Playground Games for Kids

Outdoor Games for Playground

Everyone has warm memories from the playground. That’s where we played tag, made new friends and shared our secrets. Now it's our responsibility to encourage our kids to play more outside, especially in today’s technology-driven times. These ideas for outdoor playground games for kids are sure to get kids moving!

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A lot of kids are glued to their phones and laptops, and it has a negative impact on their development. Not getting enough physical activity leads to obesity. Let’s not forget that kids addicted to the Internet are more likely to struggle with socializing.

Take your child to the playground to play this weekend. You will see, it's more than just a fun place. First of all, your child will be able to burn off energy. Swinging and climbing will do its work, and your angel will get tired and fall asleep faster. Physical exercise can also help to cope with stress, to develop strong bones, and to do better at school.

Secondly, kids can enhance their social skills and make new friends. So, don’t be afraid to take your kid to a new playground. Once your child starts playing with others, they feel excited and more confident. Teach your kids different outdoor playground games, so they will never get bored!

Playing outdoor playground games can encourage kids to cooperate and boost their creativity. So, play with your children and have fun!

Recommended:

Outdoor Games from Amazon

Outdoor Game for a Group

Playground Jokes

Valentine's Day Ladybug Activity for Preschoolers: Tic-Tac Toe Game

Cute Ladybug Craft for Valentine's Day for Preschoolers

This adorable ladybug paper craft was made by Mama Mia (she no longer blogs). It is a fun paper project to make with preschoolers or a buggy Valentine to make for your little ones. Get them involved in the process for some hands on learning and fine motor skills. Enjoy!

Ladybug Valentine Paper Craft for Preschool Kindergarten.

Companion Lesson

Draw one heart and one square to use as a template. Have preschoolers trace squares and hearts and then let them cut them out. This focuses on hand eye coordination and fine motor skills.

As the children glue the legs on, discuss the differences between spiders and insects. How many legs does a ladybug have?

How to Make Ladybug Tic Tac Toe Game

2 large sheets of red construction paper (or craft foam).
1 large sheet of black construction paper (or craft foam).
1 scrap or half sheet of pink construction paper (or craft foam).
2 googly eyes
1 glue stick

Cut 2 tiny hearts for  the antennae
Cut 5 pink and 5 red hearts for game pieces
Cut 6 long strips of black for legs. Cut these straight and then fold as shown above.
Cut 2 long strips of black for the antennae.
Cut 9 Squares for game board.
Cut 1 half moon from black paper for head.


Recommended Reading:

Ladybug Girl Party Ideas

Preschool Circle Time Ideas

The Grouchy Ladybug*

Ladybugs by Gail Gibbons*













ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

Recycle Scrabble Games for Language Arts Literacy Centers

How to Recycle Scrabble into a Literacy Center for Sight Words and Language Arts 

Scrabble. Kids love it! Don't be a stickler for the rules. Let your preschoolers play by their own rules or follow these. You'll be amazed at their ability to sound out sight words or guess what the word will be when it's finished. Scroll down to see how we recycled Scrabble games into a literacy center for sight words. Enjoy!

How to Recycle Scrabble into a Literacy Center for 
Sight Words and Language Arts.

How to Use Scrabble as a Preschool Literacy Center

Things to do with Scrabble: Recycle, Repurpose, Reuse. We placed all of the letters right side up in the Scrabble box. We built sight words like Foot and made magic by switching the two o's for two e's to get Feet. See if you can think of more words. The kids were giggling as they realized what was about to happen.

Tree. Leaf. Leap. Roof. Reef. Wreath....

Think of patterns to keep your little reader on the right track. Let them guess. Guessing helps them learn new sight words.  For example, I built coal but my son said it was cola. His mind saw all of the letters for cola. Praise them on a great guess and awesome letter recognition. Then, show them how coal can magically become cola!

Then, Jake thought this was the coolest thing he had ever seen.  Don't force it. Don't make them read it if they'd rather build nonsense words on the letter rack. Whatever they choose to do they have tangible letters and they are visualizing them. Letter play reinforces letter recognition, and if it's fun they will keep coming back for more.

Help them spell their names or yours. Let them build words and have you guess what they are- even if they aren't real words. Keep encouraging them to use letters in a fun way. My son began reading at two and half without the "Your Baby Can Read" products.  I never did flash cards or forced it. It just happened with fun ideas.  Never underestimate the power of "WORD WORLD" and "BETWEEN THE LIONS".

You will need more letters to spell "PIZZA". Make your own from cardboard or collect old games at garage sales. Scrabble Letters are great for crafts:  personalize picture frames, Greek paddles, or toy bins.  Let your imagination run wild. SCRABBLE is more than just a game.

Each time your kids do a craft project with the letter, they are learning!  Just be careful, the tiles could pose a choking hazard for little ones.

Oh and a post note:  In kindergarten, Jake read at 12th grade level! Thanks to PBS and fun. Don't expect those results, just appreciate that your child is learning and enjoying it!


Recommended Reading:


100 Write-and-Learn Sight Word Practice Pages: Reproducible Activity Pages*

Homeschool Projects

Preschool Activities

















ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

Thanksgiving Activities: Turkey Game and Craft for Children

Family Friendly Games for Thanksgiving

You've heard of Reindeer Games, so why not, Turkey games? This is an easy, fun activity for Thanksgiving get togethers. 

Family friendly crafts and games for Thanksgiving day party feasts.

Mayhem loved playing this turkey game.

Here are a few ideas to brighten up your Thanksgiving Family Feast:

• While you're preparing Thanksgiving Dinner, have your kids make turkeys out of paper plates and construction paper.

• They can create it anyway they choose or follow these instructions:

Cut two - 3" slits 2" apart in the bottom of the plate.

Lift and fold this flap out and fold it into a triangle or tent shape.

This is the turkey's head.

Turkey tutorial.

Add googly eyes or draw your own. 

Don't forget to draw his gobbler :-)

 
Cut feathers from colored construction paper.  Using a glue stick connect them to the top of your plate, or draw them directly onto the plate with brightly colored markers. You can go all out and use real feathers from a craft store too, it's all good. Or trace your foot onto paper for extra fun and a SENSORY ELEMENT. Now poke a 1/4'" hole in the center of your turkey (the plate).  Get yarn, kite string, Christmas ribbon, etc... remember, it's all good. 

My kids tried it with a shoe string. Cut the string about 6' in length. (Shorter or Longer depending on your spatial restrictions.)  Thread the string thru the hole and knot it in the back of the plate. 

Do this twice - that's two turkeys... 

Set up two chairs and tie one turkey to each chair. Stretch the string taut and lie it flat on the ground with the turkey opposite the chair. This is the starting line, divide into two teams and start the turkey races with kids standing at the opposite end of the chairs.

"Ready, Set, Fly!"

On the signal kids begin gobbling and lifting the string in the air trying to get the turkeys to fly to the chairs. (You are essentially shaking the plate down the string.) If your turkeys refuse to "fly" have the kids race by pulling their turkeys down the line as fast as they can while someone else holds the opposite end taut.

Last kid to reach the chair is a Turkey!

The latter methods works best with smaller children.

HAVE FUN and remember, it is what it is, so make it fun and don't fret.

Post variations and; pictures of your turkeys in action.

We got this idea from an old 1970's  party book that used bats.  You can change anything to fit the theme. 

Recommended Reading:

Thanksgiving Is for Giving Thanks (Reading Railroad)

Fun Thanksgiving Activities for Kids! 25 Fun & Educational Thanksgiving Activities for the Whole Family (Activity Books for Kids)

Holiday Games for Parties

Kids, Easy, Fun, Messy, Shaving Cream Craft Activity for Sensory Play

This shaving cream kids' sensory play activity is super easy!

Messy, sensory Shaving Cream tinted with food coloring is tons of fun for kids to play with at home or as an after-school activity. After all, what's more fun than making a royal mess? Play with your shaving cream outdoors to keep Mom's house clean!

Shave Cream Sensory Play: Start with shaving cream,
food coloring, plates and spoons for mixing.

Be careful not to get a shaving cream beard into your eyes.

Use it like face paint to add texture, beards, moles, crazy eyebrows, or scars.  It will stiffen and dry on your face. Don't get it in your eyes please- ouch!

Mix it up to your heart's content.

Make a shaving cream cake and pretend to eat it. The cream makes nice snowmen sculptures too!

Pretending shaving cream pie 
is yummy.



Use shaving cream like sidewalk paint.

Well, no, it's not for the faint of heart. Dig in and go crazy!

The messier the more fun!

This is one crafty recreation project that kept the kids busy for an about hour. The possibilities are endless.



Don't forget aprons and lots of paper towels
for your shaving cream play time.



With shaving cream sensory play, anything goes!

Recommended Reading:

Slurpin' for Worms Messy Birthday Party Game

Sensory Play: Over 65 Sensory Bin Topics with Additional Picture Books, Supplementary Activities, and Snacks for a Complete Toddler Program (Busy Toddler, Happy Mom)

Busy Toddler, Happy Mom: Over 280 Activities to Engage Your Toddler in Small Motor and Gross Motor Activities, Crafts, Language Development and Sensory Play