Fun Games to Play With Your Kids

The games that are most fun for me to play are ones that come up spontaneously and involve action of some sort.

One favorite: Dinosaur Stomp. To play this game, all parties decide what kind of dinosaur to be, then you stomp, scamper, or lumber (depending what kind of dinosaur you've chosen) around the island in the kitchen while roaring or squeaking. Bonus points for trying to eat the other dinos.
Another hit is Pony Show. This requires nothing more from me than lounging on the couch while the "ponies," parade in front of me tossing their manes and tails and exhibiting their interpretive dance moves. Then I get to judge who gets the blue ribbon. Since Garnet plays the parts of all 10 or so ponies, everyone's a winner. Here's a good one that gets your daily exercise quota in as well. It's Animal Dance Party. Put on some good music. We like lots of stuff around here, the last time we put on a Lois album. (great band by the way, I saw them years and years ago at the Dish) anyway, someone (Garnet) calls out the name of an animal and you dance around like that animal. You know, flutter around like a bird or butterfly, swim like a dolphin, etc. Then the leader (Garnet) will say, "now ____!" and you change animals. This game can go on for a whole album's worth of songs. Ysa says, "Uh Oh!" every time a song ends and I remind her another one is coming. The real fun comes when you have to be a frog or monkey. That'll get your heart rate up.

Here's a couple of Ysa's top hits. I actually don't enjoy Cat Water Wading Pool, although Ysa thinks it is hi-larious. She runs to the cat's water bowl, looks up at me expectantly, and then sticks one foot (like the Hokey Pokey, but messier) and as I run over to keep her from falling down and the water from spilling she tries to shove her other foot in as well. This reminds me of my favorite bumper sticker, "What if the hokey pokey really is what it's all about?" This game will go on until you wise up and move the water bowl out of reach, something that's getting harder and harder to do. Her other favorite, which I do think is funny is called Does Its Head Come Off? In this one, you try to pull Mama's head off while grunting. Then yo Mama or Daddy says, "Nope, it doesn't come off," then she tries the other parent, her sister, and lastly herself. The uncomfortable thing is when you go to adopt kittens and while filling out the application she tries to play this game. You don't want the the nice people down at the humane society to think you are a family of sociopaths. Or at the veterinarian's office, you really don't want her to try to pull the new kittens' heads off. What if they did?

So there you go, some suggestions the next time your kid whines, "Mommy, I'm bored." Just see if its head comes off.