Games
Games that need nothing, or almost nothing — for a rainy day, a car trip, the classroom and the yard.
Half an Hour of Shade-Grown Coffee: Games for Three Cousins of Different Ages in the Backyard
How to invent a game where a 5-year-old, an 8-year-old, and an 11-year-old play together without an adult having to refe...
The Missing Bricks and the Puzzle With Three Pieces Gone: Games for a Rainy October Evening With Kids Aged 6–8
Building blocks found under the couch and a puzzle missing a few pieces aren't trash. Missing pieces can become the rule...
First-Grader Rips Pages When a Letter Comes Out Wrong: Games That Teach Kids to Fix a Mistake
When a child cries and tears up the notebook over one crooked letter, comfort alone doesn't cut it. Here are three games...
How to Teach a Second Grader to Tell Time: Games with the Kitchen Clock and a Cardboard Clock Face
Four weeks of games for children aged 7–8. You start with just the hour hand and check the cardboard clock against the r...
The Child Is Afraid to Get Their Face Wet: Bath and Pool Games Before Swim Lessons (Ages 5–7)
The child screams the moment water reaches their face, and swim lessons start in early October. Here's a three-step plan...
The Cousin Arrives Sunday, and the New Toys Are Off-Limits: Swap Rules to Set Before the Doorbell Rings
A practical plan for 4-6 year-olds who don't want to hand over their new things to a visiting cousin. Two games, exact p...
Lost the Teddy Bear Outside: Games for the First Three Days
Practical games and conversations for 5- to 7-year-olds when a favorite toy or blanket has been left behind somewhere ou...
Three Hours in the Church Courtyard: What to Do With Your Kid While the Grown-Ups Celebrate
A practical plan for parents of 5- to 8-year-olds for the long hours of a christening or wedding — with games that use n...
Pogača, Survaknitsa, and One Baking Tray: Measuring Games for Kids Aged 6 to 9
How to turn kneading the pogača for St. Ignatius' Day and tying the survaknitsa into short games of counting, measuring,...
The Fridge After Sunday Cooking: 2 Games That Get Your Child Organizing Instead of Watching TV
Sunday evening, pots on the counter, a fridge that won't close. Instead of tidying up alone, turn the cleanup into two c...
60 Minutes in the Dentist's Waiting Room: Two Quiet Games That Need Nothing but You
A practical plan for an hour of waiting with kids aged 5-7 at the dentist's office — four quiet games that work without...
Packing Away Christmas Without Tears: Games with the Bare Tree and the Decoration Boxes (For Kids Ages 5-7)
Taking down the tree isn't the sad end of the holiday — it's the last game of the season. Here are two hands-on activiti...
15 Minutes in the Bakery Line: Games That Keep Your Kid on Their Feet and in a Good Mood
The bakery in the morning, five people ahead of you, and a kid who's already starting to fidget. Here are three games th...
Games Under the Walnut Tree: How to Turn Saturday-Afternoon Walnut Gathering into a Counting Lesson
Practical games for kids ages 5-7 while the family gathers walnuts at the country house in late September — with sacks,...
February School Drawings: How to Choose What Stays Without Tears
At the end of the term, the backpack comes home stuffed with sheets of paper, notebooks and craft projects. Here's how t...
Quince Jam and Stewed Fruit: What to Do with the Peels, Cores, and Seeds (Games for Ages 6-8)
While quince jam simmers on the stove, there's a whole pile of "waste" next to the table that's actually the best play m...
Spring Closet Cleanout as a Game: Measuring, Piles, and a Hand-Me-Down Bag (Ages 7-9)
How to turn packing away winter clothes in early April into a fun activity with a 7-to-9-year-old — with sleeve measurin...
Fall Planting of Onions and Garlic: Row, Step, and Counting Games for Kids Ages 7-9
How to turn the last October weekend at your grandparents' garden into four games of measuring, counting, and pacing — w...
Wednesday Laundry Night: 6 Sorting Games for a 5-7-Year-Old
How to turn weekly laundry in the basement or bathroom into a twenty-minute game of sorting by color, smell, and wash cy...
Line-Waiting Games for the Library Checkout Desk (Ages 5-7)
Practical games for waiting in line for a library card or book returns in September, with clear rules, timing, and a way...
The School Run as a Game: Bus Window Spotting and a Bus Pass
The daily school run is a ready-made playground for games of observation, counting, and memory. Here are two games you c...
The Family Budget After New Year: Two Games With €5 and a Grocery List at the Kitchen Table
How to turn January's money-counting into two concrete games for kids aged 8 to 10 — with real €5, a real grocery list,...
Old Phone, No SIM Card: 2 Neighborhood Photo Quests for Kids (Ages 8–10)
A discarded phone with no SIM card and no internet is still a fully working camera. Here's how to turn it into a tool fo...
The Third Day Home With a Cold: Games With a Thermometer, a Glass of Water and a Blanket
When your child is already feeling better but still needs to rest in bed, boredom becomes problem number one. Here are t...