Simple Fun

We are on the downhill slide and back to school is just around the corner! Is anyone else ready? I am a single parent again this week. I applaud all of you who do this on a regular basis. I am not cut out for it. In fact, I hate it. I'd rather have my teeth pulled sans Novocaine, than do this. However, I am one who endures whatever I must for the greater good, and so will once again make some lemonade out of life's lemons.

In a whirlwind of creativity I put some good old fashioned fun into our routine. Here are a few great ideas that will make some fun memories for your family.

1. Charades: There are boxed games out there you can buy, or you can print a bunch of random phrases on paper and tear them up, put them in a bucket and let everyone go for it. Remember the rules: 1) No talking (blissful!) and 2) use hand motions to describe how many words, the category (movie, song, tv, etc. FYI: You can make these motions up at the beginning of the game so all the players are on the same page) and don't forget about the "right on the nose" signal to let the guessers know they are on the right track.

2. Story Tellers: I use  this link to create randomly generated word lists. Each player gets a list and has to work the words into his story. You can give each player 3-5 minutes to think up and then tell their story, or you can tell the story as a group, passing the story along to each person who would continue the story until everyone has had a chance.

3.Pictionary at Home. Here's another great website for endless hours of fun.

4. Memory game: This is a spin off of a bridal shower/ baby shower game. Get a tray and fill it with 15-20 random objects. Let the players have 30 seconds to study the tray, then cover the tray. The get an additional 30-60 seconds to list the items. The player with the most wins. A second round can be played by the winner taking away 2 or 3 items and reshowing the tray to the remaining players, and repeating the game.

5. Dice- We have used dice a lot with math practice this summer. I've made the kids add, subtract and multiply the different dice dots together. We also tell story problems using the numbers from the dice. This is a great thinking tool. There are hundreds of dice games, use your imagination, or visit this link to get started.

6. Water Games. Water bottle bowling or water balloons can take the heat off and provide hours of crazy fun. Try filling an empty water bottle or 2 ltr. bottle with a glow stick for night time bowling. (Thanks MG and Pintrest for that tid-bit).

Happy Playing This Week!