Remember this game? It’s really a great game that keeps toddlers and preschoolers entertained quite well. My mom actually taught J how to play while I was in the hospital after his little brother was born.
It’s actually great practice for them in counting, size, gross motor skills and of course following rules since they have to return to start if they forget “Mother may I?” It made me think, if J can follow the rules to this game well, there’s no excuse for him to forget to follow our house rules like saying “please” or “thank you”, “May I get down now?” or “May I go upstairs now?” and the list goes on and on…
How to play: Designate a starting spot and finishing spot. You stand at the finish line and have your little one stand at the start. You call out different type of movements for them to make as they move towards you. For example, “Take 3 giant steps,” “Take 2 bunny hops,” or “Take 6 skipping steps.” Get creative and have fun with the commands! They must first respond with “Mother may I?” before following out your instructions. If they forget to say “Mother may I?”, they have to return to the beginning to start over again (which is sometimes part of the fun for J!).
J and I take turns. Sometimes he gives the commands and sometimes I do. Either way, it makes for great and cheap fun. This is something you can play while waiting in the doctor’s office, in a hotel room, while you’re cooking dinner, feeding the baby,… You gotta love these good old fashioned activities that required nothing! Why do we make things so intricate today?? It’s really not all that hard to entertain kids J
Fun & Engaging Activities for Toddlers 