Guides for parents · Ideas and creativity
12 idea games that turn "I'm bored" into something new
No supplies, no screens, a few minutes each. These games give kids a starting point for stories, characters, inventions and games of their own. Most work in the car, at dinner or while waiting.
Story starters
- What if? Take turns: "What if dogs could talk?" "What if it rained jelly?" Pick one and ask what happens next.
- One word at a time. Tell a story together, each person adding one word. It gets silly fast, which is the point.
- The missing piece. Start a story and stop at the exciting part: "And then the door opened, and inside was…" Your kid finishes it.
Character makers
- Mash-up animals. Combine two animals: a penguin-giraffe. What does it eat? Where does it live? What's it scared of?
- Hero with a problem. Invent a hero, then give them a funny weakness: a superhero afraid of butterflies.
- Draw it, name it. One person draws a squiggle; the other turns it into a creature and names it.
Inventions
- Fix a problem. Name an annoying thing (lost socks, cold toes) and invent a machine to fix it.
- New uses. Hold up an everyday object, like a spoon, and list every other thing it could be.
- The opposite day product. Invent the opposite of something: a slow-motion car, a quiet trumpet. Who would want it?
Game makers
- Invent a rule. Take a game you already play, like tag or snakes and ladders, and add one new rule. Play it. Keep it if it's fun.
- The floor is… Lava is classic. What else could the floor be? Jelly? Clouds? What are the rules for each?
- Design a level. Pick a hero and a world, then describe what they dodge, what they collect and how you win. Write it down, because that's a real game design.
Keep the good ones
Write the best ideas in an idea jar or notebook. Later, pick one and make it into something: a comic, a model, or a game. Game number 12 can become a playable game in our free builder in a few minutes. For more on growing ideas, read how to nurture your kid's ideas.