Teach Your Child to Think

Between school, errands, and activities, most families today spend lots of time on the go. Use some of that time for "thinking games". Some suggestions are:

• "Would You Rather?" - offer two options and ask which they prefer and why. For example, "Would you rather live near the beach or the mountains?"
• "Three Favorites" - Someone picks a category (outfits, movies, food) and everyone tells their top three choices.
• "What Doesn't Belong?" - Take turns naming items and asking the others to explain whcih is the odd one out and why. This game is great because there can be more than one "right"answer. For example, the items are "owl", "ostrich", and "eagle". The answer could be "ostrich, because it can't fly", or "owl, because it hunts at night".

This type of game will help children to improve their thinking through ideas.