Activity Ideas for Bigs and Littles

101 THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR LITTLE

1. Play Jenga!
2. Bowl For Kids’ Sake! 
3. Start a hobby together (e.g., astronomy, clowning, sewing, music, singing, drama, dance, stained glass, painting, poetry…).
4. Start a collection of something you are both interested in like stamps, rocks, coins, comics, bugs, dolls, figures, sports cards, etc.
5. Walk, train, and play with your dog together. 
6. Pop popcorn (the “old fashioned” way, not in the microwave) and watch a movie. 
7. Go to the Dow Lake Boathouse and take out a boat for a spin on the lake. 
8. Build a model car, plane, or rocket. 
9. Form your own book club (with other matches) and/or read together. 
10. Go to a circus or carnival. 
11. Go bowling – you can use your Big ID at the RollerBowl!
12. Draw, paint, work with clay, or make paper-mache animals or casts of each other.  
13. lay Charades, checkers, chess, backgammon, or any board or card game (you can even create your own). 
14. Take a bike ride together on the bike path in Athens.
15. Research your family trees together – the library and internet are great resources! 
16. Attend your Little’s school play or sporting event to cheer him/her on! 
17. Check out the free seats at the uptown Athena on Tuesdays and Thursdays all summer long. 
18. Fly a kite at the park – for an extra challenge, make your own kites! 
19. Visit an area firehouse or police station. 
20. Attend a BBBS Match Activity. 
21. Feed birds or go to a park and feed the ducks. 
22. Go rollerskating, blading or ice skating. 
23. Have a TV show you both watch every week, then call and talk about it. 
24. Do a science project together using household products (find out what happens to an egg soaked in vinegar). 
25. Take a free kid-friendly class at your local Home Depot or Toys ‘R Us (Both are in Parkersburg) or ask about attending one at Lowe’s in Athens. 
26. Bounce on a trampoline. 
27. Go to local art fairs, festivals, and events, Go Canoeing!   Think about going to the Farmer’s Market in Athens (Wednesday and Saturday mornings), or Final Friday’s in Nelsonville. Use this link to see what's happening in Athens http://www.athensohio.com/whattodo/index.php
28. Watch a parade. 
29. Go horseback riding. 
30. See one of our local sports teams in action (OU Bobcats, Southeast Ohio Cooperheads).
31. Check into local history/archeology. 
32. Take a walk and bring a momento bag to collect interesting objects along the way.. 
33. Prepare a meal together from start to finish – try finding good recipes online or in your favorite cookbook. (YUMMY!) 
34. Help your Little with homework or a school project. 
35. Write a letter to your Little on your match anniversary telling what you’ve noticed about him/her in the last year.  Ex:  positive changes, growth or maturity.
36. Watch a fireworks show. 
37. Take your Little to your place of employment or school. 
38. After you have been matched for six months, go on a camping trip, even if it is in your backyard or inside (remember how much fun it was to throw a sheet over the dining room table) –
39. Make your own cards for holidays, birthdays, and other special occasions for friends and relatives. 
40. Trim the hedges, mow the lawn, rake the leaves, and do other yard work together.
41. Build a bird house or feeder. 
42. Visit a Park (Hocking Hills!). 
43. Write and send letters in the mail to each other, or get pen pals. 
44. Share family/vacation pictures with each other.
45. Create a Match scrapbook or photo album to record all your fun times together. 
46. Start a garden - indoors or out. 
47. Go to an OU cultural event. 
48. Carve a pumpkin together - don’t forget to roast the seeds! 
49. Make a log cabin, picture frame, or anything you can think of out of popsicle sticks. 
50. Try new restaurants together. 
51. Go to the movies, or rent one for the VCR/DVD player. 
52. Teach him/her how to change the oil in your car, or any handy skills you may have. 
53. Complete a jigsaw puzzle. 
54. Volunteer at a community center/soup kitchen/humane society. 
55. Make up new lyrics to a song – maybe even about your match.
56. Go to an auto show, boat show, or truck pull. 
57. Make your own T-shirts with fabric markers and colored glue, or do Tye-Dye! 
58. Enjoy cloud watching on a nice day. 
59. Go swimming or even play with the water hose or sprinkler in the backyard. 
60. Volunteer to help build a house for Habitat for Humanity, or deliver food for Meals on Wheels. 
61. Keep a journal of all your outings together and what you liked/disliked about each. 
62. Make friendship bracelets, or do other crafts together.
63. Visit a local courthouse and observe a court hearing. 
64. Play frisbee, catch, basketball, volleyball, touch football, croquet, badminton, etc. 
65. Make paper airplanes and gliders. 
66. Go Christmas caroling. 
67. Go apple picking and try different apple recipes with your apples. 
68. Visit a local museum! 
69. Write a newsletter together to send to your friends and relatives. 
70. Play games on the internet or peruse your favorite age-appropriate sites together. 
71. Play golf or putt-putt, or just hit golf balls at a driving range. 
72. Make wrapping paper from old magazines and newspaper. 
73. Show him/her how to maintain their bike—replace chain, repair brakes, etc. 
74. Make an obstacle course in your yard or local park and time each other.
75. Make puppets. 
76. Play video games/ pinball.
77. Use sidewalk chalk and draw pictures on the sidewalk. 
78. Let your Little drive…at a go-cart track! 
79. Go to a gem and mineral show. 
80. Look through coupon books for 2 for 1 deals for your favorite activities.
81. Let your Little do chores and run errands with you.
82. Eat lunch with your Little at school (check w/ Beth before going). 
83. Call your Support Specialist and let them know about the activities you have tried. 
84. Go on a picture scavenger hunt with a digital camera.
85. Go on sound scavenger hunt with a tape recorder. 
86. Bake a cake, cookies, or brownies or make candy – make sure to share with your Support Specialist!
87. Visit your church or your Little’s church. 
88. Have a picnic. 
89. Make a collage on “friendship” or your Little’s life using pictures and headlines from old magazines and newspapers. 
90. Visit Petland and play with a puppy. 
91. Look up new words in the dictionary. 
92. Have your Little teach you something.
93. Plan for a money earning project and save money for a special event. 
94. Blow Bubbles. 
95. Listen to music together, make a CD. 
96. If your Little is a teenager, practice completing job and college applications. 
97. Show your Little your high school yearbook, baby pictures, old report cards, etc. 
98. Build a snowman/ woman.
99. Go to all the businesses on the Big ID card list!
100. Spend some time with your Support Specialist!  We love getting out of the office and hanging out with matches!
101. Talk about this list! And make a goal to complete everything on the list or make your own list!