Indoor

A whirling game that uses body and imagination together to create a fun story and is different each time it's played (you'll need at least 3 people for this game).

Choose one person to be the "Statue Maker" and one to be the "Statue Buyer".

The Statue Maker twirls the remaining players around until they're slightly off-balance and gently lets them go. When released, the players freeze and become "Statues". Then they can use their imaginations to decide what they are a Statue of, and tell the Statue Maker.

When all players have been made into Statues, the Statue Buyer comes in and presses each Statue's nose.

The Statue silently acts out what it is representing: a baseball player, a ballerina, a chef, a tree, etc.

The Statue Buyer tries to guess what each Statue is, and then selects which one he wants to buy.

After selecting his or her Statue, the roles change with the Statue Buyer becoming the Statue Maker and the chosen Statue becoming the buyer. Play until everyone has had a chance to be a Statue, the Statue Maker and the Statue Buyer.

Variation: If only two children are playing, take turns being Statue Maker and Statue. The Statue Maker spins the Statue who freezes until their nose is pressed. The Statue Maker has to guess what the Statue is, then switch places.

Indoor/Outdoor

Get children hopping and leaping with the classic leapfrog game.

Line the children up and have them bend over with their hands resting on their shins. Starting at the back of the line, have one person leap up, and try to leap over every person in line by resting his hands on the backs of others and leaping over them.

When the first person to leap reaches the end of the line, they bend down and become a part of the line until everyone has had a chance to leap.

Safety Note: Be sure to remind the kids to keep their heads down and facing forward so that they are not bumped when being leapt over.

Indoor/Outdoor

A fun variation on a scavenger hunt that requires little preparation and can be played both indoors and outdoors.

Choose a color or letter and then challenge the children to find five things that are that color or begin with that letter. Set a time limit to keep the game moving and fun.

For Example: Choose the color green. Then tell the kids they have two minutes to find five green things. Or choose the letter Y, and they have two minutes to find five things that start with Y.