If there is one thing that all children have in plenty it is energy. They can talk and jump and run circles around their parents till the parents feel dizzy. A good way to expend all this extra physical energy is to make your homeschool students play games in short break intervals all through the school day. This makes it easier for them to sit and pay attention in the next class as well. Here are some simple games that can be a whole lot of fun for the children, and maybe even the parent who decides to join them.
Ten Minutes of Bossy Ball
To prepare you need to get a bouncy ball and a list of actions such as hop on one foot, run around the room once, touch the front door and come back, do the chicken dance, etc. Now each slip of paper gets taped to the ball in layers. The ball is then bounced and the children get to chase after it and catch it. The child who catches the ball first gets to read and perform the action on the slip he unfolds. The action completed he then has the privilege of throwing the ball for the rest of the gang to catch. The process is continued till the timer that marks off ten minutes rings, signalling the end of the play break.
Indoor Basket Ball with a Trash Can
You can set up a half court game using a single trash can (please make sure that its actually empty and clean before letting the kids play with it) and a basket ball. Divide up the players into two teams and set the timer for ten minutes. The maximum number of baskets shot correctly made from a yard line wins. It can be adapted for play with a single child by simply marking off a distance from where the shot has to be made and counting the total number of shots he makes in two minute periods. That way the best phase can be identified during the ten minute break. It also allows records to be set which may be broken on a subsequent play break.
