fun ideas for children

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ellis9905

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my daughter and friend (7 yrs old) are lucky and have there own ponies, however as i guess is quite common for young children, they got a little bored and stale of doing structured schooling-

to be honest both myself and the other mother are horsey riding parents, and i think we took too much fun out of riding, making too much empthasis on "correct" riding- we kept drilling heels down, light hands, shoulders back, sit up straight, right diagonals etc... kids kinda went of the boil a bit and started to loose the enjoyment.

so weve decided to stop the "proper" lessons and try to make it fun again! last week we let them roam around wherever they wanted with in the school- just at walk

this week they had a session riding bareback, again just walking , steering round cones, changing reins accross the school etc

next week were going to hava a bit of an obstacle course- some trotting poles, some weaving cones and a small x pole

been so fab to see such big smiles back on there faces again, and there looking forward to riding each time again

so im hoping some people can make some other suggestions for fun things for them to do , that keeps the focus on fun.....

mince pies and mulled wine to those who've got this far....
 
Bareback sounds good :)

You could do a mini le trec course? And jumps?
Is there a chance they could hack out? That would give them something else to do. With either you on foot, or mabey they could ride around the field? So you can still keep an eye, but letting them have fun.
 
When I was learning to ride, we used to play a 'Safari Game'

Basically it entailed lots of jungle/desert or whatever animals being associated with a certain action. Adult would tell some sort of story about people riding through the jungle, and whenever an animal was mentioned, we had to do whatever than animal meant.

So we'd be walking through the jungle and there'd be a hissing in the undergrowth (snake - walk over the 'snakes' (poles))
Then we'd pass the snakes and there would be monkeys swinging in the trees overhead (jumping position, to duck away from the monkeys) and so on.

It was the best game ever :D And having to listen out for the animals made you forget you were riding, and relax :)

J&C
 
Some simple gymkhana type games would be fun! I used to love them as a kid.
Maybe put some music on and let them do a bit of 'dressage to music'!

And the simple things like around the world and scissors are really fun for kids!
 
get them to ride alphabetically in the school you will need to tell them where d and g are!!
pole work .. tell them to ride over the yellow stripe/ red stripe/blue etc improves steering
treasure hunt .. find little chocolate santas in the school/yard/menage .. involves a lot of getting off/ on!
the age old around the world/ scissors/half scissors .. you will need to hold ponies, continue with touch ears/tail
simon says .. touch the pommel/mane/shoulder/ears etc whilst maintaining walk

loads of things like that to improve balance, control, confidence
gymkana games and races against each other etc etc
WHEN you have run out of ideas ask them what they would like to do ...
hacking at weekends is always good when you can utilise the daylight, and keep manege things for the weekdays after school when short of daylight
Rainy days do grooming, points of horse, clean tack,
fancy dress always adds fun too
 
My sister and I mostly hacked out, being silly and playing in the ford on our long-suffering ponies when we were little. Mum left 'boring' stuff to the PC and outside instructors, and only let us 'school' if we wanted to. The children who tend to be the keenest at PC stuff we now help out at are the ones who're out hunting and hacking and having a blast all the time. The time for riding properly comes with a bit more age I reckon, when they're more physically mature :)
 
Its hard at times isnt it, getting it right ... that balance between doing fun stuff and getting it "right" form the riding point of view.

I think you are right for sure to add a bit of fun into the mix, I can sometimes be a bit prone to forgetting a little about fun too at times with my grandchildren ;) ....just got out of the habit of having kids sround riding so much ;)


Matt was the one who reminded me that fuuuuunnnnnn is important

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and of course you dont have to be riding to be having fun and developing horsemanship skills at the same time ;)



Whether riding or leading I think obstacle courses are great at developing balance and communication... and you can ( providing pones are ok with it play stuff like fishing (getting ducks or balls out of buckets with a fishing net) or moving flags from one cone to another


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( if they really little can do like we do RDA and have a platform with a beanbag on it)..... you could get little bells to ring or rattles to shake or letters to post.

the list goes on :D :D :D :D
 
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I don't teach my 8 year old for that reason! I get a bit shouty and she gets cross with me! So she goes to rallies and has lessons from a proper instructor each week, and we hack out and stuff and sometimes I chuck her and her friend in the school together and let them get on with it they make up dressage tests or set up jumping courses and time each other, they have an awesome time!
 
Who can stand in stirrups the longest (halt/walk/trot) with loose reins
Learning the parts of the pony with a special action for each part eg: pat shoulder, tickle croup, scruff up mane etc. Then do faster and faster!
Flying dismount - jump off at walk/trot/canter and learn maybe to jump back on.
Sit trot with/without stirrups and be a jelly - children name what flavour is the favourite jelly

We need our own forum to share just these ideas - I am picking up a few new ones for my young riding school clients. I have been nagging the BHS to have a forum to share instruction ideas - not holding my breath for it!
 
Similar to Safari game - 'Out at sea' - make a 'cave' for each child in a corner of a 20m square. They then walk out on to the square while you tell the tale of the sea, as the wind gets up the sea get choppy so as the sea gets choppier the faster they have to walk, as it get into a storm they have to trot and a gale - into canter etc - when the sharks appear they have to run for their caves, of course the story can be a a fishy birthday with simon says incorporated, dancing at the party on ponies etc - let your imagination run away with you !

Joining the PC will be so helpful not only to your kids but also for you to be able to get some ideas. Plus your kids wont mind riding 'correctly' at PC with an instructor - better than for mum !!! lol

Put out poles on the floor and give each pole a value with a card or use your jump numbers placed by each one - each child then gets 2 mins to ride over the poles in which ever order they wish to collect the max number of points.

Tennis on horse back - one of the mums is the 'ball' and the two children are the players
place a line out for each player and the 'ball' must try and get past the line ! if the pony get to you first you are 'hit' back to the other line - which you must then again try to get over !

Grandma steps - always a good one - which pony can 'creep' to the line first without grandma turning and spotting them moving

If you have letters out around the school - everytime a child rides pass one they have to shout the name of an animal until they get stuck and run out of animals to name!

handy pony course - depending on your ponies, put brushes into buckets, take tea towels off a washing line, walk over small jump etc

The bridge and the troll ! place two jump poles out quite wide and the child has to ride down through the poles (the bridge) everytime they come round again the poles are moved closer together to make the 'bridge' skinner - kids are not allowed to let the ponies waver over the poles or the troll will get them - untill the bridge is really skinny ! amazing how the ponies will walk down a narrow line of poles easily !


Christmas treasure hunt, Christmas hack - decked out in ribbon and tinsel,

If you make some bean bags these are always useful, balancing on head while walking then trotting, picking up, throwing etc

Lots to do !! you'll be exhausted and you'll realise why you pay instructors to do this on a regaular basis !! lol
 
ofcourseyoucan said:
tazzle .. what lovely photos matt looks like he is really enjoying it. your horse is very good too. hard work for you having to push .. well done
Click to expand...

thank you :) . I get puggled sometimes :D :D :rolleyes:

He is getting rather frustrated atm because first of all the grass went long and now of course its sooo wet and muddy we cant manage to do much, the wheels got caught in the mud / clumps.

we do riding occasionally too but as it takes four fit adults to get him on board it does not happen often :o ... we are trying to build a ramp for him to get on easier and are fundraising to get an adapted carriage so he can drive;)

He has certainly injected fun into my life since I first met him :D :D :D :D
 
wow! thanks to everyone for all the fab suggestions, gonna jot all the ideas down. fortunatly we are increadably luckily that ponies are very forgiving and will stand for most activities!

:)
 
You just need to use your imagination so they are learning without realising it. For example, place grooming kit around the fence at different places (better still, get them to do it) then have the names of the brushes written down and put them in a bag or box. They take it in turns to pick out a name and they have to ride to that brush and collect it. This teaches stopping, starting and steering without them knowing. they have to ride accurately or they wont be close enough to pick up the brushes. If they are able they can go faster, so add in trot and canter, or ride one handed, without stirrups, etc.

p.s. tazzle- fab pictures!
 
Okay so when i was little we used to go out hacking and play a game called 'touch', works best in woods when there is high trees, and low branches. The rider in-front (or mum in-front) touches something low, high, side to side, making the kids steer and touch things. We also used to have 'who can get their pony the cleanest' competition, games like chase me charlie, swap ponies for a day, let the kids suggest what they like the best. If you have transport you could take them away to the beach for the day, little shows etc. not the best time of year but definitely fun. If i didn't have hacking as a child i would have gone mad! It also helps improve the riding in the school!
 
If you can get hold of a big dice, get children to take it in turns to throw it then make their pony walk the number of steps it shows.

Thread the needle is always a favourite

Challenges are usually popular - who can stand up the longest or sit down the slowest or stop halfway over a pole or walk between two close together pole or touch both toes or touch tail etc etc

Treasure hunt where they have to collect from a list of everyday objects (lots of getting on an off) ie a feather, a white stone, three different coloured flowers etc

Canibal island is one I like to play. Different obstacles for different things ie weave in and out of the trees (cones), stand up through the river (two poles) to avoid the crocodiles, put 'treasure' in a cave (square of cones/poles with a box inside for depositing 'treasure') and avoid the cannibals (person on the ground who chases different riders - they have to achieve trot to escape.

Also build a mini jumping lane if you have obliging ponies and let riders have a go riding over jumps with hands out to the side. You can lead younger or less experienced riders but all the kids I have taught absolutely ADORE doing this!
 
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