6 Ideas to Try Right Now
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#1·20+ min
Licence Plate Alphabet Game
🛒Materials: None — just look out the window
- 1Start with the letter A.
- 2Spot a licence plate with that letter on it. Call it out!
- 3Move to B, then C — race to get through the whole alphabet.
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#2·10–20 min
Story Round-Robin
🛒Materials: None
- 1First person says one sentence to start a story.
- 2Each person adds exactly one sentence.
- 3Try to include the craziest plot twists possible.
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Record it on your phone — you'll want to replay these stories later.
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#3·10–15 min
20 Questions (Car Edition)
🛒Materials: None
- 1One person thinks of something (animal, place, food).
- 2Others ask yes/no questions to guess what it is.
- 3Maximum 20 questions — then they must guess!
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Start with easy categories for younger kids: 'I'm thinking of an animal.'
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#4·20–40 min
Board Game Hour
🛒Materials: Any board game
- 1Pick a game you haven't played in a while.
- 2Read the rules out loud together.
- 3Play 2 rounds — loser picks the next game.
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#5·15–20 min
Shadow Drawing
🛒Materials: Paper, pencils, toys, a lamp
- 1Place a sheet of paper under a lamp.
- 2Line up small toys to cast shadows on the paper.
- 3Trace the outlines of the shadows and color them in.
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#6·25–30 min
Strategy Board Game: DIY Checkers
🛒Materials: Paper, pencil, 12 coins of 2 types (or bottle caps)
- 1Draw an 8x8 grid on paper and shade alternate squares.
- 2Each player gets 12 pieces arranged on their 3 rows.
- 3Play standard checkers rules: diagonal moves, jump to capture.
