#387: Shoot Elastics

Target practice time! Grab some elastics and aim for a target. If you don't have a target, you can make one out of cardboard or a piece of paper. Draw circles on it--different circles equal different points! The circles can be random (all over the paper or cardboard), or they can be inside each other with each smaller circle being more and more points.


To shoot an elastic, hook one end over the end of your right thumb. Pull the elastic back by grabbing it with your left hand. Let go and see where the elastic goes!


Make this a family activity: Target practice together!

This activity promotes aiming skills, predictive skills, and fine motor skills.

#374: Crazy Hairdos

Give yourself or your friends crazy hairdos! What have you got? Put it in your hair! (Well, not gum, or paint, or things that will ruin your hair or not come out!)



Make this a family activity: Take turns giving each other crazy hairdos.

This activity promotes creativity and grooming skills.

#367: Make a Balloon Stick to the Wall

'Tis the season for static electricity. Why not use it for fun?


Did you know if you rub a balloon in your hair, it will build up static electricity on the balloon's surface, making it able to stick to a wall? Try it!


Make this a family activity: Get everyone adding a balloon to the wall.

This activity promotes curiosity about science.

#347: Give a Shock

January is one of the driest times of the year in North America and that means one thing--static electricity! Go shock someone!




To build up static electricity so you can shock someone, put on a pair of socks and drag your feet along carpet. Then reach out and touch someone. Ouch! Did you zap them?


Make this a family activity: See who is a good shocker.

This activity promotes a knowledge of science, electricity, and conductors.

#332: Pick Things Up With Your Toes

Can you pick things up with your toes? Try picking up pencils, rubber balls, socks, and other small things using your toes instead of your fingers. Can you do it?

Who has 'finger toes' and use their toes like fingers to pick things up?

Make this a family activity: See if anyone has 'finger toes.'

This activity promotes physical awareness.

#309: Look at the World Upside Down

Get yourself upside down. Now look at the world. Are you inside? Do the doorjambs look strange? Are you outside? Do the trees look odd?



Make this a family activity: Get the whole family hanging their head off the couch or bed and looking at things upside down.

This activity promotes learning about different perspectives.

#289: Martial Arts

Karate, Kung Fu, Tai Kwon Do, Judo and Jujitsu are several forms of martial arts.



Can you defend yourself?


Make this a family activity: Take a martial arts family class.

This activity promotes self-discipline, confidence, balance, strength and coordination.

#282: Rearrange Your Room

Move things around in your room to make it look different.



You may need to ask your parents first and always ask for help when moving bigger things like a shelf or dresser.


Make this a family activity: Get the family in your room to help you move the big stuff.

This activity promotes spatial awareness.

#279: Take Something Apart

Take something apart--just make sure you ask your parents if it is okay first.



What to take apart? Find something that isn't working (is broken) and take out the screws. Maybe an old computer, radio or iron. Make sure it is unplugged!


Make this a family activity: Explore the inner workings of the broken object together.

This activity promotes curiosity as well as knowledge about how things are put together.

#266: Burp the Alphabet

Always a fun one for boys (and some girls). Can you burp the alphabet? As you burp, try to make your burp sound like a letter of the alphabet. Can you do all 26 letters?

ABCDEF...

Make this a family activity: Who can burp the most letters?

This activity promotes vocal chord range.

#264: Teach Your Pet a Trick or a New Trick

Do you have a cat or a dog? Teach them a trick, or if they already know tricks, teach them a new one.

Whoa! Did I say teach your cat a trick? I did. Even cats can learn tricks. I taught my cat to jump through a hoop, sit on a chair, roll over, shake a paw, sit up, and lie down.



Hint: Be gentle and patient and treat them with their favorite treat. It may take a few weeks of training for your pet to learn one trick. It helps to give the pet a hand command (point to the floor if you want them to lie down) as well as a verbal command (say, "lie down").


Make this a family activity: Get together and decide what tricks should be taught.

This activity promotes animal-human bonds and can lead to animal stewardship.

#261: Click Your Heels

Can you jump in the air and click your heels together? Give it a try.


Make this a family activity: Everyone jump up and click your heels!

This activity promotes coordination.

#254: Wiggle Your Ears

Can you wiggle your ears like a rabbit--without using your hands? I can't, but some people can. Do you have the talent?


Make this a family activity: See if there is anyone in your family who can wiggle their ears.

This activity promotes fine motor skill and isolated muscle control awareness.

#251: Make a Baby Giggle

How can you make a baby giggle? Tickles, peek-a-boo, funny faces and funny sounds are one way to make a baby giggle.

Dad's have their own special methods of making babies giggle.

Make this a family activity: Work together to make the baby giggle.

This activity promotes empathy.

#241: No Thumbs

What can you do without thumbs? Have a friend gently tape your thumbs to the side of your hand. Try different things like tying your shoes and writing your name.


Make this a family activity: Have everyone tape down a thumb. See who can do what with no thumbs.

This activity promotes motor skill awareness.

#239: Look at Things Through a Magnifying Glass

Look at things through a magnifying glass (or microscope if you can get your hands on one). A magnifying glass makes things look bigger and often, you can see things that you wouldn't be able to see with just your eyes.


What would you like to look at? Your toys? Leaves? Grass? Insects? Words in a book? Your own eye (using a mirror)?


Make this a family activity: Everyone collects one interesting thing to look at through the magnifying glass, then everyone shares them, taking turns to look at the items.

This activity promotes visual skills and curiosity.

#224: Build a House of Cards

Can you build a house of cards? Take a deck of playing cards and try stacking them up. How many can you stack before the house falls down?




Make this a family activity: Everyone work together--and nobody sneeze.

This activity promotes eye hand coordination, patience and engineering skills.

#215: Cross Your Eyes

Can you cross your eyes?

Hold your finger in front of your face and slowly, bring it in to your nose. As you bring your finger to your nose, keep watching it with your eyes. It will make your eyes cross!




Make this a family activity: See if everyone in your family can cross their eyes.

This activity promotes eye tracking and coordination.

#210: Spin Until You're Dizzy

Spin around and around and around. Are you dizzy?

Try walking in a straight line? Can you? Whoa! Look out for that wall!



(If you get to dizzy, trying spinning a top, like above, instead.)


Make this a family activity: see how fast mom and dad get dizzy.

This activity promotes balance.

#192: Phoon

Phooning is a strange, strange game.

Basically, you pose like below--it almost looks like you are running. Then take a picture. See all the strange places you can phoon.



Here's a website about it: www.phoons.com


Make it a family activity: See how many family photos you can get your family to 'phoon'.

This activity promotes goofiness.