Ideas for Bigs

There are lots of fun things you can do with you Little. Your only limit is your own imagination. However, you might want to know what some other common match activities are.

101 THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR LITTLE

1. Play the BBBS version of 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 Duck Tours and get to know Galveston Island.
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!
12. Draw, paint, work with clay, or make paper-mache animals or casts of each other.
13. Play Charades, checkers, chess, backgammon, or any board or card game (you can even create your own).
14. Take a bike ride together (there are several trails in the Houston area – www.dirtworld.com).
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 Dickins on the Strand. Admission is free if you dress up.
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.
26. Bounce on a trampoline.
27. Go to local art fairs, festivals, and events (check the “Get Out” section of the Post every Thursday).
28. Watch a parade.
29. Go horseback riding.
30. See one of our local sports teams (Astros, Texans, Dynimo or Aeros) – when they play again) or college teams (U of H Cougars, etc.) in action.
31. Check into local history/archeology.
32. Take a walk and bring a memento 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 display.
37. Take your Little to your place of employment.
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.
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 the Nutcracker or other events at the Houston Ballet.
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.
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 – there are plenty to choose from!
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 an Art Walk or Art 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.
83. Call your Support Specialist and let them know about the activities you have tried.
84. Explore your local area (www.galveston.com ).
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 the Humane Society.
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.
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 on a camera scavenger hunt – Make a list of the things you want pictures of before you go and let your Little take the pictures.
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.