Child games don't always have to cost money!
Luckily, Nicole O'Reilly has some great suggestions on toddler activities and
child games that can be done for free. You know the drill...save old
clothes, recyclable materials, look for free activities at your local library,
etc. Plenty of arts and crafts activities can be pulled off quite cheaply.
Stories can be told or read, the games of "yesteryear" never cost much
money...bring them back.
If you DO need to spend money, eBay and Amazon are great
places to find some inexpensive items, child games, and supplies.
You will find the links below. But, for now, check out Nicole's
ideas and reminders for free child games...
5
Best Free Child Games for Your Preschooler
by: Nicole O'Reilly
There seems to be more and more pressure on parents these days to enroll
their preschool children in all sorts of innovative learning programs. There are
music and swimming classes, craft centers and activities to promote movement,
motor skills or sporting ability.
Did you know some of the best learning tools for your kids are right at your
fingertips, literally! We as parents are the primary carers and therefore the
first teachers of our children before they start school. Without all the classes
and activities that we could pay for them to do, just playing simple free child
games, your kids will get all the stimulation and encouragement that they need
to get the best start.
By providing them with an enriched environment with free activities based around
your home and neighborhood you will get more quality time with your children
while enhancing their imagination and creativity.
Top 5 Free Child Games / Activities- Indoors
1. Storytelling- Telling stories to children promotes language,
listening skills and imagination. Don't feel confined to reading from books,
tell your children a special family story that helps them to know their place in
the world. How mum and dad met, how great grandpa sailed in a tall-ship to start
a new life in a new country, or the story of their birth. These tales will
delight them time and time again, perhaps you have photos to help them put faces
to names.
2. Dressing Up- As children the dress-ups box was always our
favorite treasure trove for creating characters for a play or story. Pretending
to be dinosaurs, truck drivers, doctors, zoo keepers or even mum can keep
children entertained for hours. The more props the better so always have a store
of blankets for cubbies or tents and assorted boxes for cars, dolls beds or
wherever their imagination takes them.
3. Music- Children love a chance to dance and jump around. By the age of
three they will already have some favorites which will probably have actions to
match. Given the opportunity to march, stomp, clap or any other loud action will
be happily accompanied by any musical instruments that you have around the
house. If you don't have any, a pot and wooden spoon will do just fine!
4. Crafts- By using recycled materials you just need some glue, a little
inspiration, and your child's creativity will do the rest. Materials can be used
to create collages, space rockets, animals and a whole lot more. Keep a ready
supply of recyclables by keeping cereal boxes, toilet rolls, candy wrappers,
magazines and yoghurt containers. Other crafty ideas can involve play dough,
paint, crayons, chalk and modeling clay! The ideas are endless.
5. Board Games and Card Games- Fun for the whole family or just two bored
kids looking for something to do on a rainy day. For younger children these
games help them with numerical skills, taking turns and gamesmanship, as well as
the concept of chance and that anyone can win the game. Super for holidays as
they are easy to set up and can last for hours. There are many card games to
learn from easy kids games right up complicated ones for teenagers and adults.
Best of all, the only equipment needed is a deck of cards. Board games like
Scrabble and Monopoly have been played for generations and will continue to be,
unless everything becomes computerized!
Most of these activities will be known to you, but have you played them all? If
not, then get out there and enjoy some free child games with your tribe, they'll
love you all the more for spending some one on one time with them.
The place to go for all your games needs for 0-6 year olds is
Kids Fun and
Games. Educational baby and toddler games, party games, crafts, indoor and
outdoor games, festivals and more.
About The Author
Nicole is the webmaster at
www.kids-fun-and-games.com and the mother of
two children under the age of six. She is currently enjoying the journey of
building her first website for parents of preschoolers.
Enjoy!