Games + Activities

Me again. Bored of me yet? Probably. But I have some GAMES today. Firstly though an IMPORTANT message you probably already know and are absolutely doing but JUST IN CASE (and because I promised one of my incredible friends who is a doctor on the front line)... Are playdates ok? NO. “But we’re all healthy!” you might think. Yes I know, but still NO. Let’s all stay home. It is the LEAST we can do. Think of all the children who’s immune systems would struggle with this virus. Think of the grandparents and our NHS heroes. Also, if we don’t socially distance ourselves sensibly then the government will have to impose total lockdown which won’t be fun for anyone. OK I’ll shut up now. I know you are all the best kind of people doing this anyway. And if you’re out there because you have to be…THANK YOU!

So if we can’t do real life play dates let’s do VIRTUAL ones! Yay! Call up friends and family on devices. Ain’t technology great? You can do this through WhatsApp or FaceTime or Facebook messenger (you can call 5 at once on there did you know?) or Skype. Once you have had a chat then let’s play some games. Here are some suggestions…

1. Find a book you all have and read a page each. Perhaps while one family reads the others could act it out?
2. Finding games - You can do this lots of ways. One parent has a list of simple things…e.g. Spoon, teddy, block, pyjamas, toothbrush, leaf. You shout the item to find and one child from each family has to find it as fast as they can. First one back to the screen with it wins a point for their family. Or if older, you could hold up a letter and the kids have to find something beginning with that letter. Or you could do it as a relay and one child from one family finds it then tags in a child from the opposite family to go and find it too. This is good if you have lots of siblings.
3. Board games like Twister if you both have a set could be fun to play across the airwaves. Both pull out your mat and spinner, spin for each other and shout what they have to do. First to collapse into a heap of giggles has to do a forfeit like 20 star jumps. If you have the same sets of other games like Guess Who or Battleships you could play these too. You could even make your own matching board games out of scrap cardboard and move each others pieces along as you play.
4. Toy Tombola - my own game. One family has the ‘tickets’ (bits of paper cut up with numbers on) and the other family has the line of toy ‘prizes’. Select a ticket and tell the other family what number it is, they count along their line then show which prize has been won. Then swap over so the first family now has a line of toys ‘prizes’ and the other family select the tickets and see what they’ve won. For older ones make the tickets sums with the answers between 1-20.
5. BINGO - put letters or numbers into a big pot or bag - agree between the families what will be in the pot so you each have a pot of the same. Then each write four letters or numbers from the pot you would like on a bit of card. One family pulls numbers or letters out and everyone crosses off if they have it on their card. First one with all theirs crossed off shouts BINGO! Play again but this time the other family can draw out the numbers or letters.
6. Puppet show - set the camera up so that the kids can sit under it and not be seen. Give them some dolls and teddies and set a five minute timer. They act out a funny puppet show for the other family. Then swap over once the timer goes off. Make sure you give rounds of applause and take bows with all the ‘actors’!
7. Guess that toy - one family get a toy. They hide it off screen. The other family gets to ask 10 questions to try and guess what toy it is. You could also do this with well known books. Once they get it or give up do a big reveal.
8. Dance off - have a disco with another family. Play musical statues and musical bumps. One adult take control of the music for one game, then swap over. I don’t tend to make them sit ‘out’ when they are last for these games. Instead I give the first one to sit down or freeze a ‘point’ and the first to get to 5 or 10 points wins the game so everyone can continue playing and dancing throughout. I am also sneaky and make it super close and exciting with my point decisions 😉
9. Do a Bake Along - Get ingredients ready before you call! One family reads out a simple recipe for something like Laura’s (@bakefulplay) biscuits. The other family listens to make their biscuit dough. Then swap over. Once you all have your dough leave the call running while you roll and cut out together. Call back again once baked, cooled and decorated, and have a virtual tea party where you share your creations then gobble them up.
10. The Generation Game - Do you remember this? Each family gather up 20 random items (one must be A CUDDLY TOY!). At a steady pace, like a conveyor belt, pan the camera along the items to show them all to the other family one at a time, saying what they are as you go. It should be about 1 minute total to show all the items. Then set a timer for one minute. The other family has to try to remember as many items as they can in that minute. Each time they shout a correct item, say yes and chuck that item into a pile. At the end of the minute see if they got them all. A great game for all ages. A video of this game is on my Facebook Page.

Quick Ideas…

1. Draw a portrait of each other
2. Play would you rather - Would you rather be a Lion or a bear? Be invisible or fly? Be very clever or very funny? Have a wonky nose or two left feet? etc etc.
3. Play Mr and Mrs - how much do you know about the other person. Ask a question about one person, then both sides write an answer on a bit of paper then hold them up. Do they match? Favourite colour? Favourite smell?
4. Do Strictly Come Dancing - take turns to dance and give each other scores out of 10. Low scores for the silly grown ups and high scores for the kids 😉
5. Make up a story about your two families on an adventure together, then call and share them.

Huge thank you to Susie @resovletoplay who suggested and helped me come up with loads of these. Also thanks to Laura @bakefulplay and Lisa @peachy_speech both excellent clever humans with brilliant ideas always.

Let’s stay home, video chat and play, and just keep on keeping on. Love to you all! #fmmvideochatgames #fiveminutemum