Three Games for Exhausted Parents to Play with Their Kids

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We’ve all been there. You’re totally worn out and slightly grumpy, but you know you should play with your kid. Here are three simple games parents or grandparents can play even when they’re dead tired. All three of them involve lying down and require minimal effort but will earn you serious bonus points.

1) Retrieve the Retriever. This one is good for little kids. Lie down on the bed and have your child bring you a small stuffed dog (or any other animal.) Then have your child leave the room while you throw the animal across the room and let if fall into a semi-concealed spot. Then yell for your child to come back, and let the hunt begin! Use good old-fashioned “hotter” and “colder” hints to prompt your child’s search for the animal and cheer when she finds it. Repeat repeatedly from a reclining position. The key is to keep your voice enthusiastic while your body remains motionless.

2) I’m Thinking of Something. This old standby works well for children of any age. Lay down by your child on the bed or the floor. Think of an object in your mind. (It could be anything—a ball, a peach, a windmill, a volcano, a tractor, a stingray. Choose a harder or easier object depending on the age of the person you’re playing with.) Once you’ve got the object in mind, say, “I’m thinking of something…” and add on a clue to help your child guess what you’re thinking of. For instance, if my object were a stingray, I might say, “I’m thinking of something that lives in the ocean.” And they let your child take a guess. Then add another clue after each guess. Continue adding clues until your child guesses what you are thinking of. (Make the clues harder or easier depending on how long you want each turn to last.) Then it’s your child’s turn to choose an object and give the clues. Play until you both fall asleep. This game is also great to play on long car rides.

3) Open Sesame. This classic game is the perfect fallback for tired parents. (It does require you to move one of your legs, but you get to lay on the bed while you do it, so it’s okay.) Situate yourself on your side with a pillow under your head and wait for your child’s magic command: “Open sesame!!!” Then raise one leg and try to catch a wriggling child as he darts between your legs. For extra fun, add sounds effects like the creak of an old door or the zip of a spaceship entrance with each scissoring of the legs. Repeat until you are entirely out of sound effect variations, or you can no longer lift your leg.

You’re welcome. Now go lay down and play!

With love,

Kimberly