Activities for Children When Stuck in a Hotel Room
Posted: Thursday, March 02, 2006
by Kathleane O'Leary
Sitters Unlimited
Family trips generate memories that are the material for decades of family stories but carrying enough toys, games and activities for children to keep them occupied can generate more luggage than you're able to carry. Next time you're traveling with children, these easy projects, using items you'll find readily available in your hotel room will save you all from a melt-down.
Jumping Frog
This project is easy to make and takes about two minutes. It's best to use a 3" by 5" index card or a business card. You can use a plain piece of paper, but it won't hop as well. Make a fleet of frogs and have a frog race!
Place the card on a firm surface in front of you so that the two short ends are to the left and right. Fold a corner from the top of the card down until the top edge and the side edge meet. Open card flat.
Repeat with the other corner. Now you have an X. If you performed steps 1 and 2 correctly there should be an X at the top of the card.
Make a crease that runs through the middle of the "X" by folding back the top through the middle of the X.
Collapse the paper along the pre-made creases by pushing in along the sides of the X.
Fold the outer corners of the triangle to the top so that each point touches the top but don't touch each other.
Fold the sides inside to the middle taking care the sides don't touch the upper folded portion.
Fold the bottom edge to the top.
Fold the top edge of the front layer to the bottom edge.
Turn over.
To make your frog hop, loosen the front and back legs so that the frog is not flat. Tap at the back, and the frog will jump.
Toilet Paper Bride
You remember this bridal shower standard. It's just as much fun with little ones. To refresh your memory, one or more persons are the fashion designers, while one person is the bride. Each designer is given a roll of toilet paper and starts wrapping the bride to design a unique bridal gown.
Toilet Paper Mummy
Use the above instructions for Toilet Paper Bride but change the name of the game to Toile Paper Mummy when playing with boys.
Spit Ball Shooter
Tear paper into small pieces. Roll into a ball. Coat with spit. Slip inside a straw. Aim for a target. Blow.
QUIET GAMES
Brainstorm Stories
Cut paper into strips. Place in 3 equal piles. On each strip in one pile write the name and/or description of a character. The second pile is for situations. The third pile is for places.
Choose one strip from each pile and make up a story or sentence using what's written on the strips.
Finish the Picture
Draw part of an animal, tree, person, house then give the picture to the child to finish. Encourage them to be playful rather than accurate.
The Story After
When you're done reading a story tell the child that the story isn't really over. Ask him/her what might happen next, make suggestions or ask leading questions if needed.
Make a Fort
Drape blankets and/or bedspreads between beds, over a desk, over two chairs to make a fort, reading room or nap area.
Memory Game
Fold and tear or cut a piece of blank paper into same size rectangles or squares until you have at least 20 pieces. Divide the pieces of paper amongst everybody who is playing making sure that everybody has an even number of pieces. Have each person draw or write something on each piece of paper making sure to make a duplicate of each item that they write or draw.
Place the pieces of paper face down on a bed. Player number 1 turns over two pieces of paper. If they are a match, player keeps both pieces of paper. If they are not a match player turns papers face down and it is player number 2's turn. Game is over when all pieces of paper are matched. The winner is the one who holds the most pieces of paper.
Sketch Comedy
Give each child a piece of paper folded into five sections. Everybody takes a seat in a circle. The game starts by having everybody sketch a hat on the top section, then fold their paper so that the hat is hidden and the 2nd section is on top. Everybody passes their paper to the person on the left and draws a head. Fold, pass, draw a torso. Fold, pass, draw legs. Fold, pass, draw feet. When you reach the last section, unfold each paper to reveal a crowd of funny characters.
Table Top Hockey Game
Two players sit across from each other at a table. Shoot the puck (top from a milk jug, bottle cap, or a checker) across the table and block the puck with your paddles (aerosol spray can top).
ACTIVE GAMES
Indoor Soccer
Divide into 2 teams of 1 or more players per team. Clear out an open space on the floor, and have everyone get down on their hands and knees.
Choose a goal on both ends of the room. A feather, cotton ball, wad of paper or leaf is placed between the two teams and the players try to blow the feather across the other team's goal line. No hands are allowed.
Paper Scavenger Hunt For Kids
Give each player one or more magazines or newspapers. Divide into teams or you can play as individuals. Compile a list of various items, photos, or names that could be found in the magazines/newspapers. Make as many copies of the list as you have teams or individual players. As soon as someone finds one of the items on the list, they cut it out. You can decide that the 1st one to find all items wins or the one who finds the most items within a time limit wins.
Treasure Hunt
This is the simplest game ever. Gather together 6 or more small objects, taking note of how many objects you will be hiding. Choose a Pirate who will hide the objects. Have the players stay in the bathroom while the Pirate roams around the hotel room hiding the objects. When the Pirate gives the signal the hunt begins! The Pirate may need to give "hot" and "cold" hints if some of the treasures prove too difficult to find. The one who finds the most treasures becomes the Pirate for the next round.
Bubble Blowing
Make up a batch of bubbles and take them to an outside balcony or hotel grounds. Don't use around the pool area as they can make the surface slippery for little (and big feet).
Bubbles
Mix together in a coffee pot or ice bucket:
- 1 cup shampoo
- 1 cup water
- 2 teaspoons sugar
Choose one of the items below for a dip and blow wand :
- Drinking straws leave as is or poke small holes along the straw with a needle.
- An empty toilet paper roll tube.
- Remove the guts from a ballpoint pen and use the hollow case as your bubble wand.
Choose one of the items below for a dip and wave wand:
- A six pack soda holder (the six plastic rings that go around the cans). Use as is or cut apart into two or three ring sections.
- Wire hanger - bend into a circle leaving one straight piece for a handle, bend up the end of the handle and twist around the handle so that the end isn't sharp.
You can play an exciting volleyball game for kids inside using a Nerf ball, a balloon or a wadded up piece of paper. Drape a sheet or blanket between two chairs for the net and go for it.
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Kathleane O'Leary is the Director of Sitters Unlimited a babysitting, pet-sitting and adult companion care service located in Orange County, CA. You'll find more games and activities for children at http://www.socasittersunlimited.com/blog
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