6 fun active games to do at home with little or no equipment.

1 - Toilet roll tumble

Equipment:

• 6 Toilet Rolls

• Pair of socks rolled up into a ball.

Stack your toilet rolls in a pyramid formation.

Stand a meter away from the pyramid. Roll or throw the sock balls at the pyramid.

How many can you knowck down? Can you make it harder by moving further away?

2 - Cats and mice

Equipment:

• 3-5 socks

This game needs two players, one as the cat and the other as the mouse. The mouse place the socks in the back of their trousers/ shorts etc. Create an area with two safe zones, one either side of the area. The aim is for the mouse to get from one side to the other without losing their tales (socks). For every turn the cat must start in the oppostie zone. To begin each go the cat must shout mouse trap Once all the tails, have gone the game is over.

3 - Simon Says:

No equipment needed for this one.

Great for developing gross motor skills. It involves lots of large movements recruiting many of the bigger muscles. This is great for developing the important ABC's ( agility balance and coordination) the building blocks for all gross motor movements.

This is a classic that teaches toddlers (and adults ;-) )how to follow instructions. This can be played with the family or just with one child.

The rules are easy: You are Simon and what you say goes.

Call out commands—“Simon says touch your toes!"—and your child has to follow them. It’s key they listen for the words “Simon says”—if you call out a command like “Jump up!” without prefacing with Simon says, your child is out. Be sure to throw in some funny commands too—"do a silly dance, wiggle your ears, hop like a frog!" This game is great for teaching toddlers the names for their body parts.

4 - Coconut Shy

Equipment:

• Socks made into a sock ball

• Obejscts that can be knowkced over.

Roll up, roll up can you knock the coconuts over?

Place the objects on top of something at different heights. Decide on the distance you would like to throw from and begin the game. Can your child use an underarm throw? Can they use an overarm throw?

5 - Treasure Island

Equipment:

• Anything that can be used as a treasure

• Cushions, markers- anything that can be used as stepping stones

Look at all that treasure!

Place the treasure at one end of the room. Tell your child they need to get across the shark-infested waters to get the treasure and bring it back one piece at a time. They can only use the stepping stones to get across the water. If they fall in they must start again. Can they get it all?