The Spelling Chain

This is a game that you can play whether you're on the road or you need something to lighten the mood around the dinner table:

One person starts the game by calling out a letter, and each person in the group takes turns calling out letters in an attempt to spell a word. For example:

Player 1: D
Player 2: O
Player 3: G

After the word is completed, the next player in line gets to start the next word. The fun thing is that when you choose the starting letter, you have no idea what the finished word will be.

Sort it Out

Well, it's another cold, rainy morning which means the kids will be trapped in the house all day. One of the things we'll do today is play a game called Sort it Out.

I'll gather up a bunch of pennies, buttons, safety pins and small pieces of uncooked pasta and mix them together. Then, I'll have the kids sit near each other and then divide the mixture between them. On the "go" signal, the kids will start sorting the objects into piles: a pile of pennies, a pile of buttons, etc.

Whoever sorts all of their objects into piles first is the winner, and the winner gets to decide where everyone sits at the table for lunch.

This game can also be played by one child. He can either compete against himself by timing himself on an egg timer and then trying to beat his previous time, or he can play without a time limit and simply sort the objects for fun.

Next...

One of the great joys of traveling is taking in the scenery, but, what do you do during those long stretches of empty desert or endless farmland?


Family trips are a time for us to connect and I do everything I can to ensure that nobody "tunes out." We don't have a television in our car, we don't play video games on trips, and iPods are not welcome in our vehicle, so I have to be creative in order to keep our journeys fun for the kids. One of the games that we play is called "Next."


Have each person guess what color the next car coming in the other direction will be. After everyone calls out their chosen color, wait until you see the next car on the horizon. It's such a kick when the kids are on the edge of their seats trying desperately to see what color it is. When the color is confirmed, the person who chose it does a fun little victory dance.


We also play "Next" when sitting in a restaurant or waiting room. Take turns guessing what color shirt/dress the next person through the door will be wearing.