Tonight Sugar asked me to play with her. Not knowing what to play I turned her down.
My heart hurts about it.
I'm really bad about playing.
Like, reallly bad.
I'm sure I played when I was a kid but mostly I remember having my nose in books. I wasn't one to play outside, climb trees or play in the dirt (unless my cousins were involved with the dirt).
She's happy, she's fed, she's bathed, she's loved. But I know she'd love if I played with her more.
Here's where you come in.
Can you tell me what you do with your kid(s)? Or if you don't have kiddos, what games you would play. Maybe you remember a fun game your parents, grandparents, aunt or uncle used to play with you...any activity, whatever it is.
Will you share that with me? I'm not so creative when it comes to playing. I'd sit and read books to her all day but I think that gets old.
Thanks in advance, you guys are the greatest!
7 comments:
Hmm, you could play "house" with dollies (if she's into those). How 'bout "Candyland" or "Shutes & Ladders"? That was our favorite board game when we were "big" enough to want to play board games but not enough to understand Monopoly, Sorry, etc. Other things could be "tea parties", crafts, regular or chinese checkers, swinging on the swing (you doing all the pushing :P ), Ring-Around-The-Rosie, dancing to a silly song, I Spy...
Those are ideas that come to mind. Mom had lots of kids so there were always my close (in age) sisters to play with and the youngest ones played with themselves. Those are some of the things that the older ones would do with the younger ones, though. (Or that the younger ones loved doing.)
Bubbles, they are fun no matter your age ;)
Hide and seek, uno, Ispy, and pretend play of some sort. That could even be helpful like putting on capes and pretending to be Superclean Girls who sweep with mighty speed :)
-Laura
My kids love to do anything as long as they are getting attention from me. We sit down at table and play cards or board games, I like to scrapbook so I bought the kids each their own scrapbook and we sit around and work on those together. Since you have girls maybe they would enjoy helping you out in the kitchen making cookies or something. (my girls love to help me in the kitchen). Playing isn't just about - well playing - it's more about doing something that will allow them to spend time with you. Just enjoy it while you can - my kids are 8, 10, 12 & 14 and the "mommy play with me" stage is quickly fading.....
I am really bad at the "pretend" play too. I am more of the take the kids to the park type of gal-lol! I enjoy taking them places to spend time with them. We have been to Meadowbrook, movies, or out for an icecream cone at McD's (since they are only 50cents right now=) ). And lately we are really having a good time competing on Wii Fit! Now that is a blast for all of us=)!
I never felt like I was really good at "playing" either - but I found if I just said yes and let the kiddos decide what we play it usually went pretty well. Mine like to tell me what to do and say anyways, so it usually worked out that I didn't have to be too creative!
The other commenters ideas are really good, too - especially when you're on the road. The ISpy or license tag game - or the alphabet game (educational, too) where you find an object using every letter of the alphabet - or since they're probably just learning their letters, find the letters on billboards. It's pretty fun!
I love this...an area I often struggle with as well. Some ideas they have come up with over the years:
I have a tub of clips, bobby pins, etc that they love to just "fix" my hair with and make me perty!
Dance parties are good...crank up some toby mac or NKOTB and make fools of yourself...I usually last about 5 minutes until I am dead- but lots of giggly fun is had!
But I do love the idea from duckygirl about putting on a cape and teaching them to be super sweepers!
Goodluck
April has always loved to play school & store. School is a good one when you have "things" you need to get done because you can give "homework" (copying some letters, coloring a picture, etc) & then you can work on something or read something that you want to while she does homework.
Store is another one she loves. I'll give her a basket with a handle & she'll go around the kitchen putting items in then bring them over to me to "checkout" for her. I'll use a calculator as my register. Again another one that is kind of good if you have housework or something your trying to do.
On the road maybe you could still do the "school" thing - just pick up some preschool or kindergarten workbooks to use for assignments. There is always Go-Fish, paper dolls, or felt board pictures. (Just get a piece of sturdy cardboard - cover with a large piece of felt. Make simple animals, shapes, people, houses, etc and use it as a story telling game.)
Anyway, I feel your pain. My daughter always wants me to play with her and I also was a book worm growing up so I used to have a really hard time doing play things. I also would turn her down, until one day it hit me that she's growing so fast & soon will want virtually nothing to do with me. So I make a real effort now to try to do at least one fun/play thing with her each day. Some days it's still hard, those days I just have to remind myself that it won't last much longer - that usually puts me in the mood to play with her and cherish every second of it....
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