7 FUN AND EXCITING GAMES TO PLAY WITH YOUR CHILD

Keeping your child entertained at home all day can be a difficult task for any parent, especially on a budget. Tixylix is here to inspire you with some little tricks to try with ordinary items you most probably already have at home.

Here are 7 fun and creative ways to entertain your child with no props needed:

Play word games

This is your chance to test your mental focus and speed! A great game for learning the alphabet is ‘Grandma went to the shop’. It’s quite simple – you sit in a circle and the first person starts by saying: “Grandma went to the shop and bought apples.” The next person would continue by saying “Grandma went to the shop and bought apples and bananas.” The game continues with an ever-growing list of alphabetical items. Whoever forgets an item first is out!

Put on a play

Nurture the little ones’ inner thespians by putting on your own miniature play. Encourage them to use their imaginations to ‘mime’ props. They could act out their favourite fairy tales, stories or films, or you could even write a script from scratch. Have a mixture of characters including heroes and villains to make those scenes extra special. Hint: adults make the best villains, so put on your best booming voice.

Try charades

Now you’ve proven your theatrical talents, test your child’s memory and visualisation skills with a game of charades. You can simplify the rules for the little ones by allowing sounds or taking out harder rules like syllables. Choose from their favourite books, like Roald Dahl classics, to daytime television hits like Peppa Pig.

Heads or tails

All you’ll need besides your little helpers is a coin. Everybody starts standing up and they have to predict which way the coin will fall after a coin toss. If they think it will be heads, they should put their hands on their head. If they think it will be tails, they should put their hands behind their backs. As the adult, you toss the coin and announce the result. Everybody who makes the right guess remains standing, while everybody else sits down. The aim of the game is to be the last one standing!

Practise new languages

Childhood is the best time to learn something new - especially a new language. That’s why you should start now if you want your little one to be a natural linguist. Whether you speak a second language or just know a few bits and bobs around the home, you can teach your child common phrases and objects, and have them say it back to you. This will increase their confidence and impress family and friends - watch them count to ten!

What do I want to be when I grow up?

Little ones have endless imagination and creativity, so make the most of this time. Sit down with your child and ask them what they want to be when they grow up. You can tell them all about exciting roles like doctors, teachers, artists and much more. When three quarters of children want to be a YouTube star, this will open their minds to other options - no tablets required.

Balance tests

Great for physical fitness and a whole lot of fun, try challenging your little ones to a timed balance test. For example, see how long they can stand on one foot or go on their tippy toes. They can even do it in pairs, such as making a star shape and seeing how long they can stand on one foot while holding hands. Whoever balances for the longest without tipping over wins the challenge!