Parents looking for fun family activities often feel like they have to spend a great deal of money going somewhere special, or planning a big vacation. What they do not always realize is that there are countless ways to have fun with their children right in their own home without breaking the bank. There are so many fun games that parents can play with their children that will help them learn to think outside the box, and to problem solve. These types of activities teach children strategic thinking and can actually serve to raise their IQs. Below are some ideas for easy and interesting games to play at home with your children, or with larger groups of family or friends
How to Play Family Member Scavenger Hunt
There are several different ways that you can perform a scavenger hunt with your family, and all of them are fun for everyone involved. One way to play with younger children is to provide them clues to a person in your family, and have them guess who the mystery person is.
Another way to have fun with a family member scavenger hunt is to challenge each member to find something that reminds them of a certain family memory, and then bring them together to share.
You could assign a letter of the alphabet, and each family member has to find an item beginning with that letter. Try assigning a word, and asking family members to find the word in a book or newspaper. The possibilities are almost endless.
Mystery Bag Activity/Mystery Bag Guessing Game
Another fun activity to play with your children is a mystery bag activity/mystery bag guessing game. You can put a mystery item into a bag and give clues about the item. Include items with different sizes, shapes and textures. The clues may be oral, or children can feel the item inside the bag without looking at it, and try to guess what it is based on its feel or texture. Make sure to encourage your child’s oral language by asking them to describe what they feel, or explain their guesses.
Who Or What Am I?
Pick a person or a thing, and have your children ask you questions about what you are to determine who or what you are. For instance, they can ask “are you an animal?” or “can I eat you?” Questions continue until someone guesses what you are and then another family member can take their turn being “it”.
Listening Walk
Take a walk outside, or even inside your home in silence, and challenge the children to describe what they can hear.
Once you get in the habit of playing these types of games with your family, they will become second nature and you will begin to think of ways to turn everyday activities into games. Play I Spy at the grocery store, try a game of 20 questions…your kids will love these kinds of activities and they will learn about critical thinking and reasoning. The best benefit though is the fun that you will have as a family, and the quality time that you will be spending together!
