Are the school holidays looming? If you want your kids to take a change from video games, phones, and tablets, then you may want to go old-school. Don’t worry, what was fun for you as a child will still be fun today. In fact, kids of any age will still get absorbed in crafts and board games. So, consider the options below to keep the young ones occupied throughout the holidays.
Monopoly
If the kids are complaining that they are bored, then you can’t go wrong by bringing classic board gamesinto the plan. Participants will love moving around the board, buying property, and then trading amongst each other to complete a set. Remember, Monopoly can get pretty competitive (for both kids and adults) so make sure to mediate disputes and stop tempers from erupting.
Origami
Chances are your children have made a paper plane or two, so how about teaching them the art of origami. Start off with some basics designs such as a heart, dog or cat, and progressively work your way upwards. The young ones will enjoy the challenge of folding the paper correctly and being able to display their creative sides. In fact, they may end up getting better than you. To learn more about the art, take a look at Origami Way.
Risk
The classic world domination game is another excellent board game option. Kids will enjoy placing, moving, and attacking with their troops. In fact, strategy-based board games, such as risk, have been shown to develop a range of critical thinking skills. You can potentially turn the game into a geography lesson by teaching kids about different countries and region names.
Cards
How about teaching your kids some traditional card games such as 500 or hearts? These games involve the whole family, require teamwork, and require some clever thinking. If your kids have never really played card games before then, you will need to start with the basics. Make sure they know the difference between different suites and the picture cards. You will also need to teach them that in some cases the ace is of high value while at other times it is of low value.
From there, you will want to teach them the basics of any card games that you are fluent in yourself. Start off with just the simpler rules and gradually incorporate more complicated ones over time.
Painting
Getting your kids painting is another way to assure some (messy) fun. Don’t just let them throw colors everywhere. Consider organizing something specific for them to paint such as their friend, a pet, or a landscape. Teaching them how to mix different colors is a handy skill that they will be able to use in school art classes. You should also aim to teach them about different brush types and stroke techniques.
Conclusion
It’s always a good idea to give your kids a break from the electronics and get them engaged in some old-school fun. Hopefully, some of these suggestions will turn out to be a hit that they will want to do over and over again.