Top Tips for Kid Games

"Mom, the kid games we always end up playing are so lame!"

Running a bit low in your inspiration compartment of miracle solutions?  

Fear not, oh wise and resourceful parent...

Here is a creative idea to top up your dwindling supply of play suggestions.

Since you've always worked so hard to ensure that your kids play games that offer them a developmental or learning opportunity, you'll even find these fun and games improve children's awareness.

Pretty simple, huh?

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While you're probably used to referring to the elements of earth, wind, air and fire, in precisely that order, the elements are really earth, air or wind, water and fire.

This kid word game shifts the order... offering an easy short form for the name of this fun game about the elements.

By the way, WEAF is pronounced just like the word leaf.

Let's start!

Players form a circle around someone who is not competing. It's probably going to be you…

You always get the nomination, so be a good sport and play along… after all cooperation is a worthy characteristic to teach in any kid game.

Spin around and upon stopping, point towards a player.

Say the name of one of the elements (Water, Earth, Air or Fire) and begin counting aloud to ten. Be fair and each time count at the same pace.

The player you pointed at must respond with an appropriate word before you count to ten.

The word for "Water" must be the name of a fish , "Earth" must be the name of an animal, and "Air" must be the name of a bird. For "Fire" the player must offer no response, but remain completely silent.

See... kid games do have definite advantages!

Players cannot name the same animal, bird, or fish twice during a game.

Even kid word games must have some rules.

A player gets one point for each incorrect response.

The WEAF Game has a "three-strikes-and-you're-out" rule. The last person left in the circle wins.

The WEAF Game teaches your child to respond within a defined period of time.

It also improves skills in association and categorizing, and relationship concepts. Attention skills are improved as he learns to listen carefully.

If you're like most parents, you may sometimes wish there were more kid games that teach kids the value of occasional silence.

Also take a look at the coolest kid birthday party games and activities…

Shapin-Up-In-Time is one of the easiest kid games your child can play.

It's a perfect travel game that'll put lots of miles under your belt while he's having fun.

Give your child a set amount of time to find as many different shapes as he can find. Anything is fair game…billboards, road signs, vehicles or buildings.

This is a kid games that work best for more than one child... so that one gets to be the winner. If you've only got one child, just be creative and declare him the winner each time he beats his own time.

Again... awareness will improve and so will attention.

Every child is sure to look carefully to see whether the speed limit sign is a square or a rectangle.

As parents, an important part of our responsibility is to make sure that our children rarely miss any development and learning opportunity available to them.