Struggling to make games and activities engaging for your kids during Stay-at-Home? Use these tips and tricks from CORE Coaches to bring back the fun!
We hear it all the time--“My kids always want to play games, but I’m running out of ideas on how to make them fun.” At CORE, coaches thrive on the challenge of making games and activities fun, engaging, and entertaining for every kid. Each CORE Coach has their own techniques for connecting with the kids and making activities and games fun. The cool thing is, it is easier than you think!
We asked our coaches to share their tricks and whittled them down to five techniques for you to try with your kids. Let us know which ones work for you!
5 Tips and Tricks to make kids’ games and activities fun!
1. Create a Storyline
Kids love stories. They are creative, imaginative beings and their ability to make-pretend stimulates cognitive growth and increases engagement. Creating a storyline transforms plain-old playground equipment into horses, racecars, swords, capes, lightsabers, lava, and more. The possibilities are endless!
At CORE, we create stories where kids are the characters. For example, a CORE soccer game can transform players into pirates from different countries. The pirates kick treasures (soccer balls) into their country’s ships (soccer goals) as quickly as possible. The team with the most treasures wins! Often, we have the kids pretend to put on an eye patch, show us their hook-for-a-hand, or feed a cracker to the parrot on their shoulder!
The more creative you are in the storyline, the more freedom the kids have to be imaginative, which transports them from their current location or the equipment they are using to a land of endless possibilities. This trick also lets you play the same game over and over using a different storyline to create a new adventure each time!
2. Let Your Kids Take Part in Decision Making
People love to be included. This goes for everyone: adults, teenagers and kids! Being included in groups and participating in the decision-making process helps us to feel heard and valued¹. By including your child in the process, allowing them to participate and make some of the decisions, they are more likely to be invested in the outcome. When putting new twists on games, here are a couple of ways you can hand-over the decision making to your child. Let them decide on:
The game theme
The types of characters
The name of the game
How long each round lasts
What equipment that will be used
What music to play
The size of the play space
Team names
If you have enough players, you can choose kids to be team captains. This responsibility really gets kids psyched up! At CORE, we find that team captains often work to create unity amongst the team, develop a strategy, and help others understand the game objectives. This challenge puts their teamwork and organizational skills to the test while teaching them how to be leaders.
3. Incorporate Sound
We bet you play music or have a personal trainer during your workout to motivate you! These same stimulation tactics work for kids when playing games or doing activities, too. Here are 3 ways to incorporate sound to keep things fun:
Play themed music. Music takes games to the next level. By stimulating your child’s imagination, they can build on an existing storyline or be inspired to create a new one. Try playing Pirates of the Caribbean songs for Pirate soccer games or find sound clips of crowds cheering and engines roaring when the kids are pretending to be racecars. Every element helps solidify the foundation of your game storyline.
Include time updates. You’ve noticed it at their games and maybe even use this tactic at home already, “you have 30 seconds to…” Does this sound familiar? Kids love to race against the clock. By shouting the countdown of remaining time, kids often find an extra bit of energy for one last push.
Provide commentary. Try announcing the score throughout the game and see how quickly the underdog puts in the effort to tie it up. Pretend you're a play-by-play commentator and give every player a shout out when they do something notable.
4. Make Easy Games Challenging for Kids of all Ages
Many parents express they have a tough time getting their older children to play with their younger siblings, or sometimes a child thinks the game is too easy. Sound familiar? Combat this type of response in two ways: add challenges into games and explain how the game can help them improve performance in their favorite sports.
If your oldest child feels “too cool for school” try telling them you are adding new levels to the game and want to see if it is too hard for them. CORE Coaches find that when you present the game as a challenge, kids’ ears perk up and they rise to the occasion. The game is new and harder, but they’re better and they need to prove it to themselves².
For any young athlete, including those who are just showing interest in a new sport to those looking to specialize in a sport, demonstrate how the game will help them accomplish their goals. Maybe your child is a hockey player and you’re playing a football game. Although there is no throwing in hockey and the playing fields are different, football and hockey both rely on strong hand-eye coordination and teamwork. Highlight how catching and throwing a football will sharpen their ability to stop and pass or shoot a hockey puck. Explain how learning to play with new teammates helps them be a better teammate themselves and possibly a team leader. Once a game is related to something they enjoy and applies to something they value, they are often more motivated to participate.
5. Play the Game with Them
Nearly 100% of the time, the kids will unanimously vote to have the CORE coaches play the games with them. For kids, playing with adults adds an extra layer of challenge and excitement. Kids want to prove to themselves and the other kids that they are good enough to beat the coaches. Trust us, they do! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten out in dodgeball by a group of campers all throwing down at my feet--they really know my weak spot!
Kids feel valued, skillful, and just plain excited to play with new people, especially those that are older, bigger and assumed to be better. The kids in CORE Programs want to play with CORE Coaches because we challenge them to be the best they can be. You can do the same! It does not matter who their opponent is, whether they are 2 feet taller or decades older, their effort and determination will help them conquer the challenge.
Play the game with them because they want to play with you... and they really want to throw that dodgeball at your feet.
Learn more about how to make everyday activities and games fun again on our CORE YouTube Channel.
By Rachel Hoeft, M.A., Director of Program Development, CORE Athletic Training
Rachel is the Director of Program Development at CORE Athletic Training. Rachel has completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Sport Psychology & Leadership and Master’s Degree in Sport & Exercise Psychology. Rachel is currently completing her Doctorate in Sport & Performance Psychology. Her education in sport psychology and many years of competitive athletics help her work with athletes to identify and resolve many common issues that impact athletic performance and everyday life. Learn more and follow Rachel o Instagram @rhoeftspc.
References
Abrams, D. & Marques, J. M. (2005). The social psychology of inclusion and exclusion. Psychology Press. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/226768407_The_Social_Psychology_of_Inclusion_and_Exclusion
Bandura, A. & Schunk, D. H. (1981). Cultivating competence, self-efficacy, and intrinsic interest through proximal self-motivation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 41(3). 586-598.