Thinking games:
What if?
What if is a great thinking game and it creates a safe way to explores some scary issues, or just some silly ones. Questions can range from What if the moon was really made of cheese? to What if (insert) died, moved away, was really sick? You can ask the questions or swap out with your kids asking. We have had some profound discussions stem from this simple game.
"I"
I learned...
I discovered...
I recognized...
I was surprised...
I suspect...
I wonder...
Be aware especially of what your child is surprised by and wonders about. If
they can not come up with a thing, you need to shake up your routine! Learning
comes from 2 things, curiosity and expectation failure. Wonder and surprise.
Unfinished pictures
These are good for creativity AND time-killing. Excellent car-trip fodder. You
can make them yourself just by starting a squiggle or a line on a blank sheet
or some books like the 'Uncoloring Book' have a few pages with these. Beware
of buying 'finish the picture' books sight-unseen as they are nearly all complete
drawings with a nearly complete exact duplicate next to it. Not good for the
imagination and a big source of frustration because the child can easily see
where he went 'wrong' in the drawing if it does not look exactly like the first
picture.
Geography Game
Create and design a town, country or planet. I can remember playing this well
into my teens to pass the time.