Summer is here, so now what?

School is out, it's brighter for a longer part of the day and I'm feeling the family spirit. I've been trying to spend some time with my little cousin, who is 7 years old, more often, but I find myself trying to figure out what to do!

Thank goodness for Right@Home Newsletter, they have reminded me of all the fun games I used to play before there were iPads or cell phone apps. In case you need to be reminded...

1. Tag/Freeze Tag 

  Peskowitz noted that readers of her book love talking about tag. "They say, ‘Oh my gosh, I forgot about tag,’" she said. To play, one kid is "it" and tries to touch or tag another kid. Whoever is tagged becomes "it." 

2. Jacks 

  You’ll need jacks and a ball to play this classic game. Toss the jacks onto the floor and then, using one hand, toss the ball up and grab one jack and the ball before it bounces again. Move on to "twosies" (grabbing two jacks), "threesies" (three jacks) and so on. To see the game in action, check out this video and keep these pieces away from little mouths.

3. Hopscotch

  Draw a traditional hopscotch design (watch this video for a visual and more instructions) and toss a rock or beanbag onto the first square. Hop over the bean bag or rock and jump onto each part of the diagram until the end and then turn around and jump back. 

4. Hide-and-Seek

  Just like it sounds. All players hide except the one who is "it." That child closes his or her eyes, counts to ten or more, and then seeks the other children. Adults can play too! Game ends when "it" finds the last hiding player who then becomes the new "it."

5. Marbles 

  Draw a circle on sand, dirt or concrete and take turns trying to knock your opponents’ marbles out of the circle with your big marble. For safety’s sake, keep the game and its marbles away from little ones. For a quick history and rules check out this site.

6. Jump Rope/Double Dutch

 This fun activity, which is great exercise, can be played alone or in a group, with two kids twirling a long rope and another child jumping. Double Dutch is more challenging, as you have to jump over two ropes twirled one after another. See these Double Dutch jump rope champions.

7. Kickball

 This game is similar to baseball only instead of hitting a small ball with a bat, you kick a larger ball and run the bases. Want to ‘kick’ it up a notch? Check out these advanced kickball tips.

8. Parachute

 You’ll need a large round parachute or an old sheet. Let kids take turns being the leader and giving directions. Kids can walk or jog in a circle, switch directions, hide underneath or play "popcorn" by putting light whiffle balls or beanbags on top of the parachute and ruffling it up and down. An adult should supervise this one, especially when small children are involved. For additional instructions, videos and parachute playing music, visit this site. 

9. Freeze Dance

 Everyone dances until the music stops, then everyone freezes. Whoever moves is out. The game continues until there’s a winner. Ready to play? Check out Freeze Dance, an app which turns your songs into freeze dance favorites.

10. Simon Says

 One person acts as "Simon," and tells other players to do something, e.g., "Simon says touch your nose." If the order is given without saying "Simon says," first, anyone who follows that request is out.

11. Red Light, Green Light

 Players run when one child (the traffic light or cop) says "green light." Players freeze when that child says "red light!" Those caught moving must go back to the starting line. The first one to tag the traffic light or cop wins. For more detailed rules, visit this site.

12. "Mother, May I?" 

 One person, the "mother," goes to one side of the room or yard. Players take turns asking, "Mother, may I take [insert number] steps forward?" The mother replies, "Yes, you may," or "No, you may not." Players may ask to take baby steps, giant steps, spinning steps or jumps. The first to reach the mother wins. For further instructions, visit this family friendly site.

13. Four square

 Draw a large square on concrete with chalk and divide it into quarters. Two, three or four players can participate by bouncing the ball into another player’s square. If a player allows the ball to bounce twice or fails to hit it back, they’re out. For tips on how to play four square, watch this video.

14. Capture the flag

 The more players the better for this game involving two teams, each having a flag or marker for the team base. Each team tries to capture the other team’s flag without getting tagged by opponents. 

15. Marco Polo 

 Usually played in a swimming pool, this game involves one person closing his or her eyes, calling "Marco" and trying to tag one of the other players, who must reply, "Polo." Make sure to keep this to the shallow end and have an adult or lifeguard supervise.