Every parent has those days where you are just too exhausted to play hide and seek again or you just want to stay sitting or lying down and not play monsters or dance party!
There are games that kids love to play but this blog post is focused on games that parents love to play that kids also enjoy. These games make an appearance in my house, number one and five being the favourites these days and I am thrilled when the kids want to play what I want to play.
Read on to find out why you need to play these games at your house.
1. Put me to sleep
This game came to my attention before I even had kids. My niece loved to play this game. She made you lie down but would get you a pillow and cover you in blankets and tell you to go to sleep. She would even turn off the lights. My daughter now likes to play this game and gives me her 'blankey' and covers me up and then comes back to ask if I need water, a kiss, another story, etc. But really, it provides me with 20-30 minutes of lying down. I may or may not have dozed off once or twice.
2. Find the perfect flower
I was talking to my friend on the phone one sunny summer afternoon and she was home with her 3 year old daughter. They were outside on the back deck and during the conversation her daughter would come and bring my friend a flower and she would reply with something not quite right about the flower (needs more petals, any pink ones, stem too short or too long) and then the 3 year old would run back out to the lawn in search of the perfect flower. Genius if you ask me. My friend and I had a lovely 30+ minute conversation.
3. Clean the windows
Spray bottles. If you don't have any, you need to get some. Fill them with water, give them to your children along with a rag and then have a seat! This is great all year round as they can to the indoor windows in the winter and outdoor windows in the summer. And let your creativity guide you! Spray bottles can clean patio furniture, bikes, trikes and wagons, and toys too. A spray bottle is a very good tool to have in your arsenal of things to keep'em busy.
4. Hair salon
I will admit, there may be some pain involved in this one. All you need is a comb or brush and some clips or elastics. Sit on the floor and let you kids play hair dresser. You tend to get a nice enough head massage and several minutes just to sit still.
5. Sort the money
This one is certainly for older kids. My son loves to empty his piggy bank and sort coins into piles or types. He loads the money into his toy dump trucks, skid steer or pick up truck and then takes the time to put all the coins back into his bank. And repeat. I do stay close during this activity but sitting on the kitchen floor reading my book is not a bad way to pass 45 minutes.
What activities do you find keep your kids busy long enough for you to sneak in a cup of tea or a few pages of a good book?
