Tweens love to play games, whether they're at a party or just hanging out with friends. But after a while, even computer or consul games can get a little old. If your child is looking for something fun to do, consider teaching him a few games or activities from the past. The retro games below would be a lot of fun at a
tween birthday party, class party or just for everyday.
Retro Game Ideas
Play Tag: Tag was super popular years ago, but tweens don't play it as much, partly because many children don't spend as much time outdoors or are super busy with extracurricular activities. There are numerous versions of tag. In the main version, a person is designated It. He or she then chases the other players, and when a player is tagged, they become the next It.
Other versions of tag include flashlight tag (you play at night and tag players with the beam from your flashlight), water pistol tag (you tag players with a quirt from your water gun), shadow tag (shadowed areas are safe zones for hiders) and chain tag (when the It player tags another player, they link arms and continue the game until everyone is caught).
Host a Scavenger Hunt: A scavenger hunt is a great deal of fun, and can keep tweens occupied for hours. Develop a long and complete list of items for them to find, and try to base your hunt around a theme: for example, nature hunt; beach hunt; plant hunt; insect hunt; mall hunt; etc. Make sure you have prizes for your top scavengers, or plan a fun way to end the hunt, such as by having a make-your-own sundae party.
Fling a Frisbee: Frisbees have been popular with childrena and parents for decades. For kids, Frisbees can be a lot of fun, and parents like the fact that they're inexpensive and can be found at practically any drug or discount store.
Give your child and his friends a Frisbee or two, and see what they decide to do with it. They may make up their own game, or play a game of Frisbee tag or Frisbee baseball. It's also fun to set up an obstacle course that kids can do with their Frisbees. For example: flying a Frisbee over a bush; flying a Frisbee between two trees, etc.
Play Capture the Flag: Capture the Flag is a game many parents will rememeber, but few kids today know about. To play you need two teams of equal members. Each team has its own flag, which can be made of an old T-shirt or a piece of fabric or felt. To play, you need a large outdoor area, and you need to set boundaries of where the kids can and cannot go.
Each team has a designated area, and they plant their flag somewhere in the area. The flags can't be hidden and they have to be in a place where the opposing team can reach it. Once the flags are planted, players may begin looking for the other team's flag. Teammates who cross into the opposing team's territory and are tagged must go to jail but their teammates may break them out of jail by sneaking into jail and tagging them. The team that captures the opposing team's flag and brings it back into their home territory is the winner.
Kick the Can: Kick the Can goes way back, and all you need to play is a group of kids, a can and a large outdoor area. To play, the children must designate an area to be the jail. Then, the player who is designated the keeper of the can stands in the middle of the yard with the can on the ground and counts to thirty while the rest of the children run and hide.
After counting, the keeper begins looking for the other players, he is allowed to leave the can while he looks. When he sees one, he calls out their name and they both race back to the can as fast as possible. If the keeper gets to the can first the hider goes to jail. If the hider is the first back to the can he kicks it as far as he can and the keeper must find it and return it to its spot. Meanwhile, the hider runs and hides in another spot and the game begins again. The last hider left is the winner.
