It was another cold, wet, and dreary day as I surveyed my family room. The couch pillows were piled everywhere. Throw pillows made paths to mountains of couch cushions. My children were no where to be seen but I could hear them easily enough. They'd abandoned their crazy mess in the family room in order to play in their rooms. Judging from the noise, their play hadn't gotten any calmer. I knew I needed to do something. I needed to get my three children, who obviously suffered from cabin fever, back in control. Anxiously glancing out the window every 15 seconds in the hopes of seeing my husband arrive home early from work was doing nothing to calm the chaos inside our house.
After thinking of options to divert their attention from tearing down the house, I found one that seemed a good possibility. I knew any type of craft or Play-doh activity was out of the question. Five years of parenting has taught me that it very unwise to give already wound up children access to things like glue, scissors, markers, and colored dough that has the nasty habit of finding its way into my carpet.
Rather than reach for an art activity, puzzle, or book, I grabbed Twister Hopscotch. My daughter recently received it as a birthday present. I'd seen it in the store, but didn't know much about the toy. It turns out that the game simply consists of 13 rings in 4 different colors. There are several purple clips to join the rings together. A game spinner, directions, and mesh storage bag are also included in the package. The clips can be used to snap the rings into various patterns and paths. The directions show players how to make 8 different designs, but there are many more possibilities. The rules are very simple. Each player spins the spinner and hops through the path while avoiding the color of ring which the spinner landed on. There are variations where the players also either dance, wiggle, sing, or clap as they play the game.
Interestingly, the game says that it is for ages 6 and older. Other than not being able to easily put the pieces together, I see no reason why children 3 and older couldn't play. My two older children are 5 and 3. However, even my one-year-old got in on the action. The rings are rather small, so I'm not sure that older children would be able to play the game without stepping on the rings. I know that was a challenge for me! In fact, the reviews on Amazon seem to agree that this is a game that is enjoyed most by those under 6 years. Reviewers with older children didn't rate the game as positively.
I would have to agree with the reviewers who said their children really liked the game. Now, I hope I don't mislead you into thinking that the game actually made my children completely calm. Twister Hopscotch isn't a quiet game. It did, however, give them a way to use their energy in a constructive way. It also provided me with a way to enjoy those crazy moments that make up the last few hours before bedtime.
So, what tricks do you have up your sleeve for the long winter months that will soon be here? If you need some ideas, head over here, but not before you leave me a comment with some cabin-fever-busting tips. My sanity may depend on it.