Okay, I’m aging myself here, but some of you may be sneaking up on middle age right along with me. Those of you who are will fondly remember these childhood games. Unfortunately, many of these games are no longer played in school, so your children may not know to play them. If they don’t, take a little trip down Memory Lane and teach them how to play the games we loved as kids.
Mother May I
One child is Mother. Mother stands several feet in front of everyone else. Each participant then makes a request of Mother, in an attempt to reach “her” and take over her position. Each child will ask something different, such as, “Mother may I take one giant step?” or, “Mother may I do a cartwheel?” Each child will continue moving forward, a little or a lot as determined by “Mother,” until someone reaches the leader’s position.
Red Light Green Light
One child stands several feet (or yards) ahead of the others. When the leader says green light, he or she must face the opposite direction while everyone moves forward, attempting to reach the leader. When he or she says red light, turning to face the group, everyone must stop immediately. This continues until another player reaches the leader and takes over his or her position.
Simon Says
One child is Simon, and the others must do only as Simon says. If Simon doesn’t say “Simon Says” first, the players should stand still. If the leader does say Simon Says, each player should do his or her best to repeat the action described by Simon.
Each of these games is good for lots of laughs, so they might also be the perfect way to encourage your kids to back away from the electronics and to get outside and get moving.