What you need

An old sheet, soft balls.

Where to find it

From your cupboard or a charity shop/jumble sale.

Activities

Up to 12 months

Peek-a-boo!

Play peek-a-boo by hiding under the sheet and then revealing yourself. From a young age your baby will enjoy this game, and from about 4-6 months will start to copy you.

Hide and seek

Hide toys under the sheet for your baby to find, at first showing them what you have hidden and where. They soon get the idea and go looking for themselves.

See-saw

Simple rhymes can be sung using the sheet as a prop: See-saw, Ten in a Bed, etc. For more song ideas, YouTube has plenty!

12 months–2 years

These activities are best with a family or group of friends.

Popcorn

Stretch the sheet taut between you. Put a ball in the middle, and see how high you can bounce it and catch it again. Even more fun with more balls and more people.

Row your boat

Everyone holds an edge of the sheet and then rocks back and forth while singing the song. When you get to the crocodile verse, they can hide underneath while they scream.

2–5 years

Children in this age group still enjoy the other activities, and can be role models for younger siblings.

Rolling the ball

Sit or stand around the sheet, holding it off the ground and taut between you, with a ball in the centre. Roll the ball around the outside of the sheet without it falling off the edge; adding in a second ball makes it trickier – and more fun.

The sea

With 2 or more people to hold the edges of the sheet, a child can sit in the middle while the others ripple the sheet to represent waves on the sea.

And as they grow older...

There are plenty of parachute games that can equally well be played with a sheet, indoors and out – check the internet for ideas.