When it comes time for summer, it can be easy to let your children sit in front of a screen, especially when there’s not much space for them to safely roam around outside. Aside from basketball, it can seem like there are few options when you don’t have a yard of your own. However, there are a number of pavement-based games that children can play that are a lot of fun.
At the Brightside Academy in Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo, and Akron, we know all about playing on the pavement, as most of our teachers grew up in the area. If you run out of activities and are looking to provide your child with some diverse experiences and opportunities this summer, then the Brightside Academy’s summer camp program is a way to make that happen. However, for the time you’ll be spending at home with them, these are a few games that will keep your child’s attention and get them out in the sunshine even without that much space to roam.
The Value Of Playing Outdoors and On Pavement
Playing outdoors is a natural thing that kids have always done, and it should be encouraged for their development, not only for the critical thinking and problem solving skills that free play provides, but for the value that exercise serves to their brain. That’s why we always leave time for free play and exercise in our programs, especially in our summer camp programs.
While it can be hard to find space to play, all these games below can be played in a driveway or other small strip of concrete. If you don’t have that space, then working with someone in your neighborhood who does and who also has children could be a good way to find a safe and reliable space for your children to be outside and to increase their chances to socialize.
Four-Square
Four-Square is a classic game that only requires a small bit of concrete, some chalk, and a game ball. While there are a variety of circumstantial rules, the gist of the game is that four people are competing to be the “king” or “queen” of the square. This person serves every turn until they are knocked out of their spot. Players are eliminated or sent back to the fourth square if the ball lands in their square and they are not able to knock it into another square before a second bounce or it bouncing out of bounds. Out of bounds being outside of the square the players compete in.
Box Ball
Box ball is a fun and competitive game for two people that is somewhat of a mix between ping pong and four square, with players setting up in two opposite and adjacent squares and knocking a gym ball back and forth to each other. A player gains a point when the ball bounces in their opponent’s square twice, when their opponent fails to return a shot, or when their opponent attempts a return and knocks the ball out of bounds or back into their own square. The game goes until someone reaches 21.
Chalk Games
There are a wide variety of chalk based games that are great for younger children who might not yet have the motor skills for box ball or four-square yet. Not only can you create games of your own or fall back on old classics like hopscotch, but you can also make use of classic commercial games. Create your own outdoor version of a Twister board, or a life-sized Chutes and Ladders game. There’s really no end to what you can do with a child’s imagination and chalk.
Water Balloon Fights
If you want kids to have fun in the summer, or anyone for that matter, then water balloon fights are always an answer. On a hot summer day surrounded by concrete or pavement, that’s even more true. It’s something you could do at any time and relatively cheaply, but when you get a lot of people involved it can create memories that your child won’t forget. Plus, running from a water balloon gives most people all the motivation they need to get up and move. Water balloons are also a great tool for teaching kids, as there are a variety of games you could make up that involve solving a problem or answering a question and being rewarded with a water balloon toss at something or someone.
For More Summer Fun, Enroll Your Child With Brightside Summer Camp
At the Brightside Academy, we understand the value of kids staying active, and of exercising both their bodies and their minds. From art and science activities to museum trips and guest speakers, our summer camp program will introduce your child to a variety of new subjects and concepts both in the classroom and when we head out to explore the world as a class. For more information about our programs or to enroll your child in summer camp, contact the Brightside Academy near you today!
