Natural Black Mom

Television has become such an integral part of the American culture, influencing everything from the foods we eat, the toys we buy our children as well as how we are supposed to feel about current events, that it may be difficult to try to keep our children occupied without it.

So what to do when you turn the television off? For younger children, this is the time to engage them in various activities that they may do on their own when they get older. As a mother of three children 5 and under, this is a time when I can play with them while also teaching. Following are the games and activities that I use with them.  Most, if not all of these games can be purchased from your local Target, Walmart, and of course ToysRus.

CandyLand – (Standard version) I purchased the original version of CandyLand with no special characters. This is a simple game that everyone, even my 2 -year old can play with assistance. The color cards indicate where the player is to move and the picture cards move them backwards or forward on the board. By playing this game, children learn about taking turns and good sportsmanship. The game itself is inexpensive (under $10.00) and is easy to set up and play.

Chutes and Ladders – This game is perfect for my four year old and my five year old as it has little “lessons” included in the game. In addition, it teaches counting as well as good sportsmanship. Although it is a game of chance, where the players are depended on the spinner to determine where to move, the pictures on the board give lessons – don’t play in the rain without your boots, or you’ll catch a cold/ clean up your room and you’ll get a reward, etc. You can discuss these lessons with your children as you play the game.

The Memory Game/Concentration – This is the simplest of all. Lay out the cards face down and each player turns over two at a time. The object is to get matching pairs. This game not only improves memory (especially mine) but also improves players’ focus and decision making skills. Again, I purchased the generic Memory Game without any television tie-ins.

Mancala– A game that can be as hard or as easy as the players make it. I’ve played this game with my son and my husband, and lost many times! It’s easy to play, but difficult to win. Mancala Gameplay.

I was able to purchase all of these games at Target. You may also find these games at a TJMaxx or Marshalls, and if all else fails you can purchase them online. Here’s wishing you great game playing!

This entry was posted on Saturday, February 21st, 2009 at 12:15 am and is filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.