In a typical day in the life of a busy stay-at-home parent, you may find yourself waiting.
At doctors' offices, car repair shops, the school pick-up line, at siblings' soccer practices, or waiting for the ballet recital to start, your child will look to you to entertain him while you have time on your hands.
Use that time to teach your child, interact with him and share some laughs.
Here are some simple games you can play with just your imagination and your two hands. No equipment needed!
Musical Memorizations
Make up a song, to a familiar tune, with your child’s name, address and phone number as lyrics.
Sung to the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” you can write lyrics of almost anything: “My name is Billy, I’m 5-years-old. I live at 544 West Main. And my phone number, here it is, 555-6271.”
Learning the song, practicing it and laughing together over the mistakes will keep you both busy for a while!
Rock Paper Scissors
An old classic, you only need two people, one hand each and these rules: Rock breaks scissors, scissors cut paper, paper covers rock. On the count of three, each player holds out either a rock (fist), paper (flat hand) or scissors (index and middle finger out in a cutting scissor position). If his “paper” covers your “rock” he wins; if your “scissors” cut his “paper” you win; etc.
A variation of this game is Fling Flang Floo: Each player takes either evens or odds. You say together “Fling, flang, floo!” and on “floo” each player puts out his hand with any number of fingers outstretched. Add up the fingers on both players’ hands and if it’s an even number or an odd number, there’s your winner.
Name that Movie
Any car trip games that are your family favorites can be played in waiting rooms. In Name That Movie, you take turns saying a line from a movie and the other player tries to guess what movie it’s from.
Family Trivia
Ask each other questions about your extended family. How well does your child know Aunt Pam? Does he know what country his great-grandparents emigrated from? Which cousin is a Jets fan?
Clapping Games
A generation ago, they were heard all over the neighborhood. Chants, jump rope rhymes, and clapping games were the things to do in a circle of any number of children. Teaching your child some of them will help him with memory and coordination.
What Am I?
Pick a category (animals, TV show characters, etc.) and start describing something until your child guesses what or who you are. “I’m long and skinny, I have no arms or legs, I live in the earth, I wiggle . . .” “A worm!”
Songs with Motions
Think back to your own childhood: Remember the little songs you sung with hand motions? Teach them to your children. You may be surprised at how well you remember them!
Remember “In a Cabin in the Woods"?
In a cabin in the woods
(draw a square shape in the air with your fingers to represent a cabin)
Little old man by the window stood
(with flat palm at your brow, looking back and forth as if you’re looking out a window)
Saw a rabbit hopping by
(two fingers, like rabbit ears, moving/hopping by)
Knocking at his door
(knocking motion with your fist)
“Help me! Help me! Sir,” he said
(fling hand in the air to “help me’s”)
Or the farmer shoot me dead
(position arms as if you’re holding a rifle)
Come little rabbit, come with me
(move one hand toward you as if you’re beckoning someone to you)
Happy we will always be
(rock your arms as if you’re rocking a baby)
