Everybody Wins!
Written By Gail Greiner
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We tested dozens of games with three sets of kids, looking for those that were rowdy enough for kids to love but friendly enough that nobody would feel like a loser.
We had three criteria:
Activity. In this increasingly sedentary world, kids need motion and sometimes a little commotion.
Flexibility. We wanted games that worked with a range of ages and with four kids or ten.
Enjoyability. They had to be games that kids will keep playing by themselves, simply because they are fun.
1. Shark!
Put hula hoops or beach towels on the ground to serve as dens for all the "fish." One child gets to be the shark. When the shark calls, "Fishie, fishie, cross my ocean," the fish have to move to a different den. If, while out of a den, the shark tags them, they get to be sharks as well. The last remaining fish becomes the first shark next time. Adults can also remove dens, forcing kids to stand together on one.
Tip: For extra fun, the shark can tickle the fish.
Variations: The shark can be a T. rex, and the fish can be vegetarian brachiosaurs. Bird lovers can be hawks and mice. Construction buffs can be loaders and boulders, and so on.
Optimal age: 3 and up
Number of players: 4 or more
A parent observes"There's nothing like a shark-empowered 4-year-old to keep three big kids huddled in a hula hoop."
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