Three Ways to Entertain Small Children While Waiting

So, you are stuck in a very long line at the supermarket behind that woman who has 65 thousand coupons, most of which are expired, but she is insisting that the checker call the manager, and your four year old is getting whiny and your six your old is getting grumpy and you are really wanting a hot bath, but there you are in the check out line with a cart full of groceries and two tired kids. You could give into their pleas for a candy bar, or you could use this time to get them thinking by trying one of these quick and easy games:

Name 5 Things That... This is a very simple, yet oddly appealing game. It is also a good exercise in fluent thinking. Simply ask your kids to name 5 things that share a given quality. For example:

• Name 5 things that are soft
• Name 5 things that are pointy
• Name 5 things that are blue
• Name 5 things that are made of glass
• Name 5 things that you can read

That's the whole game. We used to play it in the car when my kids were little.
Mental Math Make up a math story with several parts. Tell it slowly so that your child can do the mental math as you tell the story. For example:

Katie had 8 crayons. She left 2 of them out in the sun and they melted. The next day, she gave the black and yellow crayons to her friend, Tim so he could make a bumble bee. Later, her mother gave her a new box of 8 more crayons. How many crayons does Katie have now?

What am I? Give your child 3 or 4 clues to guess what you are. Try to make your clues go from broad to specific. For example:

I am round.
I am flat.
You eat dinner on me.
What am I?

Looking for more ways that you can teach your kids? Check out the Linky Party at Teaching Blog Addicts!

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