Play4Life
Kids don’t need a gym to be active and have fun – all they need is a place to play and a few ideas for games.
Kids love to play, and it’s a great way to get them up and about, having fun and staying healthy. From football in the park to building a den with a cardboard box, play is great for kids’ emotional, social and physical development.
Playing together is a great way to be active as a family. It burns energy and helps kids maintain a healthy weight – reducing their risk of serious illnesses like heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer in later life.
Playing active games can also help your kids:
- make friends
- develop their imagination
- improve their self-confidence
- learn about risk
- concentrate
- communicate with others
To help you get your kids up and occupied during the summer holidays, we’ve put together some tips and ideas that make play fun and safe for everyone.
Paul Rannard
"It has made us more conscious of our calorie intake and how much fruit and veg we eat. It has also made us a little more active in our daily routines."
Ideas for play outdoors
There are lots of ways to play in the park or the garden – or anywhere there’s plenty of space to run around. To get your kids started, here are just a few active games that are great for outdoors.
- Tag: one person is it and chases the rest until they touch (tag) someone, who is then it. For a fun twist, players can avoid being tagged if they crouch down and shout the name of a vegetable – this means that they are safe.
- Blob Tag: two players link arms as the blob – they mustn’t break the link. The blob grows by tagging more kids who link arms to make a chain. Only the ends of the blob can tag someone, so other players can go through the rest of the blob without being caught.
- Dodgeball: you need 2 teams, a referee, 6 large, soft balls and an open area. Each team starts with 3 balls which they throw at players of the other team. If a player’s body is hit, they’re out (hits to the head don’t count). If a player catches a ball thrown by the other team, then the thrower is out! The winning team is the team with the last player left in.
- Ball games: try football or volleyball, or let the kids make up their own games. Or just take a frisbee or kite to the park.
- Building games: make a den in the woods, build a tree house or set up a tent in the garden – watch as the kids’ imaginations go wild.
- Skipping: energetic and fun, skipping is always a favourite. Find other classic game ideas on playgroundfun.org.uk
Ideas for rainy days
Kids don’t mind playing in the rain. With wellies and a mac they can have a great time splashing around in mud and puddles – just get them to take off all their mucky clothes before they come inside.
For when it’s really wet, cold or dark, you and the kids can have an active time indoors with some of our favourite indoor games:
- Wiggly worms: kids lie on the floor on their tummies with hands by their sides and see how far they can wiggle around the home.
- Hop about: whenever you say a magic word, players have to hop on the spot 3 times. If they miss it 3 times then they’re out.
- Musical statues: play music while the kids dance around. When you stop the music, everyone must freeze. The last one to stop is out.
- Sleeping lions: everyone lies on the floor except 1 or 2 hunters. Once the sleeping lions settle, they’re not allowed to move. The hunters walk around trying to make the lions move by making them laugh – no touching allowed. Once a lion moves, they join the hunters. The last lion left is the winner.
- Build a den: when you have large items delivered, keep the boxes to build a den – adding a blanket is a good start.
how to play safe
Check out parks and playgrounds yourself before you let your kids play there. Look out for:
- rubbish or dog mess
- hard surfaces or large drops
- traffic hazards
Allow your kids to test and stretch themselves. Small risks are part of play and help conquer fears, develop independence, while mastering new skills.
Playing safely indoors:
- Remove all sharp objects, including furniture with sharp edges or hard corners, or put covers over them.
- Move valuables and breakables out of the way.
- Make sure any areas of plate glass are cordoned off – you can use chairs to make a simple barrier.
Playful parenting top five tips
1. Encourage kids to solve problems themselves – it will get their brains working so you don’t have to come up with all the ideas.
2. Let them take the lead – some kids like energetic play, others were born to perform or make things.
3. Join in with make-believe games – your kids will love it and you’ll have fun too.
4. Don’t get too overprotective – if the worst that can happen is a bump or scrape, let children take part and they’ll learn about risk.
5. Get outdoors when you can – playing outside lets kids be more active – and if they get dirty, well that’s what baths and washing machines are for.