How To Keep Your 6-10 yr old Busy During Their Free Time

Life with children is infused with change. School-age children have a full schedule with school and various extra-curricular activities but still have plenty of free time on their hands. What constructive activities will you encourage your child/children to do during that time? Watch television? Surf the Internet? Spend a few hours playing Playstation 4? Will you suggest an activity that that involves being creative, thinking critically, and face to face interaction? Here is a game to help your child make the most of their free time while challenging their creativity, imagination, thinking and social skills, and much more!

Shuffleboard

Materials:  4 or 5 flat circular, unbreakable objects (e.g. checkers, milk jug lids)
                     Ruler

Directions:  
1. Player seat themselves at the edge of a table (without a table cloth) with the circular, unbreakable objects (best if all of them are the same)
2. Players take turns (can be predetermined) sliding the objects one at a time toward the opposite end of the table without them going over the edge.
3. Points are awarded as follows:

   1 point: within 6 inches of the edge
   2 points: within 1 inch of the edge
   3 points: touching the edge
   4 points: hanging over the edge

How many points can you win in five attempts? Give it a try against a friend, sibling, parent to see who can accumulate the most points!