TARGET GAMES

The father in me will always enjoy spending time with my children.  The learning facilitator in me also enjoys this time.  If left on their own in the right environment, kids will create, innovate and modify their own games.

The other day we spent 45 mins playing a medley of sports in the backyard.  I went to set the table for dinner.  My 4 year old son Tobias chose to play outside by himself until dinner was ready.  After setting the table, I checked up on my son to see how he was doing in the backyard.  I looked out the window and saw Tobias standing over a puddle.  I went outside fearing that he was splashing around in puddle.  Once outside I asked what he was up to.  He hid both hands behind his back and looked at me with that "cat that ate the canary" look in his eyes.  "What's in your hands" I asked.  He showed me two stones that were in his hands and explained the game he was playing.  He had created his own target game of throwing stones into a small puddle from about 20 feet away.  He asked "You wanna play daddy?"  I said "For sure!!" It was awesome to play a game that my son had created, that develops his physical literacy and cognitive abilities.

On Canada Day, I took my son and daughter to the schoolyard to play with the soccer ball.  We played what my son calls "Soccer Fights", which is basically soccer where him and I push, clutch, grab, hold while trying to maintain control of the ball.  After "Soccer Fights" I set up an obstacle course.  I used Tobias' bike, bike helmet, his sisters push car and the top of a water bottle we found at the park to create our obstacle course.  We used the items as pylons.  I recommended to Tobias that we dribble the soccer ball through and around the makeshift pylons to work on our ball handling.  After a few minutes of ball handling Tobias modified the game.  He explained to me that we should now use the "pylons" as targets and that from a distance of 10 feet we were to hit each target.  Once we hit each target it would be the other persons turn.  The learning facilitator in me was delighted by his modification of my exercise from ball handling to striking and a target game.

I get excited when I see my 4 year old son create games and modify activities.  There is significant cognitive value, physical literacy and leadership involved in this process.  It's great to see what kids can come up with if you give them the freedom to explore and create.  It's great to see the joy in their faces when you actively participate in the games and activities they create.