Cabin Fever
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It really doesn't take much to engage kids. Sometimes the best memories come from those afternoons when we turn off the TV and play like families did 100 years ago.
"Playing games as a family is a lost tradition in our society," says Sharon O'Bryan, author of Old Fashioned Children's Games (McFarland & Co.). Parents can help spark creativity by providing basic materials, such as clay or even just an old box. "You don't need anything fancy," says Sandra Waite-Stupiansky, professor of elementary education at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and expert on children's play. "It doesn't take a lot of money, but it does take time."
It's worth the effort. There is so much going on in children's brains when they play. They are developing problem-solving skills, learning about logic and figuring out how to socialize.
Kids love this basic game of hide-and-seek. Play the game with toys, or a favorite stuffed animal. Set a timer and watch them go wild!
Old party dresses, dad's ties and big hats take on new life when your kids try them on and create their own make-believe. When everybody's "dressed for tea," serve NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE ® Cookies and Banana Split Hot Cocoa.
Kids take turns being the leader in this old standby. Don't forget-when Simon doesn't say, don't do it!
Write each letter of the alphabet on a separate index card. Place the cards upside-down. Each player draws a card, one at a time, and then looks through a pile of old magazines to find a picture of an object that begins with the letter they have drawn. Glue the picture on to the card, and then draw another. Make a race out of it!
Fold paper like an accordion and cut out a person whose hands reach to the fold. Open up and draw faces of everyone in the family on them.
Sew on buttons for eyes, glue on a felt nose – the possibilities are endless. Then put on a show!
Write names of kids' movies, books or songs on pieces of paper and put them in a baseball cap. Take turns drawing titles and acting them out.
Make a list of unique items to find in the house and have the kids race to find them. For a different twist, try an ABC hunt and have them find something representing each letter of the alphabet.
Place a full deck of cards upside-down, in neat rows, on a table or the floor. Each player takes turns turning over the cards, two at a time, until they get a match. When a match is found, the player keeps those two cards in a separate pile, and gets another turn. When all the matches are made, the player with the most pairs wins. For younger children, start with only "face cards," gradually adding more.
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