The Waiting Game
We’ve all been there – stuck in a seemingly endless line with restless kids and the dread of potential chaos looming. Transform those moments into opportunities for laughter, engagement, and family bonding by playing entertaining games with your children.
Whether you’re at the doctor’s office, in a restaurant, or waiting at the airport, keep these simple play-anywhere games handy in your virtual back pocket for a stress-free waiting experience.
Games:
I Spy: Take turns being the “spy” who selects an object within sight. Say, “I spy with my little eye, something that is…” and give a clue about the chosen item’s color or shape. The other players then try to guess what it is.
20 Questions: Think of an object, and let your child ask up to 20 yes-or-no questions to figure out what it is. It’s a fantastic way to stimulate their curiosity and deductive reasoning.
Story Chain: Begin a story with a sentence, and have each family member contribute a sentence to build on the narrative. See where the story takes you as each person adds their creative twist.
Alphabet Hunt: Challenge your child to find objects that start with each letter of the alphabet in order. For example, A could be an apple, B could be a book, and so on.
Word Chain: You may start by saying a word, and the next person has to say a word starting with the last letter of the word you said, and so on. No person can take more than five seconds to think. You could even set categories for each round.
I Went to the Shops: Start saying the phrase: ‘I went to the shops today and bought…’ something beginning with A. The nex player repeats the phrase, imcludets the previous item and then adds an item beginning with B. Keep going around adding more items for each letter of the alphabet. At the end every player must repeat all the items.
Simon Says: Take turns being “Simon” and give commands starting with “Simon says…” The others must fol low the command only if it begins with the magic phrase.
Drawing Doodles: How to Play: Bring along a small notepad and some colored pencils. Take turns starting a doodle, and pass it around for each person to add their creative touch.
