Sometimes when we are driving in the car the kids start to pick on each other. (Shocking, I know!) The other day, as they continued to torment each other, I decided to try something new, a simple verbal memory game that quickly became a hit.
I told them both we were going to play a listening game, so they had to be quiet so they could hear.
Then I listed three animals (cow, dog, horse) and asked the 5 year-old to repeat them to me in the same order.
I made a HUGE deal when he got them right, and then I gave the 6 year-old a turn, naming off three different animals (cat, pig, chicken).
Pretty soon they were hooked!
To make it more interesting I varied the lists, giving them lists of animals, numbers, shapes, colors, letters, vehicles…whatever came to mind as I drove.
After a few rounds I increased the list to include four items. The 5 year-old was super proud of himself each time he got them right.
And the best part? They were no longer fighting! In fact, they were helping each other!
This game is easily modified for kids of different ages and abilities.
For younger children you may want to start off by just listing two animals. For older children you could make lists of five or more items. You could also ask them to give each other a list to repeat!
For a few rounds I had my 5 year-old repeat the numbers of our street address. (You could also use parts of your phone number to help little ones start to learn it!)
Have a game you do to help keep the peace in the car? I’d love to hear about it! After all, we could all use a new trick!
Susie@homemaker-mom says
That is a great idea! Ya know my kids are teens but they do brain training over at Lumosity. So do I . We could adapt your game to an older version for us to keep training even when on the road. We STILL as a family tradition on the road play the A.B.C license tag game going down the road lol
OneMommy says
Love license plate tag! I think mine are getting old enough to try it. Going to have to check out Lumonosity.
Natasha in Oz says
Thanks so much for joining the Say G’Day Linky Party. We have pinned your post to the Say G’Day Saturday board!
Best wishes,
Natasha in Oz
Sheryl at LibertyHillHouse.com says
That kind of game is so fun, and it is really great for developing memory skills.
It would be nice if we could train them early enough so that we don’t have to repeat “What did I JUST say?!?” but I kinda’ doubt it would be that effective. It doesn’t hurt to try though.
Crystal @ Crystal's Tiny Treasures says
Necessity is the mother of great ideas! A classic game to keep everyone entertained and working together, awesome! Thank you for sharing with Mom’s Library, I’ll be featuring you this week at Crystal’s Tiny Treasures.