By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
11 games you can play with your kid by barely moving or talking
cfa95c451d5976476d4cc114de3ac73cdb4053bcd61f7ad800b37d54a842ca58
11 games you can play with your kid by barely moving or talking - photo by Emily Cummings
Coconut oil might be the fix-all for basically anything, but as far as I know, its yet to give you a way to get more sleep. For the moms and dads out there who want another few minutes laying under the covers or cuddled up on the couch while still keeping your kids entertained, these games are for you:

Hot and cold

Pick an item in the room for your child to find, while you shout hot or cold depending on how close they are to the object. Your kid will love getting closer and closer until they are burning hot! and finally figure out youve been leading them to the lotion bottles.

Archeology mom

This game has two parts that mom and dad will love. Let your kids cover you in blankets and pillows for part one. Relax and maybe even sleep a little bit while the mountain of blankets on top of you gets higher and higher. Once your kids cant find anymore bedding to pile on top of you, have them play pretend archeologists to find mommy or daddy underneath.

Pretend author

Open up a blank document on the family computer and let your child type out letters and numbers as a letter to grandma. You can either dictate what to say or let them type out whatever they want. Have it printed out and then let your little darling color their letter before mailing it off.

Get a massage

Give your kid some hands-on practice rubbing lotion on your legs and combing out your hair. Bonus points if you can make this last all morning.

The doctors in

You play the patient and your child plays the doctor; let your little girl diagnose whats wrong with you by checking your pulse, peeking into your mouth and checking for a fever. Have her write up a prescription of Cheerios and naps and enjoy a day following the doctors orders.

Play a game

Board games and card games dont require you to really get out of bed, so break out Checkers, Chess and Uno and enjoy a day in bed winning and losing.

Red light, green light

Break out this childhood classic and sit back and maybe even read a book. Line your kiddos up in the hallway and shout green light (and sneak in a line or two of that magazine while your kids run, hop, skip or jump towards you) before quickly yelling red light to pause them. Play until someone finally reaches the finish line, then play again.

Go to the zoo

Get everyone cuddled up in blankets and pajamas and make sure everyone has a flashlight. Turn off the lights and close the blinds to play shadow animals in bed. Play with or without animal sounds.

Play stationary hide and seek

This is the only hide and seek you should be playing in your house. You (the seeker) lay down and instead of searching where your kids are hiding, you shout out where they could be hiding. Listen for your little ones shout yes or no as you guess the kitchen, bedroom, laundry room, etc. Once youve guessed the room right, guess where they are sneaking around; under the couch, beside the table, around the fireplace until youve guessed their spot.

Alligator

Take a quick nap on your belly as the alligator before your giggling kids creep closer and closer to you. Swing your arms and legs to try and catch em before they run away.

Portrait time

Set up a little art studio for your little darling (Id use colored pencils instead of marker or paint unless you plan on doing some stain removal after lunch.). Get very comfortable and snuggle up on the couch while your Picasso makes a masterpiece.

Did we miss any tricks to relaxing while your kids play away the afternoon? Leave your comments below!
Sign up for our e-newsletters