Hello!
Family life can be pretty rock and roll. The frantic pace involves the
juggling of career responsibilities, carting children to day care and
soccer practice, homework and housework. With all this going on,
there's not much time left for families to "connect", to slow down
and have fun.
If you only find connection through sitting in front of the television set, then you're missing out on quality time with your children. Nowadays, you can barely even do that, because the kids are either surfing the Web or spending hours playing video games.
Some families have committed to a regular "Game Night" where they all get together and play a good ol' board game. This way, you get to actually talk to each other -- developing communication skills is important --, and many families notice how these activities help them become reacquainted with one another.
One place you really should be playing games is when you're on a car trip. Because long rides can become boring and cause stress to both children and parents. If you want to stave off the inevitable "Are we there yet?", then try the following travel game that is both fun and educational.
What If
All you need for "What If" is some imagination and maybe a map. Some of the best games you'll ever play with your kids are games that involve creativity and imagination.
In this game, you pose a "what if" scenario to your child or children, and they have to describe the conditions and possibilities.
For example: Ask the kids, "What if the car trip we're taking was actually in a covered wagon?" The questions the kids should consider answering are things like:
- How long would the trip take?
- How many times would you have to stop to feed and water the horses?
- What would you eat?
- How much water would you need to bring?
You can look at the map with the children and try to imagine what the country looked like with single lane dirt roads. What kind of obstacles would you encounter on these roads?
A map is an excellent prop for this game. Use some of your historical knowledge to liven up the discussion. If you have time before the trip, study up on the history a little bit and offer information to the children to liven up their imaginations. You can even bring along a couple of books on the topic. If someone else is driving, you can always look at the pictures in the book with the children and talk about what life in the "olden days" was like. If you are the only one driving, brush up on the geography before the trip with the kids, circle highlights on the map, and have the kids spot them as you continue the journey.
You can even set up an even more imaginative scenario: What would the trip be like if you did it a thousand years from now? Would you be traveling to other planets? What kind of vehicle would you be traveling in? What kind of fuel would it take? What would you be eating and drinking? What obstacles could you encounter?
Kids will love this game. There's no history lesson to teach, just a lot of creative energy to indulge.
For more games, get The Complete Idiot's Guide To Family Games, by Amy Wall.
Bon Voyage!
Mudd
xoxo
P.S.: Questions or not, I'd love to hear from you. Please email me at
anxietybuster@gmail.com or simply click the link on the sidebar.
