Alas, the summer months, which children look forward to so impatiently, are not only about bright sunny days. The weather is unpredictable and loves to present surprises that disrupt our plans. And instead of a fun walk, sometimes you have to sit within four walls all day. How to captivate a little fidget? We present to your attention 10 interesting tips how to keep your child occupied at home.
1. Goldfish
Add dry gelatin (10 grams) to a quarter of a glass of cool water and wait until it swells well. Then heat the water to about 50 degrees and watch the gelatin - it should completely dissolve. Pour the solution in a thin layer onto the polyethylene and let it dry completely. You should get a thin leaf from which you can cut a wonderful fish. Invite your child to breathe on it and he will probably be delighted when he sees that the fish has begun to wriggle.
2. Paraffin Islands
Pour water into a saucer, paint it blue or green color- what happened? That's right, the sea. Then we take a candle, wait until the paraffin melts, turn the candle over the “sea” so that the paraffin gets into the water. If you change the height of the candle, you can get fancy “islands” that connect perfectly with each other. Show a little imagination and you will get a real sea with “coral” islands.
3. Magic water
Pour water into a glass glass or jar and drop a phenolphthalein tablet into it. It can be purchased at a regular pharmacy. The result will be a clear liquid, but if you add a solution of regular baking soda to it, the liquid will turn pink-crimson. After admiring the magic, add citric acid or vinegar - the solution will become discolored again.
4. Salt miracles
Prepare a saturated saline solution. Remember - when adding a new portion of salt to the prepared solution, it should not dissolve. Then lower a wire with a loop at the end into it. After some time, crystals will appear on the loop. Experiment with your child: try dipping, say, a woolen thread into the solution, then the crystals will be distributed differently.
5. Real volcano
Place baking soda in a saucer and slowly pour vinegar over it. The reaction will certainly amaze your child, and maybe you too. The contents of the saucer will begin to boil and foam with large bubbles. You can enhance the effect - make a “volcano” out of plasticine and place it on the soda, and pour the vinegar directly into the hole of the “volcano”. Believe me, a simply fantastic sight awaits you!
6. Secret letter
You can do it in two ways. First: dip the brush in milk, take white paper and calmly write your secret message. Let the letter dry. You can't see anything, right? Now iron the letter with a hot iron and read to your health. Second method: write a message with lemon juice. To read it, just moisten the text a little with water, in which you need to dissolve a few drops of iodine.
7. Flowers on the water
Cut out flowers with long petals from colored paper. Using a pencil, twist them towards the center and lower this multi-colored beauty into the water. In just a few minutes you will be able to admire the blooming flower petals. You can get a similar effect if you watch ordinary pine cones. Invite your child to put one cone on a hot radiator - and it will open its scales, and leave the other cone in the bathroom - and its scales will close.
8. Colored stains
If you like to take a bath with colored salt, then you can come up with a very exciting game. Fill the bath with water and pour salt into it. The child will really enjoy watching the salt disappear before his eyes, leaving behind colored zigzags. The spectacle turns out to be truly beautiful and unusual.
9. Homemade clouds
Fill a jar with a volume of 3 liters of hot water (about 2.5 centimeters). Then place the ice cubes on a baking sheet and set it on top of the jar. The air inside the can will cool as it rises. And the water vapor contained in the air will condense, forming a cloud.
10. Coca-Cola fountain
You will be surprised, but Coca-Cola reacts very differently to Mentos lozenges. If the lozenges are lightly crushed and placed in a liter bottle of Coca-Cola, a real fountain will flow from it! Just please be smart and enjoy the effects outside. It will certainly exceed all your, even your wildest, expectations.
Hello, dear parents and loved ones of charming little ones! Children look forward to their birthday, because it is a great occasion to have fun, play with friends and enjoy delicious dishes. But, besides this, the celebration can be educational and useful for the birthday boy and his guests. We will tell you how to entertain children at a birthday party at home and at the same time develop team spirit, sociability, ingenuity and imagination, as well as introduce kids to the rules of etiquette at the holiday.
In our article you will get acquainted with a list of 10 educational games and competitions, among which there are witty ways to congratulate the hero of the occasion. We will also tell you in what order you should offer children entertainment so that they don’t get tired and have a lot of fun.
The main person is the birthday boy
So, the room is already decorated, the table is set, the elegant birthday boy is waiting with bated breath for his guests. And now the first guest is already on the threshold, presents his gift and congratulates the “newborn”. Let's wait for everyone invited and ask the children to spend a little more time with the main character of the holiday in a playful way.
Comic congratulations
Do you want to remove all embarrassment and laugh with your children? Invite them to congratulate the hero of the occasion with humor. To do this, prepare a small box with paper rectangles on which the words are written:
- "boldly";
- "fast";
- "lazy";
- "Beautiful";
- "quiet";
- "jumping";
- "with laughter";
- "sneaky".
You can choose your own list of words. And remember that the more ridiculous it is, the more interesting it will be! Prepare also big postcard, in which write the following wishes:
“Dear birthday girl! Happy Birthday!
We wish you
got up in the morning...;
washed...;
did exercises...;
had breakfast...;
went to school...;
answered in class...;
behaved during recess...;
I was preparing my homework...;
and I studied only well.”
You will also need PVA glue. You read out the wish from the card and bring the box to the guest, and he takes out a piece of paper and reads the word. Then have him stick his card in the empty wish space on the card and sign it. You need to go around all the guests. Children aged 8 years old will cope well with this task. Comic congratulations will not only lift everyone’s spirits, but will also help the kids relax and learn that the birthday person is always worthy of attention and kind words.
Now you can have some food. While the children are eating, prepare the next game for them, the main character of which will again be the birthday boy.
I believe - I don't believe
Prepare questions about the birthday person in advance. They should all begin with the phrase “Do you believe that...?” One part of the questions should contain truthful information about the main character, and the other part should contain humorous and false phrases. For example:
- Do you believe that Petya did not pronounce the letter “R” until he was 7 years old?
- Do you believe that Petya loves spiders?
- Do you believe that Petya is afraid of dentists?
- Do you believe that Petya wants to become a traveler?
- Do you believe that the police are looking for Petya?
- Do you believe that Petya got lost in the zoo when he was 4 years old?
- Do you believe that Petya defeated the evil dragon? (The answer could be “yes” - in a computer game).
Guests are divided into 2 teams, discuss their solutions for 10–15 seconds, and then mark the question number and answer on a piece of paper. When all the questions have been asked, the presenter counts the number of correct answers for each team. Whoever has the most is the winner. The birthday boy carefreely watches what is happening and has fun.
This game allows children to work in a team, learn to make quick decisions, use logic and evaluate how well they know their friend.
Intellectual activities
Birthday is good time for intellectual battles. Children of any age can solve interesting puzzles, but are more suitable for children aged 9 years and older. Select 10–15 puzzles and hold a competition for the smartest one. Whoever gave the most correct answers deserves an incentive prize. Having congratulated the birthday boy and thoroughly stretched his brains, it’s time to invite the guests to move a little.
Balloon fireworks
Invite the children into a room where inflated balloons are scattered on the floor. Turn on fun music and encourage them to throw the balls up as actively as possible. The kids will very quickly get involved in such simple entertainment and start fighting. This way you will provide them with emotional release and a good workout. In the meantime, do a photo shoot with their happy faces.
Disco
Experiments
Isn't it time to treat the children to a birthday cake? Let's start the meal. After this, the guests will calm down and be ready to see the couple. Amazing experiments will intrigue guests and make the holiday unforgettable and very educational.
But I really don’t want to leave! Are the kids ready to have more fun? Then arrange a competition of 2 teams of funny cows!
Funny cows
To play, prepare a pair of medical gloves, 2 stools, 2 ropes and a pump. Players are divided into 2 teams. The gloves need to be inflated with a pump as much as possible, tied in a knot and attached to the first team members’ waists with a rope. The gloves act as cow udders.
We place the stools as far as possible from the teams lined up. The participants’ task: get on all fours, get to the stool, say loudly “Moo!”, return to your team and tie the udder of another participant. The team that completed the relay race faster won. In addition to fun races, kids learn agility and interaction with each other.
And how well we remember appearance his friends? Let's check it now.
Identify a friend
We blindfold one of the guests, and line up everyone else present. He must guess by touch who is standing in front of him. If you put gloves on your hands, the competition will become much more difficult, but more exciting. The chosen one will have to use his memory and imagination in order to recognize as many people as possible.
Zoo
This is a game for developing acting skills. The host names a famous animal, and the guests must depict it: how it moves, how it eats, what sounds it makes, and so on. Children aged 4–5 years will enjoy playing this game. There are no losers.
Well, the time is coming to say goodbye to the birthday boy. But this should be done beautifully, amicably and creatively.
Portrait
We take a sheet of whatman paper and invite the children to take turns drawing a portrait of the birthday boy to the accompaniment of music. As soon as the music stops, the next guest comes up and completes the drawing at his own discretion. You can't do this without good imagination and creativity. The guests solemnly present the portrait to the birthday boy, politely say goodbye and disperse.
How to make a child's birthday unforgettable?
To make the holiday a breeze, follow our simple tips:
- Decorate the room with balloons, garlands, and greeting posters.
- Together with your child, make and send invitations to all guests.
- Alternate intellectual and active competitions.
- Prepare prizes for all guests.
- Don't delay the cultural program. Your task is not to tire the participants, but to entertain them.
- Highlight free time when children do what they want. But make sure they don't get bored.
- Congratulate the birthday person in an unusual way with the help of competitions and congratulations.
Well, we wish you to organize a holiday in an exciting way and have a lot of fun. See you soon!
How to entertain children? A question that you often have to puzzle over. If you have guests with children, if the children are on vacation, if you the large family— what kind of game can you engage children in without harming others and your wallet?
We offer several options for cheap but fun games at home and in the yard.
1. You will need regular electrical tape. Make “roads” out of it on the carpet or directly on the floor - the tape will easily come off at the end of the game without damaging the carpet or floor, and the children will have a whole city to drive cars in!
2. Again, using electrical tape on the floor, you can “stick” hopscotch - and let the kids jump with the cue ball!
3. Using electrical tape on the floor or chalk on the asphalt, draw a target. Let the kids throw regular dish sponges at it and compete in accuracy.
4. Take PVA glue, mix it with food dyes of various colors - you will get paints for painting disposable plates.
5. Do you have an old roll of wallpaper lying around? Don't rush to throw it away. Spread it out reverse side up, wrap the child's feet in bubble wrap, pour colorful paints into bowls: children will dip their feet in the paints and walk on the wallpaper, creating amazing, fun drawings.
6. If the children's group is too noisy, then a great way to calm it down is to give the children cubes cut from ordinary dishwashing sponges. The hard part is removed from the sponge, and the remaining foam rubber is cut into square blocks. Now let’s find the most patient person who will build the tallest tower!
7. Are you out of paper towels? Don't throw away cardboard roll from under them. Attach it vertically to the wall - children under three years old love to throw all sorts of objects into such tunnels, endlessly watching the process of their fall.
8. Wash the old bag, cut it so that you get a canvas. Give your child a thick needle and thick thread and let him embroider.
9. Take a clothesline and secure it at different angles, for example, between the wall and the staircase railing. Now - who will overcome laser beams faster, like real super spies?
10. Take a bar of regular soap and place it in the microwave for three to five minutes. Your child will be delighted with the soap cloud.
11. Air tennis - haven’t you heard of this? Take two disposable plates, attach ice cream sticks to them as handles - it should look like rackets, inflate balloon medium size - and ready for the air tennis championship!
12. Hang a web of wide tape in the doorway. Now let’s arrange a competition - throw balls of crumpled paper into the web, and let the strongest one win.
13. If you have a ladder in your house, cover it with unwrapped refrigerator packaging - you’ll get a slide.
14. If you fill a balloon with flour or starch and then tie it tightly, you will get a plastic toy that easily changes shape.
15. If you have a few cheap, plain white T-shirts, give the kids crayons to color them to their liking and then choose the best one.
In all my selections of competitions and in all the scenarios that I publish for mothers and teachers, I recommend using the simplest household items. That is why all this is easy to organize without extra costs.
Here are the most favorite ideas among “Holiday Again” readers:
Today I brought together all the small gizmos and gadgets, which will diversify any children's holiday.
In principle, all of the above will be useful for educators, counselors, and teachers who, whatever one may say, at some point, as part of their duties, work as hosts of children's parties. And for active mothers and fathers who are looking for entertainment children's day birth, my article will be useful.
Forward! Here are the simplest props! There is no need to make anything special.
Fun for kids with simple props
1. Balls, compact pump, large garbage bags
Now I won’t tell you for a long time what all this is needed for, I’ll send it to the classroom. In fact, this is already ready-made program for the animator. Let's read!
If your holiday takes place outside in the summer, you can pour a little water into the balloons instead of air. For example, in .
2. Plastic and cardboard disposable cups
They are convenient to carry in a “chest” as they fold up perfectly, but at least two games can be played.
- This is a calm option when children are offered fold a pyramid at speed from inverted cups (in a more complicated version - with eyes closed). Bottom floor - 5 pieces in one row, on top, in a checkerboard pattern 4, then 3, 2, 1.
- Dancing with obstacles. The pyramid now has to be built by the animator himself. For this purpose, take the largest glasses, cardboard ones (400-500 ml). The meaning of the game is reminiscent of “Limbo” (a Hawaiian game when dancers must walk under a rope, leaning back), only the rope lowers with each new stage of the competition, and our pyramid of cups grows. Build on the floors gradually, let them be half human height. You need to jump over the obstacle while dancing.
3. Magnetic fishing rod and fish
I don’t know what the secret is, but even fairly large children like the “Fishing” relay race. “Lakes” can be drawn with chalk if there is no hoop. Or put it out of string (we definitely have it in our chest). We divide into 2 teams (each has its own lake, the number of fish should be the same), we give the first player a fishing rod, and send them off for speed fishing. He catches a fish, returns, and passes the fishing rod to the second player. The team that catches all the fish in their lake the fastest wins.
4. Piece of lining fabric 4 m
Any fabric will do, but if you find blue, it will be a real wave. Two adults make sudden movements, inflating the tissue. You can quickly run under the waves, the kids absolutely love it. You can place one child in the center of the fabric and “close” the petals. So we play a game of attentiveness. If there are more than 10 children, we put one child with his back, and from the other children we select one and hide it in a cloth. The presenter needs to quickly remember who exactly was hidden. You can joke, hide someone not from your company, let the player puzzle over who is missing.
5. Finger puppets and mitten puppets, thick fabric 150x150 cm
1. Theater. In principle, children 3-6 years old are ready to act out fairy tales in the classic version. You distribute dolls to everyone and assign roles, acting as a storyteller. Improv theater is great entertainment. .
For children 7-10 years old, you need to come up with an unusual plot (intertwine the events of different fairy tales or update it “in a modern way”).
The fabric will act as a screen (children or parent volunteers hold it by the two upper ends)
2. Teremok - a comic game. Parents' help will be needed again. The fabric now needs to be stretched parallel to the floor at a height of 1 m, holding the corners.
Children, wearing glove dolls on their hands, climb into the “house”. Now the animator plays the role of a bear who wants to crush the tower. You artistically come to terms with whichever side you want to lean on the roof from, sit down slightly, and the children run away screaming.
6. Clothesline
There are several options here, a very successful prop :-).
1. Limbo. It's always fun with a group of any age group. Two people pull the rope parallel to the floor at neck level, then 10-15 cm lower, even lower, and even lower. All participants in the celebration must walk under the rope to cheerful music, arching their backs.
2. From a rope (5-7 meters) you can lay out tracks for a relay race on the floor. Children walk a winding path like a tightrope at speed.
3. You tie prizes to the rope, which the children cut off with their eyes closed.
4. One end of the rope is tied to the box with the gift, the other to the pencil. Whoever winds the entire string around the pencil the fastest wins a prize.
5. We divide the children into 2 teams, each with the same piece of rope. Each team member needs to be “strung” on a string through a loop in a jacket, through a belt, jacket or T-shirt (from one sleeve to another), through laces in sneakers or even bows on the head. The winners are those children who did it all faster and funnier.
7. Soap bubbles
Well, it's actually a win-win. I use them when filming a video for a funny children's song. Beautiful, funny, looks very cool in the video. You can hold a competition for the biggest bubble. Soap balls fit into any plot. For example, here, in which bubbles fill the role of Martian precipitation.
If it is possible to hold a party outside, organize a “Parade of Soap Bubbles”.
8. Banana
In principle, you can also use a cucumber. Or something inedible altogether. The point is this. Remember the cartoon "38 Parrots"? There they measured the height of a boa constrictor in parrots. And we'll be covered in bananas! This is such a height meter. From the floor to the top of the head we measure the birthday person with a banana, and if it turns out that the height is 8 and a half bananas, we demonstratively peel and bite off the excess part. The birthday boy himself, his parents or one of the guests can take a bite.
9. Skittles and ball
Everything is clear here, let's play bowling. When there are several children of about the same age, the entertainment is very exciting. We give several attempts, count the pins knocked down for each participant or team, and reward the winner.
If this is happening at a children's summer camp, factory-made skittles can be replaced with bottles of sand or water (fill them one-third full).
10. Children's safe darts
The boys really like it. Be the most accurate children's party- a very important victory. It's convenient that it's like this darts are rolled into a small tube(the target is soft, you only need a strong nail on the wall).
Also with these accessories you can play this game: put them on a small table, so that there are 1 fewer wig ears than the participants. Turn on fun music and let the children walk around the table. The melody ends abruptly, the children grab the accessories and quickly put them on. The one who is left “without a nose” is eliminated :-). Yes, it's like playing with chairs!
14. Noise instruments for a merry orchestra
Spoons, rattles, rattles, bells, small bottles with coins, rustling bags, squeaking toys, rattles.
Rhythmic music, such as the Radetzky March, should be recorded.
15. Box and cracker
Any box with a lid will do (shoe boxes can be covered with bright paper). Children stand in a circle and place the box in the center of the circle. Let's play psychics. You need to take turns naming the items that may be in this box. Invite children to make movements with their hands like psychics, close their eyes and do shamanism in every possible way :-). We give three attempts. Whoever is closest to the answer wins. You can add candy, prizes, toys... or a firecracker! Let the confetti fly out and shower all the participants. Girls like it when there are rose petals in the firecracker...
16. Cards with comic tasks
Not only the animator, but also the children get tired of constant noisy and active games :-). All sorts of cards with pictures will be very useful here. Children, as you know, love tasks with random answers; they find it incredibly funny. Suitable for ages 5-7 years.
The animator asks questions. For example: “What will you fly to the sea?” Children take turns drawing cards with cards: “On a cloud!”, “On a donut,” “On a vacuum cleaner,” “On a soap bubble!” etc.
Or this: “What do you most want as a gift for your next birthday?” Children: meat grinder, paper airplane, crocodile, stone, seed, etc.
There are also forfeits, danetkas, “Crocodile” with different variations, comic questions and answers, etc.
17. Board games
This is also a break from running around. Convenient to use if there are no more than 5-6 small guests.
To the children themselves who have known computer games, it's boring to play adventure games. But if together with an animator, it’s a completely different matter. Some people get so carried away that they can't stop. I recommend! The box does not take up much space, chips and dice are included.
19. Disco ball
If you can darken the room, turn on the disco ball. It costs very little, and the disco turns out much more spectacular, believe me!
20. Chalks for face and body, paints for face painting
For a person who does not have special skills in face painting, crayons are just a godsend! You can draw simple patterns on the face and hands (entertainment, naturally, is more for girls): flowers, hearts, cats, mice, emoticons, etc.
21. Toilet paper rolls
It’s you, dear animators, who are tired of playing mummy! And every year children are born who wrap themselves for the first time toilet paper! Let them have lots of fun!
Another option (you can do it at the table). Pass the roll around and let the children tear off as many squares as they want. This is a test of greed (just don’t warn us in advance). Just come up with a “punishment”: say as many wishes to the birthday boy as you tear off the squares (do push-ups from the floor, crow, hug as many people, and so on).
22. Large fireplace matches or counting sticks
There are several interesting puzzles on logical thinking. Keep in mind, sometimes even adults get involved in solving the problem :-). Here are puzzles that will captivate both children and their parents (we copy the link): http://logo-rai.ru/index.php/zadachi-golovolomki-so-spichkami?start=3
23. Rolled drawing paper
A good idea even if there are a lot of children. Roll out several meters of paper on the floor, give wax crayons or thick felt-tip pens. You can paint a huge picture on the topic. For example, “Underwater World” or “Sky”.
24. Materials for a creative master class
They are quite expensive, so discuss with your parents in advance whether you will paint glasses or cups with ceramic markers, draw on round stones, make gel candles, soap, paint photo frames, etc.
Soap bubbles can be blown almost endlessly. At least until the solution runs out. To prevent this from happening soon, make a large supply: 3.5 liters of water, a glass of dishwashing liquid, a tablespoon of glycerin. The barrel of solution is ready!
22. Drawing without stains
If you pour a little shower gel mixed with dyes into a durable, hermetically sealed bag, your child will be able to draw futuristic pictures with their fingers without getting dirty!
23. DIY car wash
Kids can play for hours in the bathroom with a real car wash, which can be made from a five-liter plastic jerry can, scouring pads and moisture-resistant adhesive tape.
From the canister you need to cut out the body of the sink with entry and exit. Cut dish sponges into thin long sticks and glue them vertically to the ceiling of the sink. Permanent markers color the structure. Place shaving foam in empty yogurt containers, take old toothbrushes and toy cars. The imagination will do the rest.
24. Science experiment with balloons
Show your child a chemical experiment in the kitchen. Pour a spoonful of soda into the balloon and into the empty one plastic bottle pour vinegar. Place the ball onto the neck of the bottle and secure tightly. Gradually pour the baking soda from the balloon into the bottle. The neutralization reaction will lead to the release large quantity carbon dioxide, which inflates the balloon.
25. Frozen Dinosaur Egg
If your child loves dinosaurs, show him how ancient lizards hatched from eggs. Place a dinosaur figurine in a balloon and fill it with colored water, then put the balloon in the freezer. When the water freezes, call the young paleontologists. Remove the “shell” of the ball from the eggs and look at the dinosaur in the ice. You can remove the toy using a small hammer (you just need to do this with swimming goggles so that small pieces of ice do not damage your eyes).
26. Banana ice cream
You can make popsicles with just one ingredient. Take bananas (preferably slightly overripe), peel and cut into thin pieces. Place in the freezer. After a couple of hours, remove the frozen bananas and blend in a blender until the mixture resembles thick sour cream. The ice cream can be eaten immediately or put into molds and re-frozen. Older children can handle the cooking themselves!