Are you running out of games to play or new ideas? Then these versatile and easy to create games can be fun for the little ones, to the biggest ones (and even for adults too).

All you need is a bucket/container/bowl/laundry basket and something to throw into it, it could be teddies, balls, scrunched up paper, anything that you have around that you can throw safely.

The aim: Get the ball into the buckets

Add a little maths in the mix

Want to make this educational as well as fun? You can add numbers to your buckets or containers and play different games involving sums.

1. For the older kids you could write a list of sums out and then have to work out the total and then throw the balls in the containers to lock in their answer
2. For a simpler game, throw the balls and then add up the totals at the end
3. Family fun, each take it in turns and then add the totals to see who gets the highest total

Add a splash of colour

Make it educational but fun at the same time by adding some colour into your ball game.

1. Assign the buckets/containers a colour and use these to make colour combinations, or even play colour bingo
2. Use different soft toys, balls or paper balls to match up the colours of the objects to the colour of the buckets
3. Family fun, each give each other a colour combination and try to get your balls in the buckets in order of that combination

Make it into a fun fair

Add an extra dose of fun to this simple game by bringing prizes into the mix. This will work especially well if you have different sized containers. For the bigger containers offer a smaller value prize and for the smaller containers you can have the ultimate prize!

Here are some at home prize ideas:

  • Their favourite snack
  • 15 minutes to be the parent (role reversal)
  • Teddies & toys
  • High five
  • Extra 10 minutes before bed
  • Bonus screen time
  • Choosing dinner
  • Art session
  • Choose the family film
  • Hot chocolate / Milkshake