Run Away from the Monster

Requirements

• Outdoor space with room to run and dodge, plus play structures and landscaping where children can dodge or hide.

Instructions

1. In an outdoor space such as a playground or park, pretend you are a monster chasing your child.
2. Growl and roar like a monster, and make your movements large and dramatic.
3. Adjust your speed so you are slower than your child. You don’t need to catch your child—you mostly want to make your child run and dodge as you get close to them.
4. From time to time, you can catch your child and either hug them with a roar or tickle them as a “tickle monster.”

Variations

• Let your child play the role of the monster.

Benefits

This activity develops agility along with running and dodging as kids try to escape the monster.