through repetition. That is why we are big fans of this game.

Once your kids have mastered counting 1-10 the next step could be to count simple things that you and your kids see. Math that they can do on their fingers is the best, as with everything we try to make it easy so it can be done anywhere.

With my kids I started with simple things that I knew they could count, when we would ride somewhere in the car I would often ask how many people are in the car? Or other times I would ask how many wheels does a car have? How many lights are on the street lamp? Or just to be tricky. I would ask how many wheels does and eighteen wheeler have?

Using simple counting questions they got really good quickly and soon we were adding up the tires on two cars, counting items in a display case and people in line at the market. Try it today and see what numbers you come up with.

Leave a comment or send us an email to let us know how you encourage counting at info@todayisfun.com!

ages 2-7, educational, good any time, good for a group, good for a restaurant or public place, good for the car, no 'props' needed, quick activity, see our disclaimer, verbal activity,

From Where Do You Know?

A fun and simple quizzing game about your kids' favorite characters

ADDED July 11, 2008

Your kids know the characters from a number of different books and TV shows. This activity -- perfect for the car or when you're waiting somewhere -- involves reviewing all the characters and stories that your kids know.

For example, in our house we watch shows and read books from Sesame Street, Bob the Builder, Mickey Mouse's Clubhouse, the Little Einsteins, Word World, Richard Scarry, and Winnie the Pooh.  These shows and books have become the kids' favorites, and they watch the shows and read the books over and over again.

When we need to pass some time, I quiz the kids on all the characters and shows.  I ask, "From where do you know Annie?"  (Answer:  Little Einsteins.)  "From where do you know Tigger?"  (From Winnie the Pooh, of course.)

The kids like to have their knowledge tested, and they like to review all their favorites.  Sometimes, just to get their goat, you can make a preposterous statement ("Oscar the Grouch is a character on Bob the Builder") to see how your children respond.

When the kids are older and in high school, quizzes won't be quite this enjoyable for them.  But for now, quiz away and have fun while it lasts!

ages 3-12, good any time, good for the car, no 'props' needed, verbal activity,

Red, White and Blue hunt.

Entertaining Game of finding the colors in the American flag.

ADDED June 30, 2008

4th of July is this Friday and here at Today is fun we have loads of great ideas to keep your kids entertained all throughout this patriotic and festive week.

Today’s idea will help get the smallest patriots in the mood by having them look for the colors found in the American flag, red, white and blue. If your kids don’t know what colors are on the American flag this week would be a great time to teach them because flags and displays of patriotism will be everywhere.

 

When your kids have figured out what colors they are looking for turn them loose. When they find the first color “Red” then they can find the next color “White” and then “Blue” then repeat “Red”, “White” and “Blue”.

The idea is very simple and can be used to pass a few minutes at the market or on a car ride or even while you are reading a book this week try pointing out the colors Red, White and Blue when you look at the pictures.

Also don’t forget to drop us an email info@todayisfun.com we will be wearing special 4th of July hats all week (look for this idea later in the week) and it would be great to hear from you!

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

Albert the Aardvark

A fun and funny way for kids to learn letters and alliterations

ADDED June 27, 2008

Ask your kids if they've met Albert the Aardvark. No? They haven't? How about Beulah the Beaver? (She's always quite busy, it seems.) Then there's Connie the Coyote and Donny the Duck-Billed Platypus.

The way our family plays this game is for the adult to supply the kids with the name, and then the kids come up with the animal. The game gets much more fun, you'll see, when your kids can provide both the name and the animal.

Even if your child can only invent gibberish names for the animals ("Frunko the Frog," for instance) as long as they are recognizing and repeating that first letter sound, it's still an approved answer in our book.

Have fun with those kids today, and say hello to Hortense the Hedgehog for us.

(For another fun alliterative word game check out one of our previous posts: Great Gadzooks!)

ages 2-7, educational, good any time, good at home, good for a group, good for a restaurant or public place, good for mealtimes, good for the car, no 'props' needed, verbal activity,

Have you ever seen a PoodleRex?

Word jumble silliness!

ADDED June 20, 2008

Kids are always pretending to be animals. At any time a zoo full of hamsters, hyenas or hippopotami can be found thundering thru the house.  The question that always comes up is, “Dad, what kind of animal do you want to be?” I usually choose hippopotamus because they float around, listen to the zookeeper (my daughter)  and don’t get into a lot of trouble.

But sometimes when posed with this question what I’ll do is take two animals and create a new animal. It is really simple, take the first part of one animal and combine it with the last part of another animal and presto you have the fearsome ham-opotamus, the deadly hip-yena or the poorly behaved hy-ster.

Try this idea in the car or at the dinner table.  It is fun with sound effects and acting (I always encourage gentle acting), but I love to see their imaginations light up when one of these mythical creatures appear

Here is a list of my favorites The Rabburtle (Rabbit and Turtle), Buffmunk (Buffalo and Chipmunk) and Rhinokey (Rhino and Monkey) are all favorites.  And in my sons mind nothing is better then the ferocious PoodleRex (Tyrannosaurus Rex and Poodle) I just wish we could house break him!  

Next time you are asked, “what animal do you want to be” Let us know what you and you kids come up with. We are just an email away info@todayisfun.com or leave a comment.

ages 3-12, good any time, good at home, good for a group, good for a restaurant or public place, good for mealtimes, good for the car, may rile them up, no 'props' needed, quick activity, see our disclaimer, verbal activity,

Portable Game Books

Print out these handy games for anytime fun.

ADDED June 05, 2008

The other day I was looking for a simple organizer that I could print out and fold into a small pocket size to do list. I happened upon this very handy little organizer at
http://www.pocketmod.com/v2/
and as I looked thru the options for coordinating my life I found you could make little books of Tic-Tack-Toe, Dots and Boxes or a Blank Page for Doodling even little frames to make your own stories in, all you have to do is print, fold and cut to create a little portable game book to take anywhere. I immediatley printed some out and put them to use.

They really are a lot of fun and super simple to make. We have been playing a game of Dots and Boxes after dinner for the past 3 nights (this game can be very long) and the Tic-Tac-Toe book really came in handy during a recent Doctors visit and I can’t wait to use the Doodling book at a restaurant very soon.

I made five little booklets to print and take. I really like them. Let me know what you think!
Click link below to download in pdf format and print!

1) Tic-Tac-Toe
2) Dots and Boxes
3) ½ Tic-Tac-Toe & ½ Dots and Boxes
4) Blank pages for coloring
5) Make your own story

If you are having trouble folding the paper look here for a quick primer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAb31rIeGZo
and if you forgot the rules of Tic-Tac-Toe look here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tic-tac-toe
also if you are not quite sure how to play Dots and Boxes look here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dots_and_Boxes
and of course you can always email us here to let us know how it’s going.
info@todayisfun.com

 

ages 3-12, art supplies needed, good any time, good at home, good for a group, good for a restaurant or public place, good for the car, longer activity, quick activity, verbal activity,

Traffic Jam Pack

A little planning ahead will save the day when you're in a jam

ADDED May 29, 2008

At some point, you're going to be stuck in the car with the kids, and you're all going to have to do some waiting.  It's inevitable.

So why not plan a head with a 'traffic jam pack?'  Maybe this idea isn't rocket science, and maybe it's something that has occurred to you before.  But have you actually taken fifteen minutes and put it together?  Do it today, and you'll be glad when you need it.

Get (1) a sizable bag and put some of the following stuff in it:

(2) A couple of picture books
(3) Some new, small, and interesting toys
(4) A CD of music that the kids haven't heard yet
(5) An easy snack, such as granola bars or a box of raisins
(6) An index card or two to help you remember some good-for-the-car Today Is Fun ideas (such as "Great Gadzooks" and "Bigger or Smaller.")

The trick here is novelty.  The more new stuff that the kids haven't seen before, the better.

And maybe you and the kids won't just wait it out.  Maybe you'll manage to have some fun.

good for the car,

A lot, a little, or so-so

A simple, entertaining way of finding kids' favorite things

ADDED May 27, 2008

 

Think of something -- anything -- in your child's life.  For now, let's use the example of a grilled cheese sandwich.

Ask your child, "How much do you like a grilled cheese sandwich?  A lot, a little, or just so-so?"  

It's that easy.

Once your child answers, you can share your thoughts on the subject at hand.  Then, think of another item to discuss.  Going to the park, for example.  Or an alligator.

Even little kids can participate in this game.  And there is something intrinsically charming about a toddler saying 'so-so.'

We all feel differently about various things in our lives.  This game helps pass the time in an entertaining way by talking about those evaluations.

We've had enormous success with this one during long car rides and while stuck in traffic.

Your family is guaranteed to like this game a lot (or a little or so-so).

ages 2-8, good any time, good for a group, good for the car, no 'props' needed, verbal activity,

Fun with Vowel Sounds

Entertain the kids with their own mouths (and have them learn a little in the process)

ADDED May 26, 2008

Kids like to play with anything at hand and sometimes what is at hand is, well, a face.

 

At some point during childhood, everybody hears the old wives' tale: "don't make that kind of funny face or it will stick that way." Well, these funny faces won't stick, but the educational benefit here just might.

If your kids don't know already, list for them all the vowels: A, E, I, O, and U. (Sometimes Y.)

Then, you and your kids make the different vowel sounds: an A, an E, an O sound, and so forth. Part of the fun of this activity is looking at how your mouths are shaped for each sound: an O sound, of course, makes a circle of course, but what does a A do? In our house, we think an A stretches your lips, and an E really stretches your mouth!

It's learning and it's fun. And we hope that your kids will say, "Oh, this is A great time. Yip-EE!"

 

ages 3-12, educational, good any time, good for the car, quick activity, verbal activity,

Great Gadzooks

Alphabetical word fun.

ADDED May 23, 2008

My kids are learning all about words at school, and lately I have seen their vocabulary increase greatly. What I do to encourage bigger words and a broader vocabulary is play a game I call “Great Gadzooks.”

It is slightly challenging and definitley something that makes them think but it can be played anywhere. The results are always hilarious.

All you need is a little imagination and some word power. You start at the beginning of the alphabet and use a adjective and a noun that start with the letter A.  For example, ”Awesome Apples” or “Arabian Ant,” then the game moves on to the next person. They will use the letter B for their turn, they follow suit using the same adjective and noun formula, ”Burned Bananna” or “Bouncy Blanket” -- the more outlandish the better. The next person follows with the letter C then D and so on. Some letters do get hard but we have a few "go to" words that we will use for I,V,X,Y and Z (email me if you need some help with those letters).

It is always fun. For some reason “Vacuuming Vipers” always gets a huge laugh and “Marvelous Mom” elicits cheers of joy. Let me know what makes you and your kids laugh. It would be great to read some of your "Colorful Comments".

ages 3-12, 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, longer activity, may rile them up, no 'props' needed, verbal activity,

Bigger or Smaller

Have fun estimating everything.

ADDED May 19, 2008

My kids are always comparing sizes of things. I frequently hear things like,” I am tall enough for this” or “I am big enough to do that” or the ever popular, ”but mine is the smallest”. What they don’t realize is that they are estimating. So to keep the estimation party going in a positive way I will ask them questions about what things they see around them and have them estimate the answers.

I will ask, ”what building, tree or flag pole is taller?” “What car do you think is heavier?” Or I will say, “What line has the most people?”

I think it helps expand their vocabulary and encourage critical thinking. Besides who doesn’t like to guess which line will move faster at the market? Somehow I always chose the slowest.

ages 3-12, good any time, good at home, good for a restaurant or public place, good for the car, no 'props' needed, quick activity, see our disclaimer, verbal activity,

An Animal, A Place, And Something You Can Touch

A custom tale just for your kid -- what could be more entertaining?

ADDED May 16, 2008

Ask your child to tell you three things: an animal, a place, and a thing that "you can touch."

With these three bits of information, it is very easy to create a story.  And your child will be enthralled to hear the suggestions molded into the story.

Here's an example that happened in our house the other day.  For an animal, my boy said an antelope.  The place was a market and the "thing you can touch" was a cactus.

I told a story about Andrew the Antelope (always give the characters in your stories names--kids like that.  You could also pause the story to ask your child for the name as well).  Well, Andrew the Antelope went to the market with his Mom.  He wanted to run and jump around the store (as antelopes are wont to do), but his mom told him to calm down and to be careful, please!  Well, Andrew the Antelope didn't listen, and in one big jump, almost landed on a - that's right - potted cactus.  

With the three details already in mind, it was easy to tell the story.  And my kids loved it.  (Except they felt the story could have been improved if the antelope had actually fallen onto the cactus.)

ages 3-12, good any time, good at home, good for the car, verbal activity,

What Color Shirt Is Mommy (or Daddy, or Somebody Else) Wearing

A simple guessing game to help you get home in one piece

ADDED May 12, 2008

 

When returning from an outing, kids can get bored and grumpy during the ride home. The last couple minutes can be the worst, when they start to recognize that they’re close, but not there yet.

One quick and easy activity I do with my kids in this situation is to guess what color shirt their Mom is wearing. (Of course, it would work for anyone whom they will see at the destination: Dad, Grandma, a younger sibling, etc.)

Everybody takes a turn guessing the color. Then we fill the time with “talking up” the choices: “Mommy really does like red, so that was a good guess of yours,” or “I think Mommy looks pretty in brown, so I think I’m right—it’s going to be brown!” Kids seem to respond well to this color commentary, and start to offer their own analyses.

(You’ll find that this pastime works well even when you actually know the exact color of the person’s shirt.)

Another benefit to this activity is that when we arrive home, my kids are dying to see their Mom, and what color shirt she’s wearing. The reunion is even more fun and exciting—and their Mom likes to hear the guesses (and that she’s being talked about.)

Keep them guessing, and keep them on their toes.

ages 2-7, good for the car, no 'props' needed, quick activity, verbal activity,

Olden Days

Good times with the way-back machine.

ADDED May 08, 2008

This isn’t so much a game or activity, as a great topic for conversation.  It’s fun, too.

Kids naturally like learning about the world about them—everything is new and exciting.  When your kids reach a certain age (four or five?) they can begin to understand this concept:  that in Olden Days, a lot of things didn’t exist—a lot of things that kids are used to seeing.  

When I first told this to my kids, they thought it was a bizarre concept:  there didn’t used to be cars?  Or TV?  Or Barney the Dinosaur?

My kids like guessing what was around in Olden Days, and what wasn’t.  (“Were there leopards in Olden Days, Daddy?”)

Just  be careful around touchy grandmothers.  You, not your innocent child, will get blamed if a touchy grandmother is asked, “Were there horses in Olden Days, Grandma?”

ages 2-7, educational, good any time, good at home, good for a restaurant or public place, good for mealtimes, good for the car, no 'props' needed, verbal activity,

Questions for the kids

Entertain the troops with a little kid interrogation

ADDED April 18, 2008

Try it here are a few starters. Questions can be simple, “what color is your favorite shirt?” informational, “how much do you like bunnies?” or outlandish, “what do you think is heavier 1 elephant or 7500 popsicles?” You can ask anything. So ask away.

I did and was surprised to find out that someone in my family would rather be tickled than eat green beans, another prefers their straw inside a cup, while a third person would rather go bowling than play croquet. Who knew! Let me know what you find out about your loved ones.

good any time, good for a group, good for a restaurant or public place, good for home, good for mealtimes, good for the car, verbal activity,

What's Your Favorite On This List

List five items in a category, and ask your child for a favorite

ADDED April 17, 2008

 

 

This activity has definitely saved the day in our house, especially when the kids had to sit and wait for adults to finish eating dinner.

List five items in a category and ask your child for a favorite among the options. Some examples of categories are: farm animals, zoo animals, ocean animals, pets (if you break these animal categories out, you will have more to talk about than if your one category was just ‘animals’), colors, lunch foods, Sesame Street characters, etc.

After your kids has chosen, tell them your favorite. They’ll be interested to know.

My kids seem to enjoy this activity even more when I hold up five fingers and point to a finger with each item in the category. They look at their own hands and fingers when deciding.

This pastime is sure to be a favorite, on anybody’s list.

Good for bathtime, good for a restaurant or public place, good for mealtimes, good for the car, verbal activity,

Stretch Out Your Hands As Wide As They Go

ADDED March 20, 2008

Sometimes you sense your kid is at loose ends and has a lot of (potentially dangerous) 'undirected energy.' This type of situation, if left unchecked, leads to an episode of crayon drawing on the wall, throwing food, or otherwise being a pill.

This simple "repeat after me" game, with accompanying gestures, is good for diverting the kids for a few minutes.

Tell your child these words, and add some rhythm to your voice. (If you've ever done a group 'cheer' at a high school pep rally, that type of rhythm will probably work well for you here.)

Stretch out your hands as wide as they go
And clap, clap, clap, clap.
Stretch out your hands as wide as they go
And wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle. [wiggle your fingers]

As you say the words, show your children the gestures. And have them move their arms as they repeat after you.

The next bit is:

Stretch out your hands as wide as they go
And swim, swim, swim.
[pretend to swim by doing strokes in the air]
Stretch out your hands as wide as they go
And drive the car, drive the car, drive the car.
[energetically jerk an invisible steering wheel]
Honk, honk, honk!
[pretend to shove the horn on the steering wheel]

Young kids seem to really enjoy this activity. Let's just hope it doesn't put them on the path to a future hobby of Jazzercise.

good for home, good for the car, not good for a restaurant or public place,