We haven’t been playing any new home-made games, but I saw this video and I immediately knew my girls would love it for the carnival season.

As we moved at the end of the last year we still have a lot of boxes around. I picked one of the boxes and drew a clown inside. It was quite a challenge since the box was bumpy and the best markers are still packed away.  (You can see it in the picture below that I had a hard time to draw the clown. The first trial didn’t work out)

I cut a hole in the place of the nose and collected 10 colourful (plastic) balls. I couldn’t find red ones as in the video, but other colours will do.

The girls loved it at once. E. was patient and carefully rolled the balls into the hole. Even the very last one, which is quite difficult.

On the other hand Little L. shook the balls and when the last one didn’t want to go through she assisted with her hand.

Not only did it help practise balancing and fine movements  but it gave a great opportunity to play other games which develop oral skills as well:

• say the different colours as they fall in
• count from 1-10 or backwards as the balls fall in
• collect the balls with the box (do not look under the box just “feel” it) and count or say the colours
• name other body parts on the clown
• say the colours of the clown

An activity easy and quick to make and a hit with kids (even older ones).

Have fun!