27 fun ideas to play with your kids

Playing is perhaps the most present activity in a child’s life. Whether in the backyard, on the playground or at school, it’s the game that trains children for various situations and views of the world, where they put their perception and learn the rules and limits of life.

“Playing is a serious thing, because by playing, the child expresses himself, interacts, learns to deal with the world that surrounds him and that forms his personality, recreating everyday situations. In this way, we can see the importance of playing as a way for children to express themselves and develop their creative, relationship and interaction skills”, explains Maria Cristina Rosendo, coordinator of the Marista Itaquera Social Center.

It is common that sometimes it is not possible for parents to participate all the time in games with children. Even if the child has the ability to have fun on their own, parental participation in this activity is also essential for the child’s safety, their sense of belonging and for you. This way, your closest ties are strengthened as you better understand your child’s universe.

To play with the little ones, there is no need for great instruments or planning: “The family environment, organized in the most different forms and spaces, is full of opportunities for the development of games that allow children to increase their creativity, imagination and fantasy, regardless of the existence of conventional toys, already prepared, designed and structured for a certain type of play”, explains Vanderlúcia da Silva, coordinator of partnerships and strategic alliances of the Marist Solidarity Network, of the Marist Group.

She also highlights that respecting and participating in this playful moment with children is a simple activity that can be incorporated into the family’s daily life: “The family space can be rich in possibilities, and the family must participate in this process, giving the child the opportunity to experience these experiences with time and security, making use of everyday objects suited to children’s peculiarities at each age”.

Did you get excited? So check out some simple and very fun suggestions for you to play with your little ones:

House toy

Vanderlúcia da Silva’s suggestion is: “For children, reproducing reality through play is routine. Playing house, for example, is a great opportunity for parents to establish bonds with children, bringing situations in which there can be an exchange of roles in a playful way: the father can be the son, and the son the father. In addition to good laughs, you will also be able to see through your children’s actions how they see you as a father “.

1. Tidy up the house: it is possible to do this in a fun way, as a scavenger hunt or separating messy objects into categories.

2. Taking care of pets: putting food, changing the water, brushing, tidying up the corner.

3. Play father and son: your child will become a mom or dad and take care of you like a child. Ask him to cook food, choose your clothes and style your hair for work.

Cook

Children love being able to participate in the kitchen. And everything that mothers are used to can be fun for a child, precisely because it is a new task and is done by adults. Pay attention to the tools used: they must be safe and ideally, the child should have a comfortable reach to the workbench or the instrument they are going to use.

4. Chocolate cake: they can help you add the ingredients into the bowl and stir the dough. In addition to the result, which is just delicious.

5. Sprinkle cookies: the recipe is very easy and you can make cookies in the shape of drawings or letters.

6. Fruit Salad: Chopping different fruits is easy and will result in a colorful and delicious salad!

7. Pizza: Assembling a pizza is a mission that kids of all ages can fulfill.

DIY Projects (Do It Yourself)

“Thinking about planetary consciousness, creating your own toy is a way for parents to interact with their children using unstructured materials in the construction of toys, which can be cars, instruments, games, among others. Building your own toy is going where your imagination can take you”, suggest the educators of the Marista Itaquera Social Center: Andrea Monteiro dos Santos, Laura Andrea S. Prado e Silva and Manuel V. C de Farias.

8. Musical instruments: a simple pot with rice in it turns into a beautiful rattle. For everyone to have fun together, make more than one rattle with different containers and grains. So they will have similar sounds, but together they can form a very fun drum set.

9. Egg crate: a row along the crate can be painted and turned into a beautiful centipede. Or, using just two niches and tape, you can create animals that seem to open and close their mouths.

10. Toilet paper roll: it is one of the most used materials for this type of game. They can transform into carts, trains, butterflies, binoculars. And all you need is scissors, ribbon and colored paint!

Books

Reading is very important for the socio-educational training of children and also an important tool to stimulate creativity. Well stimulated, all children are capable of enjoying a good book. The tips are from children’s book writer, Janine Rodrigues.

11. Each point increases one point: “the game consists of telling a story to the child and asking him to create a new character for the story. How about telling the story of the book ‘No Reino de Pirapora’ and asking the child to invent a new character for the story? This new character, for example, may be friends with one of the characters in the book. Give tips, guesses, reinvent the story. Let the child create and encourage this creation.”

12. I am the listener: “Ask the child to read you a book. If she still can’t read well, no problem. She can use creativity, talk about characters, figures… The goal is for you to show the child that you think reading is something important. That you value. So in this game the listener is you”.

13. Produce your own book: you can build your own book together. It will be necessary to establish a script and then start drawing all the details of the adventure.

outdoor toys

For those who have the possibility of having a backyard at home, the best thing is to take advantage of the sunny days to play more freely. With open space it’s easy to create some good play. And why not a walk in the nearest park?

14. Amarelinha: all you need is a white chalk or even a piece of charcoal. The child can draw the hopscotch, but if they are very small, they can help decorate with drawings. Just find a rock and play.

15. Olympic lap: make a route for the child (and you) to travel. Hop the hose, then run under the tree, carry something up to a point, hop on one foot one way. Create at will! It’s also worth marking the time to see who makes the whole circuit faster

16. Camping: Camping in the backyard is much simpler than in the woods, but it can give just as much pleasure. If you have access to a small camping tent, arrange a campsite with your child and spend the night outside. The experience will certainly be unforgettable.

Inside home

Your home is also full of possibilities for varied and fun games. You don’t need specific objects or make a mess like that. Children’s imagination is easily stimulated if well directed.

17. Hide and seek: this game everyone knows and is guaranteed fun for the whole family.

18. Treasure Hunt: Hide any prize and spread clues written on paper around the house. One clue leads to another which will lead to the treasure. It’s an exciting game.

19. Large design: use cardstock or tape together four craft papers on the back. This creates a large space for a super collective design. And why use only colored pencils? Make a mixed art, with pencil, sharpie, crayons, paint and collages.

20. Little cabin: every child loves a little cabin to play at home. A sheet attached to the back of the sofa, stretching to the floor, builds a tent that can be the child’s house, a work office or whatever the imagination sends. Take the opportunity to visit and have tea.

Games

Classic, card or board games are also a great option for indoors or if you prefer a quieter activity without too much movement. It is important to evaluate the age indication of each game.

21. Memory game: for the youngest, memory game is fun, funny and is very good for development. If you don’t have one at home, it’s very easy to make one too. With thicker paper like cardstock or card stock, just draw pairs of figures, numbers or just colors and then cut out.

22. Cards: There are countless card games. From the simpler Mau-Mau, to Buraco, Escopa, Patience. But a lot depends on the age of the players.

23. Board Games: Children will be very happy if they can enjoy with their parents those games that need more than one person playing. But it only counts if you really get into the game.

24. Video games: they can also be a good option, but it is important to point out that many children today already dedicate a lot of time to these electronic games. It is good that it is in a moderate way and it can help you understand what your child has been playing on the small screen. Remember that the idea here is to play together and not just leave it in front of the screen.

for small children

Younger children have some limitations that can reduce the number of possibilities for play. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t many alternatives to play with your baby. As some still can’t walk, can’t support themselves or can’t read or speak, check out some special tips for these cases.

25. Assembling toys: wooden blocks, rings of different shapes, shape-fitting boards. This type of toy is easy to find in stores and offers a lot of variety.

26. Discoveries of sounds: parents can use unstructured materials that are sometimes part of children’s daily lives such as: spoons, bottles, lids, cans, pots of different sizes. From these materials, children can explore new sounds, noises and rhythm, for example, filling a simple PET bottle with grains, transforming objects into play instruments.

27. Climbing an obstacle: the father is an obstacle and at the command, he becomes the “object” for the child to climb. It can be a wall or a sofa. For children who walk, the proposal is to combine play with playful moments so that babies develop curiosity to explore contact with their father and with other adults.

Whatever the chosen idea, be sure to enjoy moments like this with the children. Even for that…