Running Head: ANTHOLOGY OF GAMES AND ACTIVITIES

Anthology of
Games and
Activities
Renice A.D. McFarlane
SW1370/13
April 15, 2014
Dr. Carol Long

Anthology of Games and Activities

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Content Page

Acknowledgement

Introduction

Infants

4-5

Toddlers

5-8

3-4 Year Olds

9-11

5-6 Year Olds

12-14

7-8 Year Olds

15-17

Reference Page

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Anthology of Games and Activities

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Acknowledgement

I would like to thank my lecturers for the help which they have given throughout this
course as well as my group mates from 1C2 for their support.

Anthology of Games and Activities

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Introduction

The definition of a game, according to Kramer (2000) "a game is any activity which is
executed only for pleasure and without conscious purpose. In this definition every activity that
brings pleasure is a game. For example, people dance, play musical instruments, act in plays, and
play with dolls and model trains." This anthology has a variety of games which are suitable for
different age groups of children. The games will help in the children's physical, cognitive, and
affective domains, as well as help to improve coordination.
These games and activities are designed to help two to five year olds build their large
muscles, especially those in arms and legs. In building these muscles and expanding the
domains, the skills learned in these games play a role in getting the child ready for school.
Games are a good way of reinforcing critical skills such as eye-hand and eye-foot coordination,
following instructions, learning alphabet, numbers and colours.
The age categories which are used are as follows:
1. Infants - from birth to 1 year olds. The developmental domains being targeted are
cognitive, physical and affective as the child needs to start using all areas of the brain.
2. Toddlers - 2 year olds. The physical domain is the major target, as the child's gross motor
skills needs development.
3. 3-4 year olds. The physical and cognitive domains are major targets. The child's fine
motor skills and problem solving skills are being developed at this stage
4. 5-6 year olds. Cognitive and Affective domains are being targeted.
5. 7-8 year olds. Their cognitive skills are the primary aim.

Anthology of Games and Activities

Infants
Changing Nappy Time Activity
Babies can become unsettled when having their nappy changed. Stimulation at nappy-changing
time offers a great distraction and can make it a fun time for both you and your baby.
Target domain: listening and vision
What You Need:

Change mat
Nappy
Wipes
Activity:
Talk to your baby in a playful voice whilst changing his nappy - this will help him to focus on
your voice rather than what's happening to his bottom!
Hang a mobile over the changing mat with black and white and contrasting colours. This will
help him to focus and develop his eye muscles.

The Tickling Game

Number of Players: 1+
Domain Target: muscle development
Activity:
As you hold your baby facing you, sing the song
Round and round the garden, like a teddy bear.
One step, two step, tickle under there.
Towards the end of the song, get ready to tickle your baby in line with the song.
Your baby will love giggling while you are tickling her.
You can repeat this many times, and have fun giggling together!

Anthology of Games and Activities

Hiding Toy Game

Number of Players: 1+
Domain Target: problem solving
What You Need:

Toy
Hankerchief
Activity:
Babies love to get little surprises.
Take his favourite toy and hide it under a handkerchief.
Ask him the question: Where is your toy ( you can name the toy)?
Then uncover the toy excitedly.
Repeat often and soon he will be copying you.

Baby Touch Game

Teach your baby early with baby games that relate to early learning, eye development and have
fun at the same time. Baby games are exciting to play for both of you as your baby anticipates
your moves and learns to react.
Number of Players: 1+
Domain target: listening and seeing
Activity:
This is a good game to play while changing your babys nappy or after bathing your baby.
Lay your baby on his back and touch your babys body in different places and make the sound
boop with each touch.

Anthology of Games and Activities

Your baby may smile each time you touch him and may begin to anticipate the next touch by
watching your hand.
This game will help your baby's eyesight develop and is a great way to bond.

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Toddlers

Play Catch and Throw

What you need:

Balls
Bean bags or buttons
Hula hoop or similar
Domain target: gross motor development, eye-hand coordination
Method:
Throwing and catching are skills which are learnt through repetition rather than inherent at birth.
As such your child will enjoy being able to see their improvement during this activity and, if it is
repeated regularly, their improvement over time.
Place the hula hoop some distance away from your child. Give your child the bean bag, ball or
button and instruct them to toss these into the hola hoop circle.
Once your child has done this a few times, have your little one take a step backwards, or move
the hula hoop slightly forwards, to increase the skill level required to toss the item into the circle
accurately.
Modifications : Once your little one has mastered this activity you may wish to increase the
difficulty of the task by reducing the size of the area into which the ball or button is to be tossed.

The Body Parts Game

Number of Players: 1+
Domain target: memory and listening
Activity:
Teach your baby their body part names.
Point to their body part, for example, nose and say "This is your nose, nose, nose."

Anthology of Games and Activities

After repeating this a few times, ask them where their nose is.
Your baby will copy you and point at their nose, once they learn what it is.

Where is Thumbkin?
Activity:
Kid's music is a magic way for kids to learn, especially through singing children's songs. The
repetition of the children's song lyrics, along with simple counting and discovery, make learning
kid songs a fun favourite for babies through to school age kids.
Domain target: problem solving
Where is Thumbkin? lyrics
Start with holding your hands behind your back; with thumbs out,
Where is Thumbkin?
Where is Thumbkin?
Here I am (bring out one thumb)
Here I am (bring out the other thumb)
How are you this morning? (make thumb talk to the other thumb when singing that line)
Very well; I thank you (and vice versus with this thumb)
Run a-way (put one thumb back behind your back)
Run a-way (put the other thumb back behind your back)

Hot potato

Anthology of Games and Activities

Hot potato is a party game guaranteed to get the kids and grown-ups laughing. Play with the
whole family or leave it to the kids as they discover the fun and excitement of racing the music
to pass the potato!
Number of Players: 5+
Domain target: teamwork, eye-hand coordination
What You Need:

music
small beanbag or stuffed sock
Activity:
Arrange the children sitting in a circle.
Pass a beanbag around the circle to music, pretending that the beanbag is a very, very, very hot
potato.
When the music stops, the person holding the beanbag is out.
The music starts again and the remaining children continue passing the hot potato until the music
stops.
The last person in the circle is the winner.

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3-4 Year Olds

Games
Kick the an
A twist on the old hide and seek favourite, kick the can adds a whole new element that kids can
enjoy amongst friends at a party or gathering.
Number of Players: 4+
Domain target: gross motor development, cognitive (counting and listening)
What You Need:

Any kind of large tin can or bucket that can be kicked

Activity:
Start by choosing one person to be IT and a "home base" for the children to gather.
To start the game, this player (IT) gets to kick the can as far as he/she is able.
The players scatter to find hiding places as the can rolls.
IT then chases after the can and brings it back to home base.
Once he brings the can home, IT counts to 50 (or 100; depending on age) with his eyes closed.
When he opens them, he starts searching for the other kids and the fun begins.
When IT finds a hider, he calls out this player's name.
If the hider can kick over the can before IT does, he's safe.
If IT makes it to the can first, the player whose name he calls out is captured and must wait in the
jail (next to the can).
The player/s in jail are not doomed just yet, another player can risk capture to save them.

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If another player can kick over the can and call out "Home FREE" without getting captured by
IT, the jailbirds are free to run and hide from IT again.
The game continues until all the jailbirds have been captured.
The first person caught becomes IT in the next game.
If jailbreaks keep the game going on too long, the first person who is caught 3 times becomes IT
and a new game begins.

Build a Fun Obstacle Course

This obstacle course is designed to improve your little one's gross motor skills and general coordination.
What you need:

Pillows
Rope
Hoops
Chairs
Ball
Tube - such as the inside of a paper towel roll
Bucket
Method:
Place the various objects in a circular fashion so that your child can clearly see where they are
expected to travel to complete the course.
Once the course is set up, show your little one what you would like them to do at each point. For
example, "jump over a pillow forwards and backwards, roll a ball through the tube or throw it
into the bucket, kick a ball through the legs of the chair, or climb over a rope."

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The course is limited only by that which you have on hand and your imagination.
Modifications: If appropriate, you may wish to include imaginative play with the obstacle
course such as letting your child pretend to be a commando escaping from an enemy, or a fairy
trying to get through the obstacle course three times to be able to win their wings. Similarly, you
may wish to create a story for each activity such as climbing over a fallen log in the jungle (the
rope) and jumping over a crocodile-infested swamp (the pillow).

Activities
Create a photo line
This art and craft activity is designed to improve your little one's understanding of where they
have come from and how they fit into your family.
What you need:

Photos of your little one over the past few years

String
Pegs
Hooks (optional)
Method:
To begin this activity you will need to order the photos you have chronologically, either from the
newest to the oldest, or the most recent to your child's first photo.
Tie the string to two points so you have a line (use hooks if need be).
Peg the photos to the line and let your child see just how much they have developed since they
were born.
Extension: You may wish to draw a picture to go with some of the more memorable photos, or
place the photos into a photo album or scrap book to make a permanent timeline for them to refer
to as often as they wish.

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Measuring sand and water game

Teach your child to learn measurement-related terms, such as 'half', 'quarter', 'full' and 'empty'
with this game that they can play in the backyard sandpit or during bath time.
What you need:

Water or sand
Measuring cups
Bottles, buckets, tins, bowls or anything that can hold water and sand
Method:
There is no doubt that young children just love playing with both sand and water so why not use
the hours they spend in the bath or sandpit as a learning experience?
While your child is happily playing in the sandpit, ask him to do some tasks for you such as, "Fill
the cup to the top," "Empty the red bowl of sand into the blue bucket." You may also ask
questions such as, "How many red cups of sand fill the blue bucket?" Or show him that the green
cup will fill one quarter of the yellow tin.
Likewise, when your child is splashing around in the bath, teach her some measurement terms as
she plays. You could even put plastic cooking measurement cups in the bathtub as toys.
Note: For this to work your little one is best not to know that you are 'teaching' him about
volume, but rather allow him to hear you using the correct terminology.

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5-6 Year Olds

Games
Duck, duck goose
Duck, duck, goose is a party game favourite to energize and enthrall children of all ages. Get
your kids active with this chasing game and enjoy the sound of laughter at your party.
Number of Players: 4+
Activity:
In this game, kids sit down in a circle facing each other.
One person is "it" and walks around the circle. As they walk around, they tap people's heads and
say whether they are a "duck" or a "goose".
Once someone is the goose they get up and try to chase "it" around the circle. The goal is to tap
that person before they are able sit down in the goose's spot.
If the goose is not able to do this, they become "it" for the next round and play continues. If they
do tap the "it" person, the person tagged has to sit in the centre of the circle.
Then the goose becomes it for the next round. The person in the middle can't leave until another
person is tagged and they are replaced.

Mother may I?
Mother may I is an engaging party game for children to test their listening skills. Simply choose
a grown up to be "Mother" and start playing. Children will love being able to play as a family or
against their friends.

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Number of Players: 4+
Activity:
One person (probably Mum, Dad or an older child) stands about 6m away from the line of
children.
They then choose a child (at random, or in order), and announce an instruction.
These follow a pattern, such as, "Sarah, you may take 'x' giant/regular/baby steps
forward/backward."
The child responds with "Mother may I?" Mum then states "Yes" or "No", depending on their
whim, and the child complies.
If the child forgets to ask "Mother may I?" they go back to the starting line.
First one to touch Mother wins.

Activities
Make your own bubble solution
Bubbles, bubbles everywhere! Get creative with homemade bubbles by making your own
solution. Follow the simple steps below and there will be bubbles galore!
Number of Players: 1+
What You Need:

6 cups of water
2 cups of liquid dishwashing soap
3/4 cup of corn syrup (glucose syrup)
large mixing bowl
shallow pan
pipe cleaners or wire coat hanger for a bubble wand
adult assistance

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Activity:
Help your child to measure and combine water, dishwashing soap and corn syrup/glucose syrup
in a large mixing bowl.
Leave for four hours and then pour into a shallow pan.
Make bubble wands by twisting pipe cleaners and coat hangers into circles, squares or any closed
shape - the bigger the wand opening the bigger the bubble. Make sure you bend any sharp edges
back so they do not make contact with the opening and don't forget to make a handle with the
end.
Have your child dip the wand into the solution and gently wave their arm through the air to make
bubbles.

Colour salt trays

This is a great craft activity for the kids to do when they are stuck inside on one of those rainy
days. You could even make a game out of it and see who finds the most first!
Number of Players: no limit
What You Need:

cooking salt
food dye
small shells or shapes
magnify glasses
Activity:
Add food dye to the cooking salt and place in a flat tray to dry.
Once dry, hide different shapes or shells in salt.
Provide children with magnifying glasses to look and search for the objects you have hidden in
the salt.

Anthology of Games and Activities

You can also try this with plastic bugs and toy spiders.

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7-8 Year Olds

Games
Doggy, Doggy Where's Your Bone?
Doggy, doggy, where's your bone is a fun kids party game that will engage and entertain kids of
all ages. You can play indoors or outdoors, as a family or with friends. This kids activity is a
winner every time.
Number of Players: 4+
What You Need:

simple object, for example a paperclip or coin

chair
blindfold (optional)
Activity:
One child is chosen to be "IT" and plays the role of the dog.
He or she sits in a chair with their back to the group.
A paperclip or coin is placed under the chair. This is the "bone".
While the dog is turned backward with his or her eyes closed (blindfold is optional) someone
quietly steals the bone and hides it - usually they just sit on it or hide it in their cupped hands.
Then everyone sings: "Doggy, doggy, where's your bone? Somebody stole it from your home."
Then the dog has three chances to guess who took it.
If the dog guesses right, then he gets to do it again.
If he guesses wrong, than the person who had the bone gets a turn as the dog.
Usually, all of the children will try to look "guilty" by sheltering their laps or holding their hands
together as if they have the bone.

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Pickle
Get your party going with a game of pickle. This is a great kids' activity to get them moving as
they chase each other around. Get them to work up an appetite with this classic birthday party
game.
Number of Players: 3+
Domain target: taking turns, eye-hand coordination
What You Need:

tennis ball
Activity:
Set up two bases around five metres apart.
Two of the children stand on each base and are "it" while the remaining children go to one base
or the other.
The game starts with the two children on the bases throwing the ball to each other.
The object of the game is for the remaining children to time running from one base to the other
without being tagged by "it".
If you are tagged, then you are "it", replacing the child who tagged you out with the ball in hand.
The game continues until the children are too tired to run.
Most kids will love "stealing bases" again and again and hoping that the children on the bases
will throw the ball wild, allowing everyone to steal bases all at once.

Activities
Make a personal dictionary
Improve your little one's letter recognition skills and initial phonemic awareness with this fun art
and craft project.

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Domain target: constructing, teamwork

What you need:

Blank address book

Pictures from magazines
Scissors
Glue
Coloured pencils to draw more pictures if required
Lead pencil
Ruler
Eraser
Method:
Write the letters of the alphabet in the centre of the address book pages in both upper and lower
case. For example, in page A write a capital 'A' and lower case 'a' in the centre of the page.
Find pictures in magazines of items which start with the each letter.
Paste these pictures into the book on the page with the letter that the image starts with.
Write the name of the image underneath it so that your child associates that letter with the image.
If there is room on the page, you may wish to provide letter-writing practice for the given letter.
Once completed your little one should be able to remember the letter much more easily, or at
least have an easy reference for looking it up if they need to jog their memory.

Make an Analogue Clock

Improve your little one's ability to tell the time by making this analogue clock.
Domain target: problem solving (clock reading)
What you need:

Paper plate
Marker pen

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Scissors
Straw
Split pin
Method:
Help your little one to begin reading a clock with this activity.
Mark the hours onto the paper plate. The most accurate way to do this is to mark in 12 and 6 then
3 and 9 and the 1, 2 the 4, 5, followed by 7, 8, and finally 10 and 11.
Once the hours are marked, cut the straw into two pieces one larger and one smaller to
represent the hands of the clock.
Using the split pin, fix the hands to the middle of the clock.
You are now ready to create times on the clock.
Note, it is probably easiest at first for you to make the time and your child to tell you which hour
you have made, they could then have a turn at creating a given hour time. Once single hours have
been mastered, you could progress to half and quarter past the hour.
Extension: Once your little one has gotten the hang of reading the clock that you have both made
you can ask them to let you know when it is a certain hour of the day or when it is half past the
current hour using an analogue clock.

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References

Kramer, W. (2000). What is a game? Retrieved March 31, 2014, from

http://www.thegamesjournal.com/articles/WhatIsaGame.shtml
http://www.kidspot.com.au/discoverycentre/
http://www.pedagonet.com/PhysEd/game36.htm