Have you ever been responsible to entertain several children at one time? As a camp councilor, I do it every day with four-year-olds. Here is your official (yes, I said it- official!) guide for entertaining groups of children of all ages!
All Ages:
Supply each table with art supplies for the kids including paper, crayons, watercolors, washable markers, and stickers. Ask the children to create a work of art. If the children cannot write yet, you can write what they said the picture was. This can be very cute and a great keepsake to show them when they are older. If you are babysitting for a special event such as a wedding, Bar Mitzvah, or birthday the artwork can be given to the guest of honor.
Dress-up: ask the guests to bring one costume, or look for random pieces of clothes around your house. Maybe the location where you are babysitting has some fun items of clothing that you can be creative with.
Magic: It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but before your event feel free to search the Internet for card tricks. With the little kids it’s easy and super cute to do some simple tricks!
Decorating cookies or make ice cream sundaes. Be careful with the infants and make sure you know what they are allowed to eat, if anything depending on their ages. Make sure you know about all allergies before feeding the children.
Play dough and clay sculptures. This can be done with all ages (except for little babies who will put it in their mouthes). The older they get the more difficult you can make it. You can even bring paint to paint the hardened clay.
Parachute: Do you remember going under the parachute as a kid? Or playing popcorn with a parachute? If not, you missed out big time! If you don’t have a parachute you can easily use a bed sheet.
Holiday crafts and activities: If there is a special holiday or celebration, you can crafts and activities centered around it. Bring printouts and crayons. This is very easy and a fun treat for the children to bring home.
Infant:
Water table: Fill a concave table up with water and let the infants go to town. Put some spoons, bowls, etc. in the table for them to play with. If this isn’t possible you can put sand in the table. For an even cleaner table, use rice (which is also therapeutic, and great for children with sensory issues)!
Story: Bring age appropriate books!
Music: Sing songs, play with instruments, play ring around the rosie.
Bubbles!
You might want to have a designated babysitter to watch children who may be sleeping or napping in another room.
Ages 3-5:
Place an assortment of inexpensive toys at each table for the kids to play with such as yo-yo's, small puzzles, legos, and coloring.
Red Rover
Duck, Duck, Goose
Crafts with minimal cutting and gluing
Freeze Dance
Tag
What time is it Mr. Fox?
Babysitter, Jamie Alcumbrac suggested, “have them draw pictures and then put them in different parts of the room. Then play a game where they have to run and touch the pictures as you call them out. This can be done with letters, numbers, or even sight words. ‘touch the pictures that MEOWS!’ They can run to a cat, etc.” I personally love this game because it is fun and educational.
Ages 6-8:
Arts and Crafts: purchase white t-shirts, hats, etc. and have them decorate them.
Jump Rope
Hoola Hoop contest
Tie-Dye
Baby in the Air: Secretly, give every child a number and the first person screams, “Baby in the air number 3 (for example). The person who is number 3 runs to get the ball. Until person number 3 has the ball everyone else runs a way from him. Number 3 can take three steps towards whomever they want and then throw the ball at that person. If the ball touches them they get a B. First person to spell out B-A-B-Y loses.
Tag
Hide and Go Seek
Treasure Hunt: You can do several clues leading up to the treasure. Or you can do this as a hot and cold game.
Karaoke (if equipment is provided)
Dance, Dance Revolution (if equipement is provided)
Ages 9-12:
Arts and Crafts: purchase white t-shirts, hats, etc. and have them decorate them.
Talent Show
Baking
Tie-Dye
Sardines: This is a backwards hide and go seek game and I personally love it! In sardines, one person hides and everyone else counts. After counting, the seekers split up to find the person who is hiding. If you find the person who is hiding you hide with them. When there is one seeker left, the hiders come out to let them know and they will now be the hider.
Ages 12 and older:
Spa: paint nails, cucumbers on eyes, braid hair, etc.
Baking
Tie-Dye
Movies and popcorn
Board games
