One thing that is different between the children of yesterday and today is the definition of play. Before, kids mostly played outdoors with other children their age, and their games involved physical activities. Now, kids simply play games on their smartphones or tablets.
Most of the time, they are holed up in their rooms, clicking and tapping on their gadgets non-stop. They do not feel the need nor have the motivation to go outside and interact physically with other children. This, as long as they have their precious gadgets within reach.
This kind of lifestyle that many children now live has to change. Otherwise, this sedentary lifestyle would only lead to various health issues as they grow up. It would affect them not only physically but also mentally, emotionally and socially.
Parents need to do more than just tell their children to play outside, join sports and have physical activities. You need to know how to motivate them, and one thing you can try is to introduce them to some traditional games that you used to play with your own parents when you were young.
These games cost nothing and are a great way to create lasting childhood memories for both you and your kids. Take note that children’s fondest memories are those hours of play with their parents and siblings. Some games you can re-introduce to kids of today are the following.
Hopscotch
This is a fun game for kids of all ages. Using chalk, draw a hopscotch grid outdoors and number the squares. Start the game by tossing a rock on the first square and explain to the kids how this is done.
Allow them to observe how to hop over the rock and the squares where they will hop with one foot or place both feet. A hopscotch pattern can vary widely, but the rules are quite similar. There are also hopscotch mats that you can order online.
Kick the Can
This game is a combination of tag and hide and seek. The person who plays “it” will close their eyes and count to 10 as all other players hide. The “it” has to find each one from their hiding place, race them and try to “kick the can” before they tag “it.”
This game helps kids develop physical strength, balance, speed and endurance. Parents can also have a complete body exercise playing this game with their children.
Races
There are many fun and silly races that kids will fall in love with. Kids love everything silly, so teach them all those crazy races of your childhood, such as duck race, crab walk race and the wheelbarrow race.
These are just some examples of games parents can re-introduce to their kids. Other games are Duck Duck Goose, marbles and cornholes. You do not have to worry about finding new and replacement cornhole bags. There are online stores that cater to hard-to-find equipment, parts and accessories so that you can easily relive your childhood games with your kids.
