How to Play Interactive Babysitting Games

When you babysit, it is much more fun to interact with the children you are watching. The time will go faster, and the children will be better behaved if they are engaged in fun games. Bored children will often get into mischief, and that's not what you want when you are babysitting. So read on to see how to play interactive babysitting games. There are easy games below that need little equipment and can be adapted to different ages.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• paper
• pencil
• ball
• board games

How to Play Interactive Babysitting Games

1. Use paper and pencil for several simple games that children love. These are all interactive games because you take turns, and you can also discuss strategy. You can play Tic-Tac-Toe, Hangman, and Capture the Square. Capture the Square is the game where there are several rows of dots, and each player connects two dots with a line on his turn. When a player makes a square, he puts his initial in the middle. The person with the most captured squares at the end of the game is the winner. You can also make a drawing together where you make one line or shape, and then the child adds a line or shape to your picture. You create a picture together while taking turns.

2. Kick a ball back and forth if you are watching a young child. With a baby, you can actually roll the ball to her or show her how to bounce it. Babies and kids love to play with balls. With older children, you can play games like four square, soccer, or kickball. Even if it is just you and one child, you can play soccer or basketball. These games are interactive and great exercise.

3. Play word games with the children you are babysitting. Again, this will depend on the age of the children. Babies love songs, so sing to them and clap your hands. They will interact with you, and most will clap, too. Younger children love rhyming games where you say a word such as "cat," and they try to think of as many words as they can to rhyme with it. You can also play Twenty Questions with any age group. Once you show them how to think of an object and the kinds of questions to ask, kids will catch on quick to Twenty Questions. I Spy is another great, interactive game, and children always love to stump the babysitter.

4. Try good, old-fashioned games when you babysit. Hide-and-Seek is a great, interactive game. Just make sure to set up rules and boundaries about where kids can hide before you start playing. What about Mother May I? or Red Light, Green Light? All of these games are going to have you and the children talking, laughing, and having fun together while you are babysitting.

5. Play board games with the children. Many children will have different games to play, and these are always interactive babysitting games.

Tips & Warnings

• Give the child two choices of games to play. Then you have narrowed down what you are willing to do, but the child can still feel like he has some say in it, too.
• Safety first with any game. If the child is not being safe or listening to your rules, then you must stop. It is important to interact with the children, but you have to establish that you are in charge first.

Resources

• Margo Dill's website