We are all about games these days. What can we play? What can Grady handle as a 2.5 year old? Do we have to play that one again? Games are essential for young children. They teach them to think, use fine motor, hand/eye coordination, teamwork, and most importantly, how to lose graciously. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had children in my classroom that went into a frenzy after losing a game. Games are an excellent way to foster a growth mindset in children, teaching them how to handle and except a loss and work harder to win the next one (but that’s an entirely different blog post).
With the quarantine not seeing an end in sight, we have to get creative with our time. We had started doing family game night on Friday’s and just picked some easy activities for Grady. Then, things got busy and we lost touch with the games. Enter social distancing and it’s back to doing game night/day and we’ve added a few to our box. Below are some games we’ve played and some we have our eye on. Maybe you can add some to your cart for delivery!
- Yetti in my Spaghetti – There’s a Yeti monster on a pile of spaghetti. Two things Grady loves. You have to pull the noodles out one by one without making the Yeti fall into the bowl. The winner is the person BEFORE the player that makes the Yeti fall into the bowl.
- Baby Shark – Same concept as fishing, but the game plays the baby shark song until you’re about to scream. Have wine ready.
- Hungry Hungry Hippos – I loved this game as a kid. Grady loves to play it but he mostly cheats by taking the balls by hand and shoving him into his hippo’s mouth. There’s a yellow ball that whomever gets is the automatic winner.
- Don’t Break the Ice – We don’t have this one yet but it looked like something we could handle. The same concept as yeti in my spaghetti only you’re keeping a penguin from falling.
- Potato Toss – A great way to get bodies moving! Just like hot potato like we played when we were kids. Only this one plays music on its own. It’s in my cart for the next game we buy.
- Pop the Pig – Grady’s current favorite and perfect for toddlers learning their numbers and colors. The numbers only go to four and whatever number you get, you have to click the hat that many times (also addresses fine motor skills). Whoever pops the pig first is the winner.
- Poppa’s Pizza – The idea of the game is to get as many toppings on the pizza before it topples over. The only problem is that you have to have a really steady hand and my toddler does more throwing than anything. Maybe your toddler can handle it. I put it away in the box and going to save it for later.
- Don’t Let the Bugs Fall – Perfect for toddlers learning colors (and following directions). This game is just like Jenga only you have to pick the color that the dice lands on.
- Monkeying Around – Similar to Poppa’s Pizza, you have to hang the monkey’s on the tree without it falling over. I haven’t purchased this one yet but it looks like it would be a good one for Grady.
Maybe this list will get you started with some fun games to play with your family. What games are you playing these days?
~Ashley