The prolonged COVID-19 lockdown in the country is certainly not fun for many people. After all, you have to stay inside your house for an entire month without much to do. To help battle that boredom, here are several fun home games you and your family can enjoy while waiting for the lockdown to end.
Lockdown home games no. 1: Langit Lupa
While it might seem weird, the Luzon lockdown is a great opportunity for you to relive those games you love to play during your childhood. On the other hand, the younger kids will have a blast learning about these games.
One such classic game to teach your kids Langit Lupa (Heaven and Earth). This can be played by any number of participants. You can also play it either in the yard or inside the house, as long as you have a large space and plenty of elevated spots to climb on.
The objective of the game is for the players to move from one elevated place to another without getting caught by the taya. To determine who that one is, you can do a quick flip of hands or sing the classic chant while pointing to each player. The last player you point to at the end of the song.
To make the game more exciting, you can add a few more rules. For instance, letting players stay in one spot for only 10 seconds is a good way to keep everyone moving. Another popular variation is to have players reach a specific place. Anyone who gets caught by the taya will become the new one for the next round. There is no time limit on the game, so you can play as many rounds as you like.
Lockdown home game no. 2: Giant snakes and ladders
As the name says, this game is a twist on the popular board game. Instead of everyone just huddling around a small board, you become the counters that move around the board. Young kids will like the idea a lot but older players will also have a lot of fun playing.
For the “board” you will need several large markers. You can also use books or the puzzle mats used in kids’ rooms. Get around 25 of these and lay them across the room or yard. Mark the start and endof the route. The snakes are represented by a string that goes from one square to another. Meanwhile, you mark the ladders with masking tape going from one square to another.
To determine who goes first, each player rolls a dice and moves on the squares based on the number they got. Once they hit a square with a ladder, they climb up that ladder to the other square. If they encounter the head of a snake, they have to move down it to a corresponding square. The first player who reaches the end of the course wins.
Lockdown home game no. 3: Code breaker
If kids running around the house for a whole day isn’t your cup of tea, this home game is a fun alternative. In this game, your kids get to use their imagination a lot. They will also get to have some writing practice while playing.
For this game, you will need one of your child’s toys and a small basket. You also need three different keys as well as some clay and a dice. To set up the game area, place the toy under the basket. You then make an impression of the three keys in clay. After that, trace each key in a separate piece of paper and draw three boxes under each key tracing.
To start the game, hide the keys around the house and place a dice near the basket. Your kids then need to find the keys to unlock the cage. Once they find a key, they have to match it to one of the traced outlines. They then need to find the code for each key by rolling the dice three times and writing the numbers on the boxes. Once done writing, they can then place the key in its corresponding clay impression. The game ends when they find all the keys.
Lockdown home games no. 4: Doctor Quack Quack
This is another Pinoy home game that is perfect for the lockdown period. Both old and younger kids will have lots of fun trying to solve the human puzzle. To start, choose who will play “Doctor Quack Quack” first. The remaining players will then form a circle behind the doctor and start twisting the formation.
Once the signal is given, the doctor turns around and starts figuring out how to untangle the knot. When the circle is back in its original form, the doctor then chooses a pair of arms to cut. Players then scatter and the doctor tries to catch another player who becomes the next doctor.
Have fun while on lockdown with these games
As seen with these home games, you don’t need expensive consoles and gadgets to have fun during lockdown. And there are more games you can try out for a great afternoon. Enjoy and look forward to playing these games outdoors when quarantine is lifted.