The best games through the years

Raising children can be one of the most exciting and terrifying challenges we’ll ever have to face, whether it’s looking after their health or making sure they do well in school.

Keeping them entertained, however, is a completely different kettle of fish. Many first time parents fear this the most in looking after their little ones and often turn to expensive gadgets or toys to appease the children. This doesn’t always have to be the solution however – in fact, you’d be surprised to hear many kids love playing the same games you played when you were growing up. Here are a few classics that never get old.

Hopscotch

This one is great because it’s so simple – all you need is a couple of stones and some chalk or masking tape, depending on whether you want to play it indoors or outdoors. Simply draw out your hopscotch grid on your carpet or concrete outside, then throw a stone onto square one. If you make the square, you can hop onto the next square and carry on until you reach the top. If you don’t make it though, you miss a turn. Kids love the chance to test their throwing and skipping skills here, and it’s pretty fun for adults too.

Bingo

Once considered the preserve of old ladies, bingo has gone through a lot of changes throughout the years. Whereas in years past ladies would put on their gladrags and go, now more and more of us are either playing online at home or playing kids’ versions with our very own bingo dabbers. The kids’ version is a personal favourite of mine – you can make your own bingo slips and use dabbers, giving your little ones the chance to take it in turns to call out the numbers.

Hide and Seek

This one certainly never gets old, whether you’re four or 104. Just like hopscotch, it can be played in or outdoors – perfect for the unpredictable English weather! With houses getting a bit smaller nowadays, you may have to be a little more creative when it comes to finding places to hide. This makes it all the more exciting however – if you’re not familiar with the concept, one person is the seeker and counts while the others hide. Whoever is found first becomes the next seeker – making for an amusing game which has endured the the test of time.

Are there any games that you played as a child and your children now play? Or a game you wish would make a comeback?

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