Roads, hopscotch, balance beams, a spider web in the doorway, a launch pad. One roll of blue tape and an afternoon of games that need nothing else.
This page may contain affiliate links. I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
This is my emergency activity. Rain, illness, a cancelled plan, a long afternoon with nowhere to go — I get the tape out and something always happens.
The first time I taped roads on our floor I did it after bedtime and my kids found it in the morning like it was a surprise party. They played for an hour and a half before I finished my coffee.
One roll costs less than a coffee and gives us four or five completely different games.
Underlined items are affiliate links — if you buy through them I earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you 🙏
Roads: tape long lines and junctions across the floor, adding parking bays and a roundabout. Add a car park with numbered spaces if your child is into numbers.
Hopscotch: tape eight squares in the classic pattern in a hallway, write the numbers on the tape, and toss a beanbag to start.
Balance beam: one long straight line down the corridor. Walk it heel to toe, then sideways, then backwards, then carrying a cup of water.
Spider web: criss-cross tape across an open doorway, sticky side facing out, then let your child throw crumpled paper balls at it and count how many stick.
Shape hunt: tape a big circle, square and triangle on the floor and call out a shape for everyone to jump into.
Launch pad: a taped square that is 'safe' — everything outside it is hot lava. This one runs itself for a surprisingly long time.
Peel it all up together at the end, or leave the roads down for the week.
Always test the tape on a hidden bit of floor first, and take it up within a few days so it does not bake on. Painter's tape is not the same as masking tape — the blue low-tack version is the one that comes up cleanly.
This is an affiliate link. If you buy through it I earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you 🙏
Every product linked on this blog lives in one sorted place, with what it is, where we used it, and why I’d buy it again.
Browse Joy’s Recommendations →