The Adventures of Dot and Mae

Today it’s raining some of those April Showers so Dot and Mae cannot go outside and play. They have a list of games they like to play for days just like this. Sometimes they invites some of their friends over and sometimes if their friends are busy they just play the games themselves. Here are some of the games they like to play - maybe you would like to play them too!

Animal Jumble - This works best with 3 or more children,
but can certainly be adapted for 2 kids. Assign each child a
’secret” animal part, the child choosing the animal. Have them
draw their part on white or construction paper. The idea is
that each child does not know what the others are drawing. For
example, have Bobby draw the head (maybe he chose a dog),
Cindy draws the legs (she chose an elephant), and so on. When
they are all finished drawing, have them cut out their parts
and tape the animal together. Have fun choosing a name for
their animal. You may be the first to discover the “Dog-
aphant-monk-iraffe”!

Cookie Cutter Glitters - Pull out the construction paper,
glue, glitter, stickers and cookie cutters. You can trace
around the cookie cutter shapes, spread glue over the shape
and decorate with glitter and stickers. This can be a messy
craft, so be prepared with a disposable tablecloth and garbage
can for scraps. (Using a vacuum with a hose attachment is a
much easier method of cleaning up glitter than a broom.)

Feely Box - Use any box that closes or has a lid, a shoebox
is ideal. Cut a hole in the side of the box large enough for a
child’s hand to fit inside. Place an object inside the box and
see if they can guess what it is. If they can’t guess right
away, let them ask questions or provide them with clues until
they figure it out.

Hide the Object - Using any ordinary object (stuffed
animal, vitamin bottle, drinking cup, etc), play this fun hide
and seek game with your children. Simply have your child hide
their eyes, then place the object somewhere in plain view (on
the fireplace mantel, on top of the TV, near the front door,
etc) and then have them look for it. Another idea is to use
objects relating to a particular theme each day. For example,
if your Kindergartner is focusing on the letter “A” that week,
use objects that begin with “A” (apple, alligator [stuffed of
course!], etc) You can adjust this game for older kids by
hiding the object a little deeper. You might place the vitamin
bottle halfway behind the picture of Grandma, or maybe tucked
halfway down the side of the couch.

Picnic Indoors - Pack a basket with paper plates, utensils
and cups. Make sandwiches, pack fresh fruit, pretzels, a
thermos of juice, and yogurt for dessert. Spread a blanket on
the living room floor and serve a picnic lunch indoors! Add to
the fun by dressing in summer clothes or beach attire. Be sure
to wear your sunglasses and your sunscreen!

Paper Bag Puppets - The easiest form of this requires only
a paper lunch bag and crayons or markers. Simply draw on a
face and you have a puppet! To make the characters more
elaborate, decorate with yarn for hair, buttons for eyes, and
glitter for cheeks. Ribbon can be added to the hair or made
into a bow tie for the “neck”. Draw on eyelashes and lips with
colorful markers.

Coloring Pasta - Place a handful of dry, uncooked pasta,
such as ziti, rotini or farfelle, into a plastic zipper
baggie. Add a tablespoon of white vinegar and 2-3 drops of
food coloring. Close the baggie and have the kids shake the
bag until the pasta is completely colored. Spread out onto a
paper plate or paper towel and allow to dry. Use several
baggies to create different colors. Once the pasta is dry,
kids can use yarn to string together pieces to make necklaces
and bracelets, or glue them to paper plates or construction
paper to create a work of art.

Shadowboxes - Paint the inside of a shoebox with black or
dark blue poster or acrylic paint. If you don’t have any paint
handy, you can glue black construction paper inside the box.
Using white crayons or stickers, create a nighttime scene with
stars and the moon on the black background. You can use small
plastic toys to create a scene inside your shadowbox, or make
your own with construction paper and glue. Cut out small
pictures from coloring books and color and adhere to your
scene. Hang a spaceship or shooting star with a piece of
string and glue.

Hot Beanie - This variation of the old favorite “Hot
Potato” uses a beanie type toy. Have everyone sit in a circle
and toss the beanie from one person to another, never knowing
where it’s going to end up.

Name That Tune - Hum tunes from popular songs and see who
can guess it first. Whoever guesses correctly becomes the next
“hummer”.

Sardines (Reverse Hide-n-Seek) - One child is the hider,
everyone else is a seeker. The hider hides while the seekers
seek. However, when a seeker finds the hider, instead of
pointing him out, he joins him in the hiding place. Soon, the
children will all be stuffed in one place, like a box of
sardines! The first child to find the hider gets to hide next.

Okay, Dot and Mae are off to have some fun and they hope you are too!

From 20 FUN INDOOR ACTIVITIES FOR BORED KIDS
The Family Corner By Amanda Formaro Copyright 2008