|
31. Visit with Mother Nature.
Take advantage of nature’s offerings by chasing butterflies
with big nets (be sure not to touch them!), looking them over and
then releasing. Or catch lightning bugs in jars during the summer
months. Bird watching is also loads of fun – buy a guide book
for birds in your area and see how many you can spot! |
Print 
|
33. City streets, A to Z. Take a walk around your city or town and try to find words that begin with every letter of the alphabet, in order, on signs and advertisements. For an added twist, consider making the rule that words that begin with vowels can only be found in storefront signs! 34. See in the dark. Blindfold your child and guide them on a walk just by using your voice. Then switch roles! Make it more challenging by doing it in a somewhat unfamiliar area, like a local park or playground. 35. Design and build an outdoor obstacle course. Work with the kids to create a mini-obstacle course out of chairs, blankets, tables, boxes and stepladders. Then time how long it takes for them to get through it. 36. Mad for Mud! Don’t forget that rainy days can be fun too. Get outside and build mud castles (or “bake” mud pies) and decorate them with leaves and sticks. 37. Kick-off! Establish the boundaries of a soccer goal and then see how many times out of ten each child can get a goal. Make the game more challenging by using only the left foot or by increasing the distance between the kicker and the goal. 38. H.O.R.S.E. Hoops! Make a game out of practicing jump shots at a local basketball court. In the game of H.O.R.S.E., when a player misses, they are assigned the letter “H.” The second miss gets the letter “O” and on until the word HORSE is spelled, and then they are disqualified. These rules can also be adapted for baseball players, substituting catches instead of jump shots. 39. Team Hide and Seek: Have kids split up into teams. One team hides and the other seeks, with each “captured” team member brought back to a central “jail” until the entire team is captured. Then the other team hides. Safety Tip: And for kids’ inevitable cuts and scrapes, don’t hide your first aid kit. Keep it handy and be sure it’s stocked with NEOSPORIN® First Aid Antibiotic Ointment, the #1 doctor recommended brand for over 25 years that kills more types of infectious bacteria in laboratory tests than even the leading prescription ointment. 40. Hopscotch Tournament:
Chalk up the driveway or park walk with several hopscotch boards,
and invite kids to compete for small prizes. For extra fun, try
changing the shape of the boards – curve them, or make a circular
board. Safety Tip: If kids scrape their knees, try NEOSPORIN® + Pain Relief First Aid Antibiotic Pain Relieving Ointment or Cream – it not only helps prevent infection, but provides temporary relief of the pain or discomfort associated with minor cuts, scrapes and burns, so your little ones can get right back to playing. |