Traditional games to introduce your child to

When us mums were growing up we didn’t have the luxury of smartphones, internet and laptops to help keep us amused. Instead we had to make up our own games and activities and spent a lot of time outside with friends playing.

While the days may be getting shorter and the weather becoming a little worse for wear, there are plenty of ways to keep your kids happy without having to resort to any forms of technology.

1. What’s the time, Mr Wolf?

3+ players

To play:

One child needs to be Mr Wolf and stand a good distance away from the rest of the players with their back to them.
The other players then need to call out: “What’s the time, Mr Wolf?”
Mr Wolf then calls out any time between one and 12.
The other players then need to take the selected number of steps towards Mr Wolf.
At any point during the game, Mr Wolf can call out “dinnertime”, turn around and try to catch one other player.

2. Marbles

2+ players

To play:

Draw a circle on the ground using chalk.
Place a number of marbles in the circle in the shape of an X.
Have each player sit a good distance away from the circle with their shooter marble.
Each player then takes a turn to flick their shooter at the marbles in the circle. If they manage to flick one out of the circle they can keep it and take another go. If they miss it’s the next players go.

3. Tip the can

Players 4+

To play:

A ‘can’ is placed in any particular spot of the playing field. One player is on while the rest of those playing hide while the person who is on counts to ten.
The players who are hiding have to tip the can before the person who is on catches or finds them.

4. Simon Says

Players 3+

To play:

One person is on and pays the roel of Simon. The rest fo the players have to stand in front of them.
The person who is on says “Simon says [insert action].... “ and the rest fo the players have to do the action.
But if Simon says to do an action without adding in “Simon Says...” and a person does the action then they are out.

5. Duck, Duck, Goose

Players 5+

To play:

Choose one player to be on and get the rest of the children to sit in a circle.
The person who is on goes around the circle tapping people on the head saying “duck”. When they say “goose” the person who is tapped has to get up and run around the circle chasing the person who is on.
The person who is on is trying to get back to the space where the goose was sitting before they are caught.