10 Spinning Games That Make Kids Dizzy

One of the things that I think we lose somewhere in between adolescence and adulthood is the ability to be very easily amused. When you’re a kid you don’t need too much to make you happy… heck you don’t really need ANYTHING to make you happy except an active imagination and some free time to dream up all the different ways you can get in trouble have fun. Remember those days? The days where your parents were your heroes for letting you buy ice cream from the ice cream truck and for launching you like a rocket in the pool (sailing through the air just to land face first in the water was always requested when we went swimming).

And then there were the spinning games. You know the ones I’m talking about. The ones that made you so dizzy that you squealed in delight as you tried to slow down and gain some sort of equilibrium again. The ones that had you twisting around and around, giggling uncontrollably the whole time, your hands thrown out and slicing through the air. The ones that made you lose your focus and have to sit down just to be able to see somewhat straight again.

The big problem these days is that kids aren’t encouraged to play outside anymore. Now they can do everything they could ever want to do by pushing buttons and connecting to the internet. This is why we need to give them a gentle push (or a forceful shove – in a nice way though, no need to get child services over here!) outdoors and introduce them to some of the childhood staples. Forgot what they were? Here’s a little refresher on some spinning games that will make your kids dizzy with glee:

1. Rolling down a hill : You can’t possibly tell me that it was not one of the most fun things in the world to lay down at the top of a hill and then roll yourself down it – gaining speed while occasionally getting a mouthful of grass – and then sprawling out when you reached the bottom of the hill – out of breath and full of delight. It was fun then and your kids will think it’s fun now!
2. Trampolines: Jumping in circles on trampolines provides an endless amount of fun. I can only guess that it’s because you’re sailing through the air at the same time that you’re jumping and spinning (and maybe because you sneak in the occasional flip… maybe…). It makes you feel like you’re almost flying as you go higher and higher into the air.
3. Helicopter: One of my favorite memories from my childhood is when my dad would take my hands and then spin me around in circles as quickly as he possibly could in the front yard. I remember watching the world spin faster and faster around me until it was all just one big blur and my legs lifting off the ground, cutting through the air, and feeling breathless because everything was moving so fast but also safe because the only thing I could clearly see were my dad’s hands tightly gripping mine, reassuring he wouldn’t let go, until he would spin slower and slower and then set me on the ground with the world still spinning quickly around me. It makes me want to do it all over again just thinking about how much fun that was!
4. Simon says: “Simon says… SPIN IN CIRCLES AS FAST AS YOU CAN”… Who doesn’t love a game where you can tell people what to do and everyone listens and has a great time? In fact, the whole point of the game is for you to be in charge, which is awesome. And who doesn’t want to force their friends to turn in circles as quickly as possible and make them incredibly dizzy?
5. Duck… Duck… GOOSE: Being made to run around a circle of your friends while being chased by whoever was the Goose last time is one of those heart-pumping games that once you get going fast enough has the ability to really make you dizzy with laughter. You may not actually get too dizzy running around the circle, but it sure is fun.
6. Piñatas: Having piñatas at birthday parties was always a real treat. Being blindfolded and then spun around until you’re disoriented and then having to wildly flail a stick through the air to hopefully hit the piñata full of candy? Count me in. How does that not STILL sound like loads of fun?
7. Baseball Bat Spinner: This is one of those games that is great for parties. You set up a baseball bat at a halfway line and then have kids run to the bat, stand it up and put their forehead on top of it, and spin around the bat 10 times while keeping the bat upright. Then run (sway?) back to the finish line.
8. Pin the Tail on the Donkey: Surely everyone remembers this game? This game is a classic childhood birthday party game where a picture of a donkey is tacked onto a wall and then the kids take turns being blindfolded and spun around several times so that they’re disoriented. Then they have to go and pin the tail on the donkey where they think the tail goes. The tail ends up in all sorts of wacky places and everyone will end up having a good time!
9. Blind Man’s Bluff: Blind Man’s Bluff is one of those games with several different variations. The most common being that you blind fold the person who is “it” and then spin them around several times while everyone else goes to “hide”(though they stay in plain sight). Then once you’re done spinning the person who is it you yell “FREEZE” and everyone has to freeze in their hiding spot and can’t move during the game. The person who is “it” will call out “blind man’s…” and the other players call out “BLUFF”. Then the blind-folded person has to try and locate the players. The players can lean away from the person who is it but they can’t move their feet. The first person found is then “it” and the game starts over.
10. Tire Swings: We used to have a tire swing hanging from the tree in our front yard and when we were little we would climb up on it and have someone twist the swing around and around until the rope was sufficiently spun. Then they’d let go and as the rope would unravel it would spin faster and faster until it finally would reach the end and then spin the other direction. We were always so dizzy afterwards and so HAPPY. Tire swings were (and still are, in my opinion!) way better than any video game!

So turn off the technology and unplug. Get your kids outside and spin them around. Teach them the games that you played growing up. Make them fall over because they’re so dizzy. In fact, spin with them. Just have some FUN!