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Play Activities

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Parten found that as children develop, their social play becomes increasingly complex, proceeding through the states of solitary, parallel, associative, and cooperative play. (Parten, Social participation among preschool children. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 27, 1932)
Solitaire or Dual Play

Activities and Games for One or Two... teaching to take responsibility for one's free time. Do you have other solitaire or dyadic activities that you might teach to children and adults? Submit them.

Five small stones- find five small, flat stones. Sit on the ground and toss one stone in the air and try to catch it on the back of your hand. Then add two stones and see if you can catch both stones on the back of your hand. Continue to add additional stones until you can catch all five stones.

Cloudmagination- lay on the ground and look at the clouds. What can you see. An animal? A face?

Solitaire- teach various solitaire games.

Record playing- go through a stack of records, cassettes, CD's and listen to music.

Drawing, painting, etc.- show where art supplies are kept and invite them to use it.

Pick up Sticks- Lay ten Popsicle sticks on the groups. Toss a small ball into the air and try to pick up one stick. Then catch the ball after it bounces in the same hand as the stick. Keep the 1st stick in your hand and toss the ball again and try to pick up the 2nd stick. Be sure that the ball doesn't bounce more the once. Try to pick up all ten sticks one at a time. For variation, see how may sticks you can pick up in one sweep.

Hacky sack- practice hitting the hacky sack with your feet. If you don't have a hacky sack, use a handkerchief with a big knot in the middle of it.

Solitaire Seven Up- with a small ball that bounces well...

  1. drop the ball and let it bounce and catch it. This is one up.
  2. throw the ball and catch it. This is two up.
  3. throw the ball in the air and let it bounce and then catch it. This is
  4. three up.
  5. bounce the ball hard enough to let it bounce over your head. Catch the
  6. ball above your head. This is four up.
  7. throw the ball in the air and let it bounce twice before you catch it. This is five up.
  8. throw the ball in the air and bounce it off the back of your hand and catch it. This is six up.
  9. bounce the ball hard, spin around once and catch the ball before it hits the ground. This is seven up.

If you miss at any time, you have to start from the beginning. Add additional stunts for more challenge.


Snow Play

With help of everyone in the group, make a giant snowball. Then try to fit everyone on it.

Instead of making a snowman, try sculpting a dragon, a building, Santa Claus, etc.

If you don't have snow in your area, make a snow man out of hay, tumbleweed, or other natural plants found in your area.

Build a snow house or make a snow angel.

Mix water and food coloring in squeeze bottles and paint messages and pictures in the snow in the yard.

If you don't have snow, try out grass skiing (check your local ski club for grass skis).

Make a snow cone, add flavoring, and eat it (yum).

Pack snow on a tray or dish and paint it with water colors.

 

Add your favorite activities for others to use.

Activities & Tx pages sponsored by compuTR and maintained by Charles Dixon
If reprinting ideas from this page, please give credit.

 

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