Whether you’re a new babysitter or a seasoned veteran in childcare, keeping children entertained while babysitting can be a big challenge. You may have set rules to follow from the children’s parents, such as no use of technology (TV or computers), or making sure to do homework before games. Thankfully, with a quick bit of research and finding out what the kids like best, entertaining young children is child’s play!
To help the time that you’re babysitting pass a bit faster, it’s important to have a few different types of games up your sleeve. These can include indoor, outdoor, quiet, and loud games. Depending on the weather and what the kids are interested in, you have quite a few options to choose from!
Indoor Games
Indoor games are a great idea if the weather is bad, the children are not allowed outside, or you prefer to keep them in a place where you can keep an eye on them.
- In-the-house treasure hunt. In this game, you have to hide certain objects or toys around the house, then give the children clues as to where they might be. Depending on how many toys you hide, this one could last hours! Include a grand prize for the child who finds everything first, to give them a bit of a fun competitive edge.
- Balloon badminton. This one requires you to blow up several colourful balloons, then play a game of badminton with them in a safe part of the home. The children will have endless fun hitting the balloons back and forth. Keep score for each team to decide who gets to bake cookies at the end!
- Painting. If the kids are more interested in activities than games while staying indoors, it can be a great idea to bring watercolour paints, paintbrushes, and paper to the home, where they can paint the weather they see outside. If it’s raining or snowing, they know exactly what to paint! This will also make a great gift for their parents when they return home.
- Board Games. It might seem simple, but children can spend hours playing board games, especially when they have the chance to compete against their babysitter. Make it fun by introducing a prize for the winner! If there are no board games available, use your creative flair to make one with the kids- for example, snakes and ladders.
- Karaoke. If you thought Kareoke was just for nights-out, think again! Children love to sing- and as long as it’s not late at night- karaoke is an inclusive activity that children of all ages can take part in.
- Theatre. Create a play with the little ones and set up a home-theatre experience! Create a fun script and encourage the children to become superheroes, animals, princesses etc.
- Dance show. Get your groove on and help create a dance choreography to a catchy song! The kids can perform it to the parents.
- Arts and crafts. Use stickers, glitter, paints, and pens to create beautiful art. You could create a paper lantern or an animal mask!
- Musical statues. Play the kids favourite songs and when the music stops the child has to stop in the shape of a statue!
- Baking. If the parents are gone in the day, baking a cake or cookies is the perfect activity to keep the kids occupied. Baking, decorating and eating will take up a hefty chunk of your afternoon! Make sure to check with parents before doing this though!
Outdoor Games
Outdoor games always a great option, since there’s nothing a child loves more than running and playing around in the great outdoors! Remember to put hats and sunscreen on them if you plan on playing outside for several hours. If they are especially young children, stay near them with a watchful eye to make sure they are being careful.
- Hopscotch. This one requires a driveway (or any square of concrete) and basic chalk. In this game, you’ll want to draw a hopscotch grid on the driveway and number it from one to nine. Let the children choose a rock from the ground, then allow them to throw the rocks onto the grid and hop through each square. If you’re babysitting several children, make sure they stay in an orderly line and take turns hopping to stay safe.
- Jump rope. This game requires you to have a long jump rope or two tied together, then jump over the spinning rope together as a group, or singularly. During this game, it can be fun to play some music or jump-rope rhymes in the background for the children to jump along to. Make sure to be involved so the children learn from you that it is a fun activity.
- Sports ie) football, netball, basketball. If the family has a goal in the garden, the children will love playing against you in a game of sport. Make sure to go a little easier on young children though to avoid tantrums down the line!
- Sitting ducks. If you’re in charge of lots of children, particularly younger children, sitting ducks is a firm favourite that gets everyone involved.
- Catch. A simple favourite that can be made more fun by introducing tricks and harder levels- for example, ‘catch the ball on one foot’ or ‘catch the ball with one hand’
- Chalk drawing. If the family have chalk release your inner artist by drawing on a paved area of the garden.
- Tag. A great game to ensure the children use up all their extra energy!
If the children would rather do something a bit more calm and quiet than hopping and skipping (although this is quite rare for young kids!), there are plenty of sit-down activities to play outside as well. Some of these include group games such as:
- Telephone, where they whisper the same message in each other’s ears and see if it sounds the same on the other side!
- Miss Mary Mack a clapping game that gets faster and requires at least two children
- Hide and Seek. Do be careful when playing Hide and Seek outside, as you don’t want to accidentally lose a child mid-game.
Use your surroundings for inspiration!
If ever you find the children that you’re babysitting are having trouble playing or communicating, look around to see what they do when you’re not there. If they have a lot of video games, ask them about it – and if they’re allowed, try to play the game with them. This is applicable to any activities or hobbies you see for them around the home. A shy child sometimes just needs something familiar and comfortable to them in order to spend time with you.
On the whole, though, there are endless amounts of activities and games you can play when babysitting children. You can truly make anything into a game and keep a child’s interest – you just have to be as creative as them and get on their level! Kids, of course, have wild imaginations that let them turn a back garden into a jungle or a brush into a witch’s broomstick!
Once you’ve found the right games and activities to engage the child you’re babysitting, time will by and the parents will be back before you know it. And after all that laughing and playing, you’ll be glad to get some rest!
Babysitting can be one of the best ways to make money as jobs for students (even as a part-time job), and is a great option as a job with children. So, whether you’re considering babysitting as a teen job or a summer babysitting job for a college student, be sure to use these games and activities to keep the kiddies entertained!